For me, the phrase "student centered" didn't really mean much, until I put it into perspective of other centers that a university could have... primarily, research centered. So, to me the phrase "student centered" means that the students are at the center of what we do. That we take the time to deal with the students. For some this simply means being in your office for office hours (something not everyone does I'm afraid). Or it could mean being available 24/7 for your students. For a school to be "student centered" would mean that the administration also pays attention to the students and is available to them. On the other side, I've seen some universities that are what I call "research centered". It often seems that the students are considered more of an annoyance than anything else at these schools. It is at these "research centered" schools where students really begin to feel like nothing more than a number. They don't see their professor outside of class, and on many occassions only see a TA during the class. The administration & staff of these schools tend to avoid dealing with students as well. Personally, I think schools that fall somewhere between the "student centered" and "research centered" approaches are the best approach. We don't want to hold the student's hand to much as they go through the process, but we shouldn't turn them into a number either. Likewise, we can't ignore our duty as researchers to stay on top of new developments and contribute to the knowledge base, but at the same time we shouldn't loose sight of the fact that we are faculty members who are there to educate the students. To me, it isn't possible to say that there is only one "center" of the university... My guess is that most of the people on this list have at least some of the "student centered" approach in them... or else, why would they be subscribed to a list about teaching? Just my 2 cents so to speak... - Marc G. Marc Turner, MEd Lecturer & Head of Computer Operations Department of Psychology Southwest Texas State University San Marcos, TX 78666 phone: (512)245-2526 email: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
