Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Why do Universities allow anyone to walk around the school?

waloshin

waloshin

macrumors 68040
Original poster
Oct 9, 2008
3,560
394
Why do Universities allow anyone to walk around the school?

It seems like Universities leave there doors open so anybody may walk around the school use there services, such as pools, gyms and even doctor offices.

It just seems weird to have a whole bunch of senior people walking around the school hanging out.

Is your University like that ?
 
Apple OC said:
ever hear the term ... Mature Sudent?
Click to expand...

Um, yes, exactly.

Ever hear of the idea that universities were/are set up to facilitate the free exchange of ideas and learning? To allow for a sort of "cross-fertilisation" of thought, innovation, ideas, learning......that they are supposed to be places, where, to quote the late, great Jacob Bronowski, a "certain ragamuffin irreverence", a questioning, an interrogation of facts and beliefs, an opening of minds to learning, ideas, questions, that all of this is brought to bear on the 'groves of academe'?

This, therefore, means that even the very physical expression of a university should be open, rather than a closed, gated community, which would come to resemble a fortress, or an army camp, or some suchlike.....
 
waloshin said:
Why do Universities allow anyone to walk around the school?

It seems like Universities leave there doors open so anybody may walk around the school use there services, such as pools, gyms and even doctor offices.

It just seems weird to have a whole bunch of senior people walking around the school hanging out.

Is your University like that ?
Click to expand...

I feel your pain. Having those wrinkly old farts walking around (so slow) and even sitting near you - disgusting. :p

I mean, what the hell do they know. You certainly couldn't learn anything from those geezers.:rolleyes:
 
iJohnHenry said:
Anyone can audit a lecture, no??
Click to expand...

The OP is just terrible. Let's let it go.

----------
Shrink said:
I feel your pain. Having those wrinkly old farts walking around (so slow) and even sitting near you - disgusting. :p

I mean, what the hell do they know. You certainly couldn't learn anything from those geezers.:rolleyes:
Click to expand...

Especially terrible: those people of other genders, and ethnicities, and religions. It's not just the people aged differently!
 
Abstract said:
My only concern is that they're admitting people like you into a university.
Click to expand...

thm.gif


i7.gif
 
OP, I have been a university teacher for over twenty years (history and politics). Further to my post above, may I add that meeting and being privileged to teach the older, mature students are among the best experiences of my life as a teacher?

It was a challenging, and immensely enjoyable experience to be in a position to be of assistance to them. "Older" people give far more to a university environment than it is possible to imagine. Moreover, they are invariably highly motivated, - as, for a variety of reasons, family, financial, lack of opportunity, or grades, these possibilities did not exist for them when they were 18-19 years of age - unlike a lot of the privileged youngsters with jaded palates whom I have also taught.

I really do not like the idea that universities should only be available to those who can avail of that possibility at the age of 18 or 19; it is such a narrow world view, and exceedingly limiting, as well.

Maybe, I'm a bit biased on this matter. My mom went back to college as a mature student when I was a teenager (her father had not believed in higher education for women) as she had always wanted to go and it transformed her life for the better, building up her confidence and enabling her to apply for better jobs later on.

Cheers
 
Last edited:
Wait, what are you doing walking around an institution of higher learning?
 
I think it's people like the author of this post who really shouldn't be allowed around universities.

I tend to like the (dying) idea of an university as a place where people of any age, race and condition can walk around and share ideas and thoughts, over the idea of an university as a place where privileged kids go spend their early 20s away from mom&dad, get drunk, **** like rabbits and get a Master's Degree.
 
villicodelirant said:
I tend to like the (dying) idea of an university as a place where people of any age, race and condition can walk around and share ideas and thoughts, over the idea of an university as a place where privileged kids go spend their early 20s away from mom&dad, get drunk, **** like rabbits and get a Master's Degree.
Click to expand...

Money money money.
 
waloshin said:
Why do Universities allow anyone to walk around the school?
Click to expand...

Better question: why wouldn't they?

It seems like Universities leave there doors open so anybody may walk around the school use there services, such as pools, gyms and even doctor offices.
Click to expand...

It's a University, not a friggin' Masonic lodge - there's no reason to keep the general public away. As far as unauthorized people using facilities like the gym and pools and such, you can't generally get into those areas without a valid ID.

It just seems weird to have a whole bunch of senior people walking around the school hanging out.
Click to expand...

You mean professors? :rolleyes:

Is your University like that ?
Click to expand...

I've been on many campuses and they're ALL like that. Students come in all ages, and visitors are always welcome. These are generally public places, even the private institutions.

This is the most closed-minded thread I've ever seen from you. You disappoint me.
 
waloshin said:
Why do Universities allow anyone to walk around the school?
Click to expand...
Public land maybe?

It seems like Universities leave there doors open so anybody may walk around the school use there services, such as pools, gyms and even doctor offices.
Click to expand...
Alternatively, anybody may also use the English department.

It just seems weird to have a whole bunch of senior people walking around the school hanging out.
Click to expand...
Professors, other faculty members, staff members, older students...clearly we should ban everyone over the age of 25 from a university campus and just trust all the students to show up, sit quietly, and read their textbooks.

Is your University like that ?
Click to expand...
My university has a number of events that are open to the general public. My wife and I have particularly enjoyed the astronomy department's open viewing nights. However, I'm 35 now, so maybe I should just stay home and do something mindless like endless hours of TV and beer drinking instead of furthering a hobby and interest I've had for longer than you've been alive.
 
Because your tuition would skyrocket if they had to completely fence off the campus and pay security guards to man entrances and check your credentials to make sure you were a student before setting foot on it.
 
Well, he's gotten away with yet another post and split.

At least a nodding
f16.gif
would be welcome, perhaps once a day.

Perhaps he is reading this and laughing up his sleeve, if his Mommy remembered to dress him today?
 
iJohnHenry said:
Well, he's gotten away with yet another post and split.

At least a nodding Image would be welcome, perhaps once a day.

Perhaps he is reading this and laughing up his sleeve, if his Mommy remembered to dress him today?
Click to expand...

Perhaps he has. Yet he may well have contributed something good and useful (while posting what has been expressed as an intolerant and intellectually indefensible stance) if, by starting this thread, he has invited us (albeit unwittingly) to discuss the question of access - physically, mentally, (financially) professionally, psychologically and pedagogically to universities.

The whole idea of universities, such places of learning, - the very idea of the community of the mind - is one of the world's great civilising enterprises.

This also means that the very question of who should have access to education, information, learning, the public (or private) space devoted to knowledge acquisition and the keys, in turn, which that unlocks on life's journey - is also a fundamental question any society must answer in seeking to define what it is and what it says it stands for. So, simply by raising it, in an admittedly distasteful and crude manner, it could well be that waloshin has done us all a considerable service.

Cheers
 
iJohnHenry said:
So, to paraphrase, severely, infinite monkeys at infinite keyboards. ;)
Click to expand...

Yes, most probably, when viewed from the rather dismal perspective of the OP's unfortunate if singular mindset. But, theories of alternative universes postulate that any number of infinities can occur, including infinite primates at infinite keyboards......;)

Nevertheless, it's good to see the topic raised and discussed, if only by everybody else who has contributed..........
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back