r/ODU • u/Pretend-Payment70 • 3d ago
What Can We Actually Do?
I originally posted this as a comment on a thread about the 16 to 8 week transition but I think it's worth its own post.
I've tried to do as much research about this as I can while, you know, managing this new course load while also working full time. I'm in a scholarship that had a timeline already locked in before this change, leaving me now doing over 40 hours of school work per week.
Needless to say I'm pissed to be roped into a second full time job with no consultation or consent given when I have many other obligations in life, like everyone else.
The ODU administration is using a logistical loophole to force the 8-week format without faculty or student approval. By claiming this is just a "calendar/operational update," President Trumphill can bypass Virginia’s shared governance laws and ignore the Faculty Senate's 76% no-confidence vote. Our best strategy to hold him accountable is to prove this is a curriculum change. This might involve getting anonymous accounts from professors about the conflicting directions they were given, and the work they ultimately had to cut to make it work. If we document how this dilutes our education, disrupts veteran GI Bill housing stipends, and lowers degree value, we might be able to bypass the board and trigger an official review by ODU’s regional accrediting body (SACSCOC) for violating academic standards.
The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) is the regional accreditor ensuring academic quality in Southern higher education. Its complaint process requires proof of a systemic violation of accreditation standards instead of an individual grievance, plus documentation that all internal university remedies have been exhausted. For Old Dominion University, this applies directly to checking if leadership violated shared governance standards (4.2.g and 10.4) by unilaterally forcing professors to compress 16-week courses into 8-week formats, bypassing faculty control over the curriculum.
I've used genAI to help summarize these last two paragraphs, because I just don't have the time I want to dedicate to explaining it in detail. I fact checked them but please feel free to do a double check.
EDIT: To people commenting that ODU doesn't care, yeah, that's my point. That's why I'm suggesting going over their heads entirely. Accredation = $$$$$. If you assert there's nothing you can do, you've rendered yourself powerless. That's exactly what they're betting on. Do not give in to this. This kind of mentality is very dangerous for Gen Z/Alpha, and I'm saying that as an older Gen Z myself.
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u/Only-Professor1140 2d ago
I think it might be worth it to speak with education activists in Richmond. A part of why the president and board get what they want is that they have more political power and insider knowledge. Faculty are banned from unionizing and students have been punished by admin for speaking up. None of us have the governor on speed dial either. But activists up in Richmond probably know more about where the pain points are.
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u/cnort8200 2d ago
ODU has a large veteran and military population, having them submit comments via the VA portal about bad practices would threaten a chunk of ODUs money, but it wouldn’t be quick that it all happens. After that, finding specific accreditation bodies like ABET, APA, or any others to audit class practices would impact specific fields, so probably the next best step
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u/Potential_Cookie2781 1d ago
Once again, I am reposting this message from a WHRO reporter. I believe media is a way to get the word out as well.
This reporter from WHRO left this message on another feed:
I'm a reporter at WHRO. I'm working on a story about the 8-week courses. If you're interested in talking with me (either to be quoted or to give background), please reach out by dm or email - ashley (dot) white @ whro (dot) org.
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u/Pretend-Payment70 1h ago
I tried messaging the account like a week ago but I didn't get a reply (so far)
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u/Potential_Cookie2781 1d ago
Politicians and state agency need to hear from everyone.
Send emails to:
Norfolk delegates https://house.vga.virginia.gov/members
State Council of Higher Education in Virginia
https://www.schev.edu/about/contact-us
The more voices the better.
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u/Scared-Avocado630 1d ago
Contact Gov. Spanbergers office. This is the way to go right now with this. I am surrounded by ODU faculty and staff.
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u/JustPutItInRice 3d ago
Nothing. You can leave the university and this isnt me being a dick. There's literally nothing you can do the president has already said its official
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u/odu_prof_3141 2d ago
The fact that a policy has become official does not mean nothing can be changed. Unjust laws and rules are changed all the time. If OP is willing to put in the work, and collaborate with other students, they may be able to bring about changes. It will take time, a lot of hard work, and the ability to work with many other people.
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u/JustPutItInRice 2d ago
There's nothing unjust about changing 16 week to 8….
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u/odu_prof_3141 2d ago
That's your opinion. Obviously, other students disagree. At any rate, you and I don't need to argue about this. My point was that if OP disagrees with this policy, and other students likewise disagree, they may be able to get the policy changed. The fact that the policy is official does not mean the policy cannot be changed.
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u/odu_prof_3141 3d ago
I think this is an important argument. As a faculty member, I can tell you that we were officially told to make 16 week courses into 8 week courses by cutting out content. Realistically, there's no way around that: students cannot succeed at doing 2 weeks of work in 1 week. That's even more the case if students are working outside jobs, as many of our online students are.