Last week, I received an e-mail from a non-traditional student, Donald McCasland, in response to my comments to “Not Quite Ready for the Nursing Home.” In addition to saying that my advice was “terrible” and “at worst, offensive, discriminatory and irresponsible,” the letter writer also accused me of having “disdain” and “disgust” for non-traditional students.
Rather than defending his assumptions regarding my feelings about non-traditional students with hundreds of examples of what I’ve done for non-traditional students in the eight and a half years I’ve been at APSU, I thought I’d let the following e-mail speak for me:
Dr. Goldstone:
As you know, I am your “Resident Old Person” in your Monday and Wednesday 5:10 p.m. class, and I am very proud to be.
Obviously, you are being misunderstood from your readers. I am a non-traditional student, and you have never shown me anything but respect in your class. Your class is full of challenge, life, laughter and opinions that are spoken and respected by all students and you.
I find your style of teaching to be a breath of fresh air, and I have told you in the past that I always leave your class with a smile.
You encourage and challenge each of us to dig deep and to expand our minds, our views and to always respect (not always agree — but respect) your classmates’ opinions.
It was a bit intimidating for me to enter back into the classroom after 27 years because I am older; I am their mom’s age. The way of learning is new from the first time I was here, and I felt a little at a disadvantage.
There was no D2L, online classes or computers for registration; we registered in the Dunn Center in lines. Some of the readers will know exactly what I am talking about.
But I was given the opportunity of returning to school, and I personally cherish it much more than the first time I was here. I am thankful to have a professor like you that has made my re-entry to school great.
And I am thankful for my Monday and Wednesday classmates. You bring me great joy.
With all that being said, I will leave you with some words of wisdom from One Resident Old Person: “We all have much to learn from each other; it is when we quit listening that we quit learning.”
— Jonell Nicholson,
Hispanic Cultural Center
Dwonna Naomi Goldstone is an associate professor in the department of languages and literature, associate dean in the College of Arts and Letters and is the coordinator of the African-American studies minor.
Submit your questions to Dwonna Goldstone at goldstoned@apsu.edu.
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November 4th, 2009 on 11:18 AM
It seems like McCasland has a point. While it’s clear you have a good relationship with your non-trads in your classroom, your response to the original question seemed a little thoughtless. If you do have so much respect for the students, it does show as clearly as you seem to think in your response. Fortunately it sounds like you do respect all your students, so ultimately the threat to the University’s non-trad population has ended… hopefully the traditional students see both perspectives and decided to respect everyone in their classes.
November 16th, 2009 on 3:47 PM
This is a load of bull. What Dr. Goldstone completely failed to clarify is that rambling on is not done just by non-trads, but by traditional students as well. I can’t count the number of times I’ve sat in class and listened to the mindless chit-chat and inane meanderings of younger students and wished they would simply shut up so we can go.
It’s hard enough being a non-trad at any university, but comments, “advice” (if that is what registers as advice remind me not to ask for any from her), and attempts to defend aforementioned “advice” from allegedly educated (and “enlightened”) professors does NOTHING to the open environment that a university is suppose to represent. Indeed, it breaks it down and can foster an intolerant environment for non-trads.
40% of the campus is made up of non-traditional students, but apparently we’re suppose to just keep quiet and be thankful that we’re simply permitted to show up on campus and sit at the feet of such learned individuals and take in all they say without so much as a how-do-you-do. I suppose I should be complimented. Perhaps Dr. Goldstone just doesn’t want to have to defend her beliefs and attitudes to people her age or older who have actually lived outside the ivory towers of education. This way she can just seem like the all-knowing professor to a bunch of 18-22yr olds who may feel too intimidated to enter into discussion or debate.
Intolerance. Wow, I never thought I would have to face that from someone like Dr. Goldstone.
Hey, but don’t worry about apologizing now. The moment’s passed.