Written by Monqiue Cole
One of the things that stood out when I applied to NSU was the emphasis put on research. It wasn’t until I was a student on campus that I truly started to discover what else the university had to offer.
NSU focuses too heavily on its biology and research departments. Instead, the university should expand its focus by creating opportunities for collaborative research between all departments. By doing this, students can gain a broader knowledge that will help them in future careers. They will become more well-rounded individuals.
Is too much focus a bad thing? As the NSU overview video states, NSU is classified as a “doctoral research university.” According to NSU’s history webpage, the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching has classified the university as having “high research activity”. NSU has even created a campaign for students to realize their potential through research. One of the latest results of this campaign is the new Center for Collaborative Research.
One cannot simply disparage their university for being about medical invention and research, especially when it is classified as a research university. However, too much focus on these areas can become frustrating for undergraduates who aren’t biology majors. I have actually found that it can even cause a domino effect on social groups on campus. At freshman orientation, all I would hear is “Hi, my name is ___ and I am majoring in biology.” It becomes an undergraduate joke that everyone is a biology major.
My biggest classes would always be the science classes. No seat would ever go unfilled. On class selection days, you have to battle to get that one professor before the class filled up in less than 15 seconds. I was in that biology college bubble. The bubble contained nothing but studying, going to lab and maybe getting four hours of sleep on a good night. My only exposures to classes other than science were my humanity classes. All my friends were biology/health majors. I only had one friend who was an English major from my comedy and improvisation class.
Let’s take a moment to talk about the bubble effect. Many social gaps exist on campus. Maybe it’s because I’m a commuter, or that I am now a communication major, but it seems like you are already in a bubble depending on your interest from day one. To be fair, NSU does provide a handful of social events to increase student involvement, but NSU also puts heavy emphasis on their dual enrollment programs, career building workshops and reminding undergraduates of their graduate schools’ competiveness.
A system is its strongest when it works together. We are all learning constantly and carrying our strengths and weaknesses. It is important to recognize that NSU does have other resource faculties that don’t focus on biology and science.
NSU doesn’t just have a medical school or oceanography center. It also has a business school, a law school, a performing and visual arts program, a writing and communication department and so much more. NSU should focus on having students from different departments work together to share what they have learned from their research through workshops and projects. Students should be encouraged to step out of their comfort zone to try something new.
In the “real” world, which is full of competiveness, students need to have skill sets that set them apart from the rest. Having skills in writing, communication, math, science, ethics, research, humanity, leadership, business and the arts can help students learn how to solve problems at work. It can also help students become more productive members in society. Focusing on one area of study is great but diverse knowledge will build a well-rounded student.
