Writing for an Academic Discussion Facility or faculty in university? - revised -

Should universities allocate more funds toward enhancing their physical infrastructure rather than recruiting exceptional faculty? (education)

 

 

☆Let’s Think

1.      Why do people go to university?

2.      For what purpose does the university exist?

3.      What is physical infrastructure of a university?

4.      What does exceptional faculty mean?

 

Notes:

-        In general, people go to university to learn what they are really interested in. They are also interested to equip themselves with knowledge and skills to lead a better life in terms of their work and private life.

-        Purposes of universities are mainly two: research and education.

-        Physical infrastructure of a university includes those not only for studies but also for students such as shuttle bus services, cafeteria. dormitories, and gyms.

-        Exceptional faculty is a group of professors who have made breakthroughs in research and development.

 

 

☆Hints for Points

Physical infrastructure

1.        The grade of the facilities determines the research results in some areas while physical infrastructure and the faculty are interdependent in institutional performance.

2.        Most students do not care if their professors are not the best as long as they are good enough to teach them. Rather, they prefer to have the best environment for their college life.

3.        These days, universities as a business need to invest in enrollment, and university ranking is determined by various factors. College-bound students who are purely interested in the subject they are going to major in and choose a university with renowned professors in the field of their interest are minorities. A larger percentage of them want to pursue a quality life rather than academic success and are more concerned with the facilities related to their college life than the professors. They may choose the universities by the appearances of the buildings, easy access, and safety. Individual interests may also affect the decisions. For example, students who are to live away from home might take good dormitory facilities into consideration. Students who enjoy sports would check out good sporting facilities.

 

Exceptional faculty

1.        If prioritizing physical infrastructure than exceptional faculty is based on the idea that university is a business and thus its purpose is to make profits, I cannot agree with it because in my understanding university exists to promote and protect studies. Spending more money on facilities than on hiring good professors for profits is putting the cart before the horse.

2.        The main purpose of a university is research and education. Profits should be the last of its priority. Although reality may put pressure on allocating more of its budget to other factors than hiring high-quality professors, if it gives in, it is not really entitled to be called higher education. Instead of trying to increase its capital by attracting many applicants, a university should support its academic activities with distinguished professors. University officers focused on short-term profits should reaffirm their responsibility in protecting freedom of university, and governments must subsidize universities so that they don’t have to pursue immediate financial outcome.

3.        Good research and teaching cannot be done without a good brain that can manage the infrastructure. Although university should provide a good environment so that professors can do research without worrying about funding, good facilities cannot be utilized without good researchers. For example, abundant information that sophisticated machines can provide is useless without a person who knows how to use machines and how to interpret the information.

4.        Remarkable professors will contribute to fundamental researches and practical appliances, contributing to the development of society. They protect, improve, and increase the knowledge of the community.

5.        Outstanding professors are not only top-level researchers but also very good teachers, who are skilled and inspiring mentors. They instill students with inquiry, critical thinking, and high moral. They are some of the best, or at least most interesting, minds students meet in their whole lives: human beings with extraordinary brains and often unforgettable personalities. It is professors that raise the next generation of researchers and well-educated citizens that support important studies.

 

 

☆Sample Answer for Ideas and Expressions

【Thesis】I’d like to be a devil’s advocate and insist on the importance of spending money on the physical infrastructure of university rather than on the faculty. All professors are above a certain academic level as they have acquired at least one doctor’s degree, while not all facilities are above a standard.

【Supporting Details】Physical facilities deteriorate through use and become outdated over time. Especially in science studies, facilities for experiments, observations, and data analysis are crucial. Some universities even have a set of equipment that is one of the few existing in the world. Such facilities are expensive and cost much to maintain. The humanities also need good facilities for various purposes. History departments need to preserve old documents and artifacts, which require intensive cares like temperature control and mold prevention. Language departments need audio machines for aural training. After all, all university departments need a large and latest computing and data storage system.

【Counterargument-treatment】It is true that distinguished professors are extremely inspiring and utilize the facilities to the full. However, all professors are good enough to teach students and use the facilities. Star professors, on the other hand, seldom teach undergraduates. Moreover, breakthroughs depend on good luck rather than genius when professors in the same field are collaborating to pursue the same goal these days. Great discoveries and inventions occur when systematic shared work is conducted. It would be great if your university makes a discovery of the century, but the success is attributed to all universities that have cooperated for the breakthrough rather than your university alone.

【Conclusion】Therefore, state-of-the-art facilities are always in demand and their installation should be in priority rather than having outstandingly good professors no matter how attractive it is. (283 words)

Write your response in 10 minutes. Show each other your responses. Write down questions or suggestions to each other’s response.

 

 

                                                   DRAFT