tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14247942.post1306784721060263510..comments2023-08-10T05:32:21.163-04:00Comments on An Examined Life: The HTC Strikes Back!Vitae Scrutatorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12808120163472036743noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14247942.post-22480755856086546092007-07-16T18:44:00.000-04:002007-07-16T18:44:00.000-04:00Dr. Carson,I appreciate your thoughts on HTC -- al...Dr. Carson,<BR/><BR/>I appreciate your thoughts on HTC -- although I didn't graduate from it, I used to be a student there.<BR/><BR/>I think that one of the greater ironies of the HTC (and while there I found many more than I cared to) was that despite Ann Fidler's stated relativistic convictions, membership in HTC is based entirely on the banal normative standard of a 3.5 GPA. Sounds pretty firm and final to me. This "standard of excellence" affected me directly -- after enduring a particularly difficult period in my life, and after two full years in the program, I was forced essentially to start over my undergraduate education in an entirely different curriculum because I had earned more than two grades of B- or below. I doubt that the prestigious institutions the HTC regularly compares itself to for marketing purposes would expect their students to match that -- any why should they? <BR/><BR/>When I was removed, Fidler told me something canned, like, "We think you would thrive in an environment where grades aren't so important -- not that I think grades are important...but we're sure you're going to do great things!" I can conclude only one of three things from this: 1) she's doing her job in bad faith, but doesn't know how to do better 2) she was making an embarrassingly transparent attempt to flatter me so that I wouldn't protest, or 3) she's a psychic. <BR/><BR/>Only (3) speaks well of her (but somehow I'm tempted not to count on it), so I'm not hesitant to admit that I eagerly await news of her resignation, and of some more reasoned thought about the college's goals.Richardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08154971982854594717noreply@blogger.com