Re: Letters of Reccomendation -Reply

[Stephen Newmann <newmann@msmary.edu>]

Twyla, I didn't mean to suggest that we should not write these letters for
our students--only that we should not *have* to write them.  I'm
suggesting that others are putting their own responsibilities of assessing
students preparedness for whatever it is students want to do onto
educators.  I'm suggesting that educators should have only to offer
education and should be able to let others worry about determining how
much of that education has "taken".  Same goes for grad school as for the
workplace in my mind.  If we were to stop credentialing folks many would
lose interest in education and especially in graduate education.  I doubt
graduate schools would be overrun by students and those who could not cut
it (ie, could not learn what was being offered) would just go elsewhere
and do other things.  --stephen

On Tue, 4 Feb 1997 typapay@rollins.edu wrote:

> Stephen, I understand the point you make about our perhaps not being the
> best people to assess our students' preparation for the corporate world.
> I wonder if you would make the same argument regarding graduate school
> letters?  If we can't write any letters, who will be doing such assessing?
> 
> I have another concern as well.  Whatever our own politics, in my area
> students cannot be considered for most jobs available to them without
> letters of reference from faculty.  (Of course, they also use Writing
> Center directors for employer letters, as we do employ them to do a job--
> and presumably assess their work periodically.)
> 
> Do we have the right to take our students' money for four years (I know, I
> know, we give good value--the best in the market--for it), then refuse to
> give them something they need to make use of their educations for
> earning a livlihood?  I realize, of course, that the great value of what
> we all teach goes far beyond the market and paychecks.  But I do want my
> students to survive financially in order to do all the meaningful value-
> building work their educations have introduced them to!
> 
> Just wondering.
> 
> Twila Yates Papay
> Rollins College
> Winter Park, FL
> typapay@rollins.edu
> 
> 
>