In "Message to My First Year Students", Keith Parsons addresses his incoming First Year Students, in a manner he believes will allow them to know what to expect arriving to college. Based on previous information Keith Parsons was given about First Year students, he expects them to generally be inattentive, apathetic about learning, and "often absent". Even Though college is a place of higher education, Parsons does not believe he is there to teach First Year Students, but instead "Lead you to the fountain of knowledge. Whether you drink deeply or gargle is entirely up to you.". Keith Parsons strongly believes his position as a professor and students taking his course, is to make ourselves stronger mentally, by encouraging his students to utilize their critical listening skills and really "Question" and "evaluate" what is being. BUT on the contrary, regardless if his first year students understand his lectures and meaning, the material being taught, or simply his method of teaching; he will still get paid with no questions asked. Keith Parsons really wants his First Year Students to understand, this experience will not be like their highschool careers and if they come with the same attitude, they will be failing themselves.
As a First Year Student, I do strongly agree that it's our responsibility to have critical listening skills and absorb what's being said during lectures. However, Keith Parsons labeling his future students as lazy, unexcited, and apathetic about learning, before even meeting them, is wrong and unprofessional. Keith Parsons stating it's on us to learn the material is understandable, but him believing he isn't there to teach his students is LUDACRIS!! As a student, I believe teachers, mentors, professors, etc., have a duty as community LEADERS to explain what is not understood or not grasped by their style of "leading" . As First Year Students, we come eager for the new culture of experience and material we'll be exposed to. Do you honestly believe we would take out thousands of dollars in school loans, if we were apathetic about learning or to lazy to care? Would You?