2008 Woodie Awards
Innovative courses will serve most, but not all freshmen
Rebecca Podszus
Issue date: 3/9/06 Section: Campus News
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More faculty and new classes for entering freshmen will be in place by the start of classes this fall, but non-traditional students may find they are left out of the loop.
Freshmen will be separated into groups of 50 students who will stay together in core classes through their first three quarters at UWT.
These required classes will only be offered weekdays from morning to mid-afternoon, so nontraditional students unable to attend school at those times have no current freshmen opportunities at UWT.
Nontraditional students include returning students, working students and others whose life experiences and circumstances have complicated their abilities to attend college. University administration has assured potential students that the comprehensive freshmen curriculum planned will still work for most people.
Bob Jackson, coordinator for the implementation phase of freshmen planning, says that although classes won't be offered at other times, the majority of potential students will still be able to attend. Most new students, he explains, are expected to be recent high school graduates between 18 and 19 years old who can attend classes in the morning.
Such limited course offerings mark a departure from UWT's original goals, explains Allan Wood, Interim Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs.
"UWT provided opportunities for students who otherwise wouldn't have opportunities," says Wood about how the campus was founded to serve work-bound and place-bound students.
The first UWT courses in 1990 were offered in the evening to accommodate a largely nontraditional student body. But over the past 16 years, the student profile has changed to a more daytime-oriented group. The new freshmen curriculum addresses this student shift with classes offered when most students want to attend.
Future course offerings may become more inclusive as the school's possibilities as a four-year institution unfold. But for now, potential students not fitting into the traditional student model will continue to be steered toward area community colleges.
Freshmen will be separated into groups of 50 students who will stay together in core classes through their first three quarters at UWT.
These required classes will only be offered weekdays from morning to mid-afternoon, so nontraditional students unable to attend school at those times have no current freshmen opportunities at UWT.
Nontraditional students include returning students, working students and others whose life experiences and circumstances have complicated their abilities to attend college. University administration has assured potential students that the comprehensive freshmen curriculum planned will still work for most people.
Bob Jackson, coordinator for the implementation phase of freshmen planning, says that although classes won't be offered at other times, the majority of potential students will still be able to attend. Most new students, he explains, are expected to be recent high school graduates between 18 and 19 years old who can attend classes in the morning.
Such limited course offerings mark a departure from UWT's original goals, explains Allan Wood, Interim Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs.
"UWT provided opportunities for students who otherwise wouldn't have opportunities," says Wood about how the campus was founded to serve work-bound and place-bound students.
The first UWT courses in 1990 were offered in the evening to accommodate a largely nontraditional student body. But over the past 16 years, the student profile has changed to a more daytime-oriented group. The new freshmen curriculum addresses this student shift with classes offered when most students want to attend.
Future course offerings may become more inclusive as the school's possibilities as a four-year institution unfold. But for now, potential students not fitting into the traditional student model will continue to be steered toward area community colleges.