What Constitutes "Satisfactory Academic Progress" in the 21st Century?
I often receive email from students who've learned of my interest in the contemporary college experience and want to provide a window into their own. Recently I heard from a man who initially enrolled at UW-Madison in 2007 and subsequently took an educational pathway that is increasingly normal. His efforts to find ways to learn new things and make college affordable are notable, and he challenges us to think about the ways in which traditional forms of higher education align with today's students. With his permission I'm sharing a letter he wrote, and at his request, I am identifying the author. The following essay is by James Kasombo, who will be re-entering Madison this fall. ' Our education system is predicated on the idea of academic ability .' Upon graduating from high school in the top five percent of my class, being ushered into the university's honors program, and finding a who...