David Delgado// The Daily Cougar
UH is home to more than 40,000 students. According to collegeboard.com, only 46 percent of those students graduate within six years — the lowest rate among all Tier One universities in Texas. The University of Texas boasts a six-year graduation rate of 79 percent while Texas A&M has an 80-percent graduation rate. Something is keeping UH students from graduating within six years of becoming a freshman.
A major part of the problem is that UH is a commuter school and a large majority of the undergraduate students do not live on campus. According to collegeboard.com, 85 percent of UH students take some form of transport, other than walking, to get to their classes. That in itself is a huge excuse waiting to happen. It may surprise some of us how easy it is to convince yourself to not attend classes.
The bottom line: People are lazy.
It’s not professors’ responsibility to make sure students attend class — they’ll get their paychecks regardless. Sure, they can make attendance mandatory, but if someone is too lazy to put gas in their car before class, they’ll likely be able to convince themselves that they can make up the attendance with great test scores.
They’ll go to the next class, maybe, but the same cycle of excuses will inevitably rear its ugly head.
Students need to take more responsibility when it comes to their education, but UH is also taking more efforts.
The UH System comprises four universities with campuses across the region. Those campuses might not offer every class, but it would be unrealistic to expect them to do so. The System is doing its best to make classes readily available.
For students trying to gain an education around busy work schedules, online classes can help. There is really no excuse for not attending, since you aren’t even required to leave bed.
In addition, UH increased its on-campus student accommodations this summer, and according to Jordan Sass, the assistant director of Admissions, UH now has the second highest number of residence halls in the state, a total of 8,000 beds, giving students the opportunity to live on campus for easier access to classes without having to put gas in their car or wait in traffic.
I’m not trying to bash the student body to death, but it’s not the faculty’s fault, and it’s not the administration’s fault. That only leaves the students to be held responsible. College is a privilege, not a right. More people need to learn that lesson.
Opinion columnist Euan Leith is a journalism junior and may be reached at [email protected].
Evan Leith:
Are you kidding me? Have you ever tried working a full-time job while enrolled in a full semester? I’ll take your “people are lazy” argument as an indication that you are young, do not support yourself, and have never tried to work full time and attend school full time.
Only 46 percent of students graduate in six years because we are a commuter campus teeming with non-traditional students!!!
And then you have the audacity to say that non-traditional students should stick with online classes?
As a former Editor in Chief and Opinion Editor of this publication I’m embarrassed by this editorial. Hardly surprising that you’re a journalism major. #fitting
Your piece is not only offensive but insulting to those of us who work several jobs to make ends meet, still maintain solid grades, and often times are required to extend graduation because certain courses are not offered in a specific semester and the College of Business, for example, tends to change things at the last minute.
Maybe if tutition was devoted to education and not the pathetic high school football team stduents subsizide students would graduate on time because they would be able to afford the ever-increasing tuition!