Christian Brodermann/Contributing Writer
Administration sent out a survey titled iReal to all students, faculty and staff. The survey deals with different issues, from faculty quality, to the University’s community involvement, to whether the University should lower the acceptance rate.
One of the many questions the iReal survey asks is whether or not FIU has good professors, as well as if the current system of student and peer evaluations is effective in keeping professors accountable.
Some students agreed that FIU provides a great education, has good professors, but they should be regulated and made to be accountable for their mistakes and failures, regardless of their tenure.
“The assessment for teachers is a good idea, but should not be all or nothing,” said Manny Gonzalez, freshman majoring in computer science. “Some students’ reports will be biased, tainting the reputation of a decent or excellent professor.”
The survey also asks whether FIU should have less students in order to lower the professor-to-student ratio. Some students disagreed, saying that FIU is selective enough and cannot limit the spread of knowledge.
Dual-enrollment nursing major, Kimberly Ortiz, made it clear that she would consider it a disservice to herself as well as all the students if the student population decreased, because that would just mean a smaller, less diverse school.
“FIU is already a fairly selective school,” said Ortiz. “ The university should work to grow as the number of willing and knowledge-hungry students do.”
One solution to reduce the student to professor ratio is by offering online classes or hybrid classes.
“Students, most of whom work and commute to campus, need greater access to more flexible learning approaches such as hybrid courses,” said Trevor Meylach, junior english major. “As well as fully online courses and degrees.
The survey isn’t just focused on internal affairs, and has taken a view on external and world affairs FIU can get involved in. One of those global topics is entrepreneurship.
However, some students feel that the university should not get themselves involved in entrepreneurship.
“The function of a school is to equip individuals with the skills to go forward with ideas and to develop them into a reality,” said Gabriel Allan, a junior studying electrical engineering. “ The university’s role is not to give business ideas, but merely inspire them.”
Kenneth G. Furton, Dean of The College of Arts and Sciences, one of the administrators involved with the survey, was unable to comment at press time.
The survey closes today, Sept. 13. Students can take the survey online at https://fiu.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_5tMlv2fUAxsnDnf.
– news@fiusm.com
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