Educators or Policy Creators?
Differences of Opinion Among Faculty Can Be Either Be Beneficial or Destructive
Wabash College has recently been host to numerous debates on its inherent qualities and culture. From criticism of the all male educational system, to the demeaning of some long standing College traditions, no topic has been safe from the vicious conflicts of the recent past. In the wake of these debates the campus now finds itself in a relatively peaceful and solid position on some of its most historically controversial issues. In this calm one would expect to find solidarity amongst the College’s highest levels, mainly the administration and faculty, and in some instances this consistency of mission is the case; many members of the faculty and administration share a purpose or understanding in the College’s quest for excellence in education and the continual attempts to evolve and reform the curriculum to suit the ever changing students. However, there is still lingering dissent on some of Wabash’s core issues, especially in its position as an all male educational system. Dr. Humberto Barreto of the Economics Department says this dissent is “a good thing, it lets students see there are differing views.” In some ways this is true but at the same time this dissent, if presented in a destructive manner, can be detrimental to other areas of the college when involving core issues.
The way men are educated at the college is extremely dependent on the professors. “The role of a professor at Wabash exists at two levels. The first is as a teacher; the second is as a guiding force for the student to student learning and teaching. Both are equally important,” said Assistant Professor of History Dr. Richard Warner. With this role in both teaching their respective subjects and guiding the interactions and learning of their students on campus, it is very important that the professors share an understanding at the core levels of the Wabash education.
It would prove almost impossible to educate young men to lead effectively without a good example of leadership within the College itself. Without the ability of all professors to at least understand some of the most fundamental points of the Wabash education, like the all male element, it is impossible to fully accomplish the main goals of educating men who “think critically, act responsibly, lead effectively and live humanely.” Although it is important for a sense of uniform understanding amongst the faculty and administration, it is not an absolute necessity for any of them to personally believe in all male education. Quite the contrary, they can personally oppose the idea of single sex education without attempting to alter or attack it. If they at least understand it, accept that there is some value to it, and do not try to pit themselves against it in a destructive way, there is still the ability to accomplish the goals of the institution despite personal beliefs.
Ultimately there is no room at the college for someone who wants and actively seeks a selfish personal goal of destroying the all male institution that Wabash College is. At some level all people need to understand what Wabash College is as an institution. “Wabash College is a great school that just happens to be educating men,” as Dr. Warner described it. It is as simple as that. The College itself is a place that prepares a group of society to become some of the most successful members within their career fields. Nothing shows the success of this institution better than the alumni it has developed and as former president Andy Ford said, “It works.” Wabash College is dependent on the belief of not just the students, who personally experience all male education at work, but on the belief or understanding of the professors and administrators who are entrusted to carry Wabash College into the future.
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