Western Kentucky University

Date: Feb 21 2011
Major: History/Histories (art history/etc.) (This Major's Salary over time)
Western treats you like a number. The instructors fill their courses with "busywork" and couldn't give a shit about what you learn. This isn't true for ALL instructors but it is for an alarming amount—enough to get in your way. In my particular major, History, there must be some rigid central manamgent in the department because all courses, papers, and exams are structured the same way. Each class has "ID" or terms you must memorize the definitions of, short essays called "reaction essays" which is busywork by defintion as they are graded leniently because their only purpose is to prove that you read the material that you are "reacting" to. Every history course has an attendance policy, and weekly pop quizzes that take about 20% of your grade. I have heard more than one history teacher reveal that the department wants their students to be forced to read more of the assigned materials. The history department has taken a tyrannical approach to improving their student body making history courses dry, boring, and unfortunately, uneducational since most of the work will be geared at disciplining the student instead of educating the student.—It is important to note that I have taken classes in other departments and they are much better. It is still a shame that Western has eliminated much needed parking lots to cover them in grass, choosing aesthetics over functionality. Change machines, and coke machines are broken all over campus and don't get fixed for months on end. On snowy days sidewalks are not cleared off and people have to walk UPHILL on frozen sidewalks, and I have personally almost injured myself because of this.