Let me chime in once more to thank Kristine for her endorsement of MCTC. I, too, am in the highly unsung MNSCU system - pursuing after 45 years a Bachelors degree at Metropolitan State University. (I know, I know, I spout off like a PhD most of the time, but the sheepskin has eluded me, lo, these many seasons.) It ain't a cruise to dive into biology and math after all these years, but it's worth every cell-wrenching moment to learn it.
Metro State and its sister colleges and U's have emerged for me as one of the great successes for public higher education. Metro has its three campuses - the main St. Paul site, one at Energy Park in the Midway and the third at the MCTC campus. On all of them, the extraordinary devotion to learning and amazing diversity in age, national origin, ethnicity and skills make these places models for the American dream. Combine rigorous intellectual pursuits with enabling and empathic faculty and staff and the flexibility of scheduling for real-world students. The result is a joy of learning that almost overwhelms one, especially in light of the public education bashing that ensues in so many arenas. Those critics are clueless. Keep your eyes peeled for the next graduation ceremonies for matriculating Metro State students - even Community and Tech colleges - and be struck by the richness of lifelong learning - and the pure delight in donning cap and gown with fellow gray-hairs and youthful "dreads" alike. What a kick to learn what you don't know. And how great it is to get credit for what the "streets" taught us over the years � college credit for what we've done in life. It puts a whole new perspective on the world - including a lot more hope for its future. Andy Driscoll Saint Paul ------ "He who knows the precepts by heart, but fails to practice them, Is like unto one who lights a lamp and then shuts his eyes." --Nagarjuna > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Date: Fri, 30 Aug 2002 10:14:45 -0400 > To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Subject: Re: [Mpls] Back to school night/MCTC Rules! > > Amen. I agree with Andy about Lynnell. And I'd like to add that it is > back-to-school week for me, too. > > Having grown up in a town where most people didn't think about going to > college, and if they did they went to Lakewood Community College (now > Century College, but then we called it "Driftwood"), I was quite reluctant > to consider a technical college like MCTC for my second degree. I'm now > finishing up and I'm glad I chose the place. > > I am extremely impressed with the quality of the instructors. They have a > real love of the subject (computer programming/networking) and this is > transmitted to the students; plus they are just crazy, fun people. I had a > very good advisor who warned me that the U of M would not allow me to > transfer any programming courses from MCTC. He was quite amused when I > informed him that I already had a degree from the U and was transferring > some of those credits FROM there. > > How wonderful it is to be among students who want to be there, who > understand what it means to have a job and didn't get a new car from Daddy > in exchange for staggering into classes with a hangover. I can't stress > enough how considerate the staff and the administration have been to me. I'm > still surprised that someone called me to make sure that I was properly > registered for a foreign language class. People at the U were very kind and > helpful too, but there was also a lot of bureaucracy (which is inevitable, I > guess). > > I value my experience at the U of M, and I'm happy to say that MCTC has > measured up in every way at a time in my life when a four-year university > would not have worked with my schedule. I'm the first person in my family to > finish college, and now because of the additional education I received at > MCTC, I have hope of someday making enough money to pursue a Ph.D. > > Creeping-charlie league and proud, > > Kristine Harley Sheridan > > _______________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A Civil > City Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest option, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls > _______________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A Civil City Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest option, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
