IIS – Institute of International Studies NOT the International Institute of Studies
One thing I am having a difficult time understanding in regard to the IIS is the fact that we have no representation nor does there seem to be any organized efforts in regard to a the formation of organized representation.
Is it just me or is there an absence of student representation by students? On one occasion last semester I was informed by a colleague that they were the class representative for our batch of students. This kind of caught me off-guard a little bit as I did not see any form of political media in any form of posters or voting or ... well anything.
I asked my colleague "what do you mean you are our representative. Was there an election?" Their reply was “No, there was no election. They asked me to be the representative.”
“Who did?” I asked. “The office did” was their reply. “Oh.” I replied and went on my way. After I thought about it a bit, it began to bother me.
Then there was the freshman’s party. One day, I was asked if I was going to the freshman’s party. I asked when it was and was told it was tomorrow. Before actually being able to respond, it was added that “it’s only for Thais” which to be frank pissed me off! After all this is the Institute of International studies is it not the International Institute of Studies.
I was somewhat aware of the freshman’s party when a colleague mentioned that they were asked to attend a meeting to see how the administration could increase the attendance of the party by foreigners.
When a guest lecturer from Hawaii was invited to speak on Confucianism, a Mr. Ames, at the IIS I attended the lecture and enjoyed the lecture for the most part. That is until a student representative was asked to present a gift to the lecturer. When the ‘student’ went to the podium to speak I was shocked to see one of our lecturers at the IIS representing the students.
Yes, this lecturer is a student, but not from the bachelorette program as stated. The ‘student’ representative was a lecturer-ajarn / PhD candidate currently writing their dissertation.
This sent a clear message to me. We are too stupid to represent ourselves and justly so. What kind of a student body would allow themselves zero representation after all? Is it that the administration does not want us to be represented even though we pay for them to have jobs or are they correct that we are too stupid to organize ourselves?
Why the heck would we need to have representation after all?
· Just because we do not have books for many classes until the class starts.
· Even though our scheduling overlaps other classes scheduled for us so we can’t go to all the classes we pay for.
· Just because attendance dictates our marks even though we can’t split in half to attend both classes at the same time.
· Our schedules are changed in full swing without proper notification.
· Exam dates are changed a week before the exam surely does not warrant any form of representation.
· Even though some classes are neophytic at best.
· Some of the professors are incompetent surely does not warrant any form of representation, does it?
· Nor would the fact that some of our professors are discriminatory against our Thai colleagues or International colleagues warrant such crass actions.
· Finally, the fact that some of our professors blatantly allow colleagues to cheat during tests, midterms and exams or write exams because they’ve ‘slept in’ and have received the questions from some of our colleagues is not sacrilegious is it?
· when you constantly change marking structures because you are incapable of being fair when the folks you are trying to help keep dropping the ball and your extra marks get awarded to the very people you are trying to hold down
After all, you should get more points for being a good garbage person than being a well disciplined, studious, competent student. Who do we think we are anyway? It’s not like we actually matter, we are just students and what university on earth needs students? We do not have a student government or student union because we are incapable of organizing ourselves in such a manner because, I imply, we are stupid!
Moreover, I suggest we change the name of the department we belong to from the Institute of International Studies to the Institute for Inept Students.
Thanks for reading my pablum.
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