Biggest Challenges Faced By A Professor At CSU Long Beach
Herman, a Professor at CSU Long Beach, finds the biggest challenge in higher education is the slow pace of progress, noting that even creating a new class is "like a one to two year process" involving numerous meetings and committees. This bureaucratic process is especially frustrating when working on "student centered and student focused" projects, as it means current students often miss out on the benefits of new ideas due to the lengthy implementation timeline.
Higher Education, Bureaucracy, Project Implementation, Student-Centered Initiatives, Patience
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Herman Singh
Professor
CSU Long Beach
CSU Long Beach
Economics
Education, Nonprofit, Foundations & Grantmaking
Education
Scholarship Recipient, Pell Grant Recipient, Worked 20+ Hours in School, First Generation College Student
Video Highlights
1. Bureaucracy and slow pace of change are major challenges in higher education.
2. Creating a new class can take one to two years due to multiple committees and meetings.
3. The slow implementation process can be frustrating when trying to implement student-centered projects.
Transcript
What is the biggest challenge in your role?
I think the biggest challenge I personally face is getting anything done in higher education. It takes a long time. If I wanted to create a new class and offer it, I can't just write it today and have it on the schedule.
Starting a new class is like a one to two-year process. Everything moves extremely slow, and that can be frustrating because you're putting so much effort and time into it. There are just so many meetings, committees, and things you have to go through.
I'm not used to that. I'm used to working in faster-paced environments, whether in the private sector or outside the university. So, higher ed does take some time to get things done.
A lot of the projects I'm involved in are student-centered and student-focused. It can be tough when you have a great idea you want to implement, but it's going to take a year for it to happen. By that time, the students who are with you now won't be able to see the benefits.
I think the biggest thing is the bureaucracy, the paperwork, and the meetings. That's probably one of the biggest downsides.