To Whom It May Concern,

As a Texas Wesleyan University student and UCD presenter, I am concerned about a statement made in the April 13 print issue of The Rambler.  Dr. Benjamin Miller’s statement seems to show a lack of support for the student body as well as for his fellow professors.  Just because a student submits a project to UCD doesn’t necessarily mean it will be selected to be presented.  For a professor to encourage their students to do extremely well on a project for a class and encourage them to move on to presenting doesn’t mean that the work isn’t “rigorous work” or the “best work.” It offended me that this was said when I was selected to present at UCD as well.  Everyone’s work is going to be different based on how they perceive the topic and shouldn’t be looked down on because a professor encouraged their entire class to present.  Encouragement should be a quality sought out at Wesleyan, not frowned upon my any staff or administration.  If that is the case, then I definitely picked the wrong university to transfer to for my Bachelor’s degree.  I would hope that Dr. Miller would reconsider his statement and be more open minded towards students and faculty in the future. 

Per the Wesleyan mission statement, “The University is committed to the principles that each student deserves personal attention and that all members of the academic community must have freedom to pursue independent thought and to exercise intellectual curiosity. The University endeavors to create a learning environment where each student is provided an opportunity to pursue individual excellence, to think clearly and creatively and to communicate effectively. The University actively seeks and employs faculty and staff with commitment and dedication to teaching, inspiring and serving students.” Without encouragement the Wesleyan mission and vision means nothing.  Those professors that allow students the encouragement to move forward may just be the push that student needs to step out of their comfort zone and present work they may not have thought to do before.

Sincerely,

Dawn Fain

To view the story Fain is referring to, visit https://therambler.org/2016/04/14/students-showcase-research-at-ucd/.