By Sofia McGinnis
Classes have been central to students’ schedules since they started at The University of Tampa. The classes are meant as an introduction to campus life as a UTampa student. However, many students, including myself, find that the classes do not do any of that.
The UTAMPA classes — part of the Spartan Studies general education program — have issues with how they function. When I took the class as a freshman, it felt like they were only teaching us the basics: talking about scheduling your planner, staying safe on the internet, and having a basic understanding of communications.
However, I found that as a freshman, while it was helpful to talk about different aspects of high school and college, I could not help but feel like these classes weren’t needed. I know how to do my schedule, and I know how to be organized. I do not need to be taught the skills I learned in high school.
It also did not help that many of the teachers did not follow the same format. I would listen to my friends talk about all the projects they did in their class that were mysteriously absent from mine. It seems to me that there are some issues in the department for UTampa.
Now, as a sophomore, my concerns about the UTAMPA classes have only grown. I am enrolled in the Digital Literacy: Coding class this semester, and as of right now, I believe that students at UTampa do not need this class.
This class is online, and the teacher is only available through email. It surprises me that a coding class would only be available through online teaching. Coding is complex, and many students taking this class, myself included, are not STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) students. It is not easy for us to understand coding, especially in an online class with no access to other students.
The professors are available to contact through email, but it almost feels like they do not want to talk to students. In messages to students, some of the professors’ tones are almost mocking. One professor wrote a sentence with uncoordinated letters as if she were whining to her students.
While it is understandable that professors can get frustrated with students, especially with the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in classrooms, their lack of ability to properly handle the situation is clear. Most reminders to students are written in a mocking tone. A professor sent out an email to her students about this topic and wrote: “Take responsibility for your learning and don’t be lazy – a real person is grading this.”
The tones these professors have taken with their students make it incredibly difficult for students to talk to them. I feel like I do not have a person to talk to who will understand, but rather, I have a person who will get annoyed and angry that students are possibly struggling. Perhaps students are using AI because they are online by themselves learning how to code, which is a skill that is difficult to do alone.
With all this in mind, I believe that The University of Tampa needs to take a good look at its Spartan Studies program and make some changes. The UTAMPA classes can be saved; all that is needed is a discussion about what all teachers should teach their students. However, I think we should remove the Digital Literacy: Coding class and replace it with something else.
Our new president, Teresa Abi-Nader Dahlberg, wants to connect our campus with the Tampa area. Instead of teaching students about coding, we can teach them to serve their community.
This new UTAMPA class would have students go into the city of Tampa and serve their community. Whether volunteering at the school or a shelter, students could connect with their classmates and the wider community by helping others. This would also teach them to solve problems through hands-on work rather than with numbers.