Thanks to the fact that most University of Memphis students grewup in the computer age, the general education requirement that allstudents must take a computer literacy -- or C course -- is beingcut as part of an effort to trim graduation requirements to asleeker minimum of 120 hours.
"Students are much more savvy than in the past," when in 1984,mandates for all students to take a full semester course incomputer literacy were implemented, said Ralph Faudree, Universityprovost.
The change comes amid a requirement the Tennessee Board ofRegents issued to cut all undergraduate degree programs to 120hours, a job the Task Force for Undergraduate Curricula, appointedby Faudree, took on.
The addition of computer literacy courses to that list of cutswas passed April 13, by the Faculty Senate, which said in itsdecision, "most students who enter The University possess computerskills. Many degree programs appropriately presume students havethese skills and incorporate computer technology into theircourses..."
In other words, students who, for the most part, began theircomputer training in elementary school have made the state-mandatedcomputer literacy requirements obsolete.
"It's the 21st century. By the time students get to college,they should know how to use a computer," said Jessica Bearden,junior public relations major.
While this may be true, The University will now leave thedecision of what computer classes to require -- if any -- to theindividual departments. However, the different departments alreadyassume students have necessary computer skills because technologyis incorporated into all courses, according to the Task Force.
Latoshia Williams, freshman finance major, said she beganlearning computer skills in high school. Students' computerabilities depend on where they went to high school, she said,adding that for those who began learning later, going to a formalcomputer skills class everyday can be of great help.
For this reason, The University will continue offering freecomputer classes at the Fluency in Information Technology Center inthe FedEx Institute of Technology.
These classes offer the nuts and bolts of various Tiger LANsoftware and are available to students, faculty and staff,according to the Advanced Learning Center office. During thesummer, students can go to the Advanced Learning Center help deskwith computer questions.
While most college students are pretty proficient in usingcomputers, most lack troubleshooting skills, said Tom Jones, aneducation Ph.D. in training. "A two or three day (course) is a goodway to get the computer skills students need. Students don't need afull semester course because the (knowledge) gap is not thatgreat."
