Conferences between parents, faculty need more thought

By Stanland Bryant
Staff Writer

It has been brought to my attention that the powers that be at Pembroke feel that parent-teacher conferences are needed for students on our campus. Not only do I think this idea is ludicrous, but it’s also insulting.

How can independence be fostered in young adults when parents are constantly being called and contacted about matters that they shouldn’t really have to be worried about? UNCP needs to find other means of keeping parents informed of their child’s progress, or lack there of, rather than reverting back to a method that most students haven’t experienced since middle school.

By the time most students have finished their freshman year, they’ve already decided if they’re going to try to do well or just have a ball at their parent’s expense.

This becomes evident in their class work and their attendance. I feel that when professors see a student slipping then it’s their job as an educator to find what the problem is and find the best solution for that individual. College students are either eager to learn or they aren’t. Those who don’t care about learning will be weeded out of the system while the serious students will be able to continue with their studies.

There is also the non-traditional student that makes up about half of the student population. Their main objective is just trying to get the heck out of school as soon as possible and their parents are not even funding their college experience -- they are.

College should be a place where a person can open their minds to new ideas and concepts without having to worry about their parents being called whenever their professor feels it’s necessary. As young adults we should be at a point in our lives where we realize we are the masters of our destiny and see that opportunities nowadays are created rather than given.

In order for us to find our niche in the world we must be able to distance ourselves from the puberty stricken teen we left at graduation and embrace the responsibility of becoming productive members of society. The only way we can do this is by taking away the tiny shred of control that our parents may still have on our lives and use better decision-making skills as burgeoning adults. Now, college should be a fun experience. As adults, though, we need to learn how to balance studies and recreation so neither affects each other. These conferences would harm a student as they continue to develop into a responsible adult.