The case against ‘gun-free zones’
There has been another shooting in a “gun free zone,” The Jacksonville video game shooting incident, where the only person carrying a firearm was the criminal who did the shooting.
National Rifle Association spokeswoman Dana Loesch said, “A horrible tragedy. End gun free zones or have the security in place to keep people safe in them.”
This is insanity and we are participants.
Darrell Williams Sr., McAllen
Added accreditation could hurt classroom instruction
In the not-too-distant past, I read a Monitor editorial as well as news reports concerning the accreditation of UTRGV by SACSCOC (Southern Association of Colleges and Schools). In Texas, THECB (Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board) oversees all Texas public post-secondary education whose programs must be approved. Then, schools/colleges must demonstrate that these programs meet SACS-COC accreditation re-quirements.
Now, with the popularity of dual credit or concurrent enrollment programs supported by the local colleges, universities and high schools, a new accreditation agency is attempting to make inroads into Texas, NACEP (National Alliance of Concurrent Enrollment Partnerships). This newest accreditation agency may soon be added to the increasing documentation which professors and teachers are required to submit.
But, since colleges and universities are teaching college courses, what is the need for another accreditation agency, and one that is geared to high schools which is secondary education and not higher ed? Could it be that many colleges and universities are now competing to offer dual enrollment courses, and now is the right time for NACEP to offer its accreditation status in Texas? Or perhaps, the THECB Dual Credit Education Programs in Texas: Phase II report plays a part in the coming adoption of another accreditation agency?
But how does this affect faculty and their productivity? It is the job of the teacher to make the subject material comprehensible to the student. This is not an easy job as every student is an individual with his/her own life experiences. This is the creativity part of the teaching profession that is essential in every classroom. More accreditation by NACEP leads to more documentation which in colleges and universities is not nec-essary as faculty are already accredited to teach college level. This added accreditation will only stifle teaching creativity and add to the bloat of administrative bureaucracy.
Diane Teter, Edinburg
