Academics
Improvement
believes that students come to Iowa expecting a world-class education. L will work to ensure that students have a voice in their academics, and to improve our academic system over all.
- Encourage professors to primarily use textbooks that are available electronically. This way students can spend up to half as much on their books. Students will be able to buy ebook readers with their savings the first year, and each additional year they can save hundreds[1].
- Work towards allowing after-deadline class schedule changes with fewer paper forms. It would be more efficient for students to email their professors and advisors about their changes in some circumstances, such as adding an honors studies class, and then having their professors and advisors login to an electronic system to approve these changes.
- Get the honors building to be open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Students in specific programs are able to access their buildings 24-7, and the honors building should operate the same way[2].
- Work to ensure that students have the ability to rate professors and instructors, and let that information be public knowledge. We will use Iowa's open records laws to the fullest to obtain records and information that will help us get this accomplished.
[1] – Princeton, Yale, Oxford, and UC Berkeley have all already started this initiative. See also http://news.cnet.com/8301-10784_3-9979179-7.html
[2] – For example, Engineers have access to the Seamans Center 24x7.
[2] – For example, Engineers have access to the Seamans Center 24x7.
eadership we can believe in.