Planners, Plans and Procrastination

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Elon University Balances Commitments and Curriculum

Noelle Clemente

College, the best four years of your life. University students attend classes, organize meetings, support events and even find time for a social life. Planners are a staple to any responsible Elon University student’s backpack.

At the start of every semester professors hand out syllabi outlining what students should expect over the course of the next 4 months. Organizations meet for the first time claiming a time slot in every week for meetings. West End opens its doors to the infamous “West End Wednesday” and Brown&Co. remains open until 4 a.m. on Thursday and Friday.

“Elon students often experience a conflict between their coursework and extra- and/or co-curricular activities,” according to the Academic Summit Steering Committee. “As an institution, we must communicate to our students—from recruitment to graduation—consistent messages about the need to balance activities, and the primacy of coursework and intellectual development.”

Junior, Ben Kaufman, is involved with Isabella Cannon Leadership Fellows, Twisted Measure and Pi Kappa Phi. These three organizations are not only extremely time consuming, but they are also the backbone to Kaufman’s Elon experience. “My calendar on my computer is my lifeline,” says Kaufman. “Without it I would have no chance at success.”

Teeter Tottering Time Commitments

Balancing academia and other interests is the responsibility of students only. Jolanda Thompson joined the Elon community only a few months ago and has worked closely with student in the Multi-Cultural Center, the Center for Leadership and overall organizational development. “The Millennial Generation is a service generation. They are very confident and reward driven.”

The Committee noted that both faculty and students were responsible for “fostering Academic Challenge.” As students we are told that class is our job. Professor’s job is class. So how do the two parties balance the responsibility?

Students	Faculty
Develop a tolerance for ambiguity.	Encourage risk-taking.
Strive to create (produce) rather than simply consume knowledge.	Model inquiry (& behaviors of the profession).
Take initiative to learn on their own time.	Demonstrate a passion for what they do
Be willing to work hard.	Set appropriate goals for student achievement.

This information was taken from the Steering Committee’s attempt to define “Academic Challenge.”

Each year the leaders of campus organizations are asked to complete a survey. Though it is not a comprehensive assessment of all campus leaders, nor is the information verified, it provides an overview of the hours each leader averages committing to his or her respective organization.

From organizational clusters such as academic, government, Greek, honors, media, performing, sports and many others the hourly commitments vary distinctly. The majority of leaders for these clusters claim to spend one to five hours per week in leadership of their organization. This is not entirely consistent, with large numbers of Greek and Media organizational leaders claiming to spend to six to ten and eleven to fifteen hours per week respectively.

These numbers are not hard and fast, as this is a self-reported analysis; however, they provide an understanding that though organizational leadership is a major time commitment, it is individualized to the organization and the leadership style.

Nine to Five Grind Extended

Again, it is the responsibility of the student to achieve the balance of academics. An informal survey of Elon students showed that they initially admit to many more hours of schoolwork than they are actually completing. Most found that they spend four to six hours each week preparing for each class, unless a test or paper are involved.

On the same token, most students also lacked enthusiasm about the subject. Schedules get filled and the rhythm becomes monotonous. Though it is not the typical 9-5 job, it becomes a 9-midnight life. Upon graduating from high school, students leave the life run by bells every hour; however, it seems that the life that follows is equally planned.

“Elon attracts people with heart and passion,” according to Thompson. Students’ initiative reaches far beyond the classroom. With more than 140 student-run organizations there are opportunities for all interest areas. “Students need t shape their involvement and exploration; focus.”

Academics are balanced and complimented by organizational involvement. One strengthens the other if carefully orchestrated. Students and faculty agree that each is equally important; however, timing seems to be the key issue.

Bursting the Bubble

The Elon Experiential Learning Requirement encourages work outside the classroom. From internships to study abroad to field research this is an academic opportunity to exercise what students have learned in the classroom in the real world. The intention is that students are better prepared to enter the work world and not just another classroom.

With all of these opportunities available to students, when is the balance lost? Time Management is key to success with an involved student. The technological age provides opportunities for faster research, greater communication and countless distractions.          

Furthermore, what is the difference between what students are actually doing and what they initially consider to be their hourly commitments? Most students initially overestimated how much time they are spending on work, when in actuality, they could theoretically get schoolwork done in a much more efficient manner. Why is this?

Assorted Desktop Distractions

Wikipedia, YouTube and Facebook were the most frequently mentioned for distracting or degrading papers. These are some of the reasons students initially claimed more working hours than at second thought they were actually completing. Expectation versus execution.

Professors have certain expectations of students. They vary from class to class, student to student and assignment to assignment. Students agree to recognize these expectations as the main guideline for their academic organization. They almost unanimously also sited parents and themselves as motivation.

Regardless of where the motivation is coming form, students understand that they are subject to distractions from many directions on a daily basis. These distractions have made their way into daily habits that are often overlooked. From one site known to distract, collegehumor.com, there is an humorous list of how a college student goes about writing a paper.         

A list of 39 steps is given from sitting down to write the paper the night before to turning it in the next morning. Laced with checking e-mail, getting coffee, complaining with friends and watching the sunrise, the list is clearly a drama. Some of these steps can be interchanged for different websites, video games or habits, but when shown to the students being surveyed, they laughed with an undertone of embarrassment, knowing that they too were guilty of these follies.

Verifying the Vision           

The Elon University vision expects students to challenge themselves within a rich, nurturing environment. When comparing to comparable school’s mission statements, this expectation is what sets Elon apart. “At Washington and Lee University, a nurturing environment is also presented. However, also stressed is a level of expectation of students using such words as demands, requires and regimen.”

The Elon University Mission Statement overviews these beliefs and intentions:

Mission Statement	Meaning
“We nurture a rich intellectual community characterized by active student engagement with a faculty dedicated to excellent teaching and scholarly accomplishment”	Both students and faculty have the responsibility to be enthusiastic and dedicated to academia.
“We provide a dynamic and challenging undergraduate curriculum grounded in the traditional liberal arts and sciences and complimented by distinctive professional and graduate programs.”	Students can expect for their curriculum to transcend classroom lectures and have the opportunity for professional and graduate programs.
“We integrate learning across the disciplines and put knowledge into practice, thus preparing students to be global citizens and informed leaders motivated by concern for the common good.”	Students can expect to graduate as well rounded citizens with a real understanding of how their course work relates to real world experiences.
“We foster respect for human differences, passion for a life of learning, personal integrity, and an ethic of work and service.”	Community will be respectful and understanding. The population will share a common understanding of human life, its differences and the values of the University.

Comparable Curriculum

The Student Life Committee completed this research. They also found The University of Richmond, James Madison University and Stetson University to have similar values but they, “may emphasize academic challenge, and the role of the student in meeting that challenge, more directly and clearly than Elon does.”   

This committee reached beyond Universities to publications to study how Elon academics are seen beyond these 500 acres. The committee reviewed U.S. News and World Report, America’s Best Colleges 2005, 2005 Fiske Guide, 2005 Peterson’s Four-Year Colleges, 2004 Princeton Review and Harvard Schmarvard. “The portrayal of Elon in these publications indicates that academics are not as vital to the Elon experience as some peer institutions. Study abroad, internships and service are emphasized to a much greater degree than at other institutions.” 

The standards for admission have increased significantly over the past decade. The University has grown in popularity and increased its standards. “I believe that the level of expectation has risen as Elon has attracted stronger students,” says Nancy Midgette, Associate Provost.

While the students agreed with this message, there seems to still be a disconnect in Elon’s outward image and the inner understanding of expectations.

Bottom Line

So does Elon not value academics? Could a student go to a professor claiming his or her Greek organization has an event or Service group is organizing a trip and could they please give them an extension? Most professors have a strict attendance policy lowering the overall grade by one letter for missing more than the allotted classes.

Less reputable sources for defining Universities include Urban Dictionary and Wikipedia. Wikipedia notes school statistics, successful graduates and campus opportunities. “Probably one of the biggest joke schools in the country,” says one contributor to Urban Dictionary.

What responsibility do students have to refute this definition? Kristen Renn’s and William Edwards’ Transforming a College: The Story of a Little-Known College’s Strategic Climb to National Distinction begins to tackle that challenge. Chronicling the journey of the university it clarifies what students should now expect from the university.

Yes, Elon students have busy schedules. They are subject to rigorous coursework and are dedicated to multiple, time consuming organizations. No, the university does not have unfair expectations of students. If anything, Elon works tirelessly to assist students in planning and organizing to graduate in four years, succeed academically and participate fully in campus life.

Academics are the backbone of any reputable university, and Elon is no different. “Just as two examples, over the past decade the institution has lowered the class sizes and has funded the Center for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning,” says Dr. Midgette.

These efforts to improve the academic environment and increase academic success indicate the direction of the university. Furthermore, the hourly data and success of campus leaders confirms the understanding and well-rounded environment of the university.

Students have expectations of the university. The university has expectations of the students. Each does their part. It is a balancing act. 

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