By James Stockton
Reporter
$160,000 is a lot of money. I know I’d love to be making that much per year at some point in my life.
But what if I told you Baylor spends that much per year on a campuswide software system that is sparingly used.
That system is Blackboard: the site where students go to get info most of their professors don’t bother putting on there.
OK, maybe not most.
But as a senior I’ve had my fair share of classes, and the trend in professors’ Blackboard usage has declined.
For example, I have one teacher who uses Blackboard (thank you, Dr. Burleson).
I’m taking six classes.
While this may not seem like a big deal, and for Baylor $160,000 is chump change, it presents a hypocrisy on the part of professors who don’t utilize this campus-sponsored program.
Students are constantly encouraged to utilize the resources given to them while a big one goes untouched by professors.
The best part is the students want to use this resource (or at least I do), but it’s professors who refuse to enter some data that keep this software from being a viable resource.
Not to mention the suspense we endure in while the system is updated only to find that all of that work serves the three people who actually use it.
The fact that Baylor spends this money on the system and updates shows its think it’s at least worth something.
If only professors would realize the positive service it provides.
Have you ever wondered at the end of the semester how many times you’ve missed class?
Have you ever wanted to know your grade average for a class halfway through the semester?
You should be able to check on Blackboard, but who knows if you won the professor jackpot and signed up for one who uses it?
Now, I’m not saying these professors are bad teachers.
On the contrary, most of the teachers I’ve had have been excellent and I’ll be proud to graduate with a degree from Baylor.
I only have one thing to ask: We have a lot on our plates as students, and being that it’s the 21st century and we can communicate in high-definition video across the globe, would it be too difficult to throw some grade reports and an absence record up on Blackboard for your classes?
I think you’d find it just as convenient as we do.
James Stockton is a senior journalism major from Frisco and a reporter for the Lariat.
