This is not on a Baha'i subject. It has to do with teaching a college
course, and I'm writing because I know there are college profs on this list.
I am teaching an online class in business law at NMSU. In my own legal
education, I was furious because I didn't learn anything practical
(didn't see a will, a trust, a deed, a promissory note, or a single page
of a pleading during any law school class). Law school prepared me to
take the bar exam, not to serve clients. I vowed that if I ever taught
a law class, I'd do it differently.
I taught business law at NMSU last year, and have been invited to do so
again this autumn.
Last year I came up with the idea of requiring every student to prepare
a project. The project was to locate and fill out all of the forms that
would be needed for them to start a business -- leases, licenses, tax
forms, mortgages, promissory notes, contracts, you name it. I didn't
ask for any real information, such as financials -- they were to make up
all such personal data. I wanted them to understand that in the real
world, nobody would give them a multiple-choice exam. They would need
to know what legal forms to use for what purpose, how to prepare them,
and when to call on an attorney. I wanted them to get over their fear
of legalities in the classroom, so they would be more calm in the real
world as businesspeople.
At first the students raised absolute Cain about this project. However,
the great majority of them later said that it was the most valuable part
of the course. I said that in a few years when they were in business
for themselves, they would see the real benefit of the course. I felt I
had done right by them.
I then explained this to my Department Head, who was a very skilled
practicing attorney before entering academia, expecting praise.
Instead, her reply was, "What does this have to do with the purpose of
the course?" She then lost me in a discussion of measurable outputs.
Apparently, the accreditation bodies require that faculty devise a way
of verifying, during the course and not two years later when the
students are businesspeople, whether the students have gained the
competencies the course was supposed to provide.
The textbook is a combination of an abbreviated law school case book,
with pretty good explanations of the various legal matters to be
covered. However, it's not practical and real-world enough for me. I
want the students to sweat a bit, to go on to the websites of government
agencies and see exactly what is going to be needed for them to function
in the business law environment. To some degree the forms are practical
applications of the laws they learned about in the textbook.
But, the university has to ensure that its accreditation is secure, so
these &^**$$#>?@@!! "measurable outputs" must be satisfied.
Any suggestions off-list, as to how I can modify my approach so the
business school doesn't get de-certified, without selling my soul.
Thanks
Brent
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