Your Stimulus Dollars at Work: Big Brother Is Watching
Northern Arizona University spent $75,000 in Federal stimulus money to install an electronic surveillance system that will take attendance for large lecture classes on campus. It is programmed to detect student ID cards as they enter large classrooms. Electronic attendance reports would then be available for classroom instructors.
Karen Pugliese, the university’s vice provost defends the action, stating: "It's more than just enforcing compliance with attendance through the proximity readers. We intend to make our classes compelling and attractive."
We see where this is going like so many other things, strict zero tolerance attendance policies. This is one of so many moves in the last decade or so which seeks to treat college students, most of whom are 18 years of age or older, legally adults, old enough to die in battle for their country, like babies.
If such a system is used, what should be of most concern to the administration is what does it say about students who frequently do not attend lecture courses and ace the exams? Obviously, the instructor’s efforts aren’t effective and the student can meet the standards through his or her own devices. Sounds like an advertisement for on-line learning opportunities or correspondents’ courses doesn’t it?
With the Federal deficit skyrocketing and continued reports of more and more nonsense being dreamed up to interfere with a student’s post secondary experience, we firmly denounce this program and hope it does not spread. Sadly, it has all the earmarks of the wave of the future.
Does the Federal takeover of student loans help make more sense of why this is especially unnerving?
The same technology could be moved to places around campus that serve alcohol or monitor other student behavior. A little paranoia makes a lot of sense.
Northern Arizona University spent $75,000 in Federal stimulus money to install an electronic surveillance system that will take attendance for large lecture classes on campus. It is programmed to detect student ID cards as they enter large classrooms. Electronic attendance reports would then be available for classroom instructors.
Karen Pugliese, the university’s vice provost defends the action, stating: "It's more than just enforcing compliance with attendance through the proximity readers. We intend to make our classes compelling and attractive."
We see where this is going like so many other things, strict zero tolerance attendance policies. This is one of so many moves in the last decade or so which seeks to treat college students, most of whom are 18 years of age or older, legally adults, old enough to die in battle for their country, like babies.
If such a system is used, what should be of most concern to the administration is what does it say about students who frequently do not attend lecture courses and ace the exams? Obviously, the instructor’s efforts aren’t effective and the student can meet the standards through his or her own devices. Sounds like an advertisement for on-line learning opportunities or correspondents’ courses doesn’t it?
With the Federal deficit skyrocketing and continued reports of more and more nonsense being dreamed up to interfere with a student’s post secondary experience, we firmly denounce this program and hope it does not spread. Sadly, it has all the earmarks of the wave of the future.
Does the Federal takeover of student loans help make more sense of why this is especially unnerving?
The same technology could be moved to places around campus that serve alcohol or monitor other student behavior. A little paranoia makes a lot of sense.
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