Editor,
I’m writing to you about the lack of transparency when it comes to enrolling in independent study courses offered here at UNM.
With the growing number of nontraditional career paths that students here are interested in pursuing, it seems that there hasn’t been a push in the way of alternatives to the standard classroom by the University.
I’ll have taken six credit hours of independent study courses by the end of this semester, but not without a fight. The two independent study courses I’ve taken have been within the honors program.
At the beginning of the semester, I was trying to find some information on independent studies courses offered from the theater department.
Because I want to be a comedian, I figured that would be the closest match to what I want to do. I registered for a section of independent study with a professor and emailed him about the enrollment and approval process for these courses. I also emailed an associate professor of Theatre and Dance, Bill Walters.
I was informed by my section professor that he had no idea what the process was to get my independent study approved. Walters emailed me back, denied me information, and stated that my professor should know what the process entailed.
Then I called the front office of the Theatre and Dance Department. They said that they had no idea what I was talking about and that no one ever called them to ask about independent studies. I was stumped, but not for lack of trying.
All I knew (and currently know) is that the process to get an independent study approved in the theater department is “harder than it used to be,” which means that it is apparently impossible.
There is no literature or pamphlet on gaining approval for an independent study class in the theater department. This reflects the purposeful neglect of the production of the arts that go on off campus and arts that aren’t performed by entities partnered with the University. It’s almost like the theater department doesn’t want students in these sections. Interesting.
Because I’ve already taken two independent study courses from the same professor, I have to find a new professor to advise me in the coming semesters. I would like for the independent study classes I take to be with the theater department because it is the most relevant to the field I’m going into.
The independent study courses I’ve taken have been immensely valuable to me because they’ve given me the chance to look at comedy through an academic lens.
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They’ve given me momentum and purpose behind what I’m doing. They’ve given me hope that, in a university that can’t even support one section of comedy writing (it was canceled due to lack of enrollment), there is a place for comedy inside this institution.
I hope many departments see this letter and rethink their strategy when it comes the level of transparency they afford students who are seeking information on independent study courses.
Sarah Mowrey
UNM student
