Proper Channels from the Beginning, Yet a Lack of Concern.
The earliest experience I can recall concerning the unwillingness of administration to act on student concerns occurred in our first quarter of our first year. A group of ten students requested a meeting with Dr. Degenhardt and Dean Kuchera to air concerns with our OTM class. The main concerns were as follows: Information taught in class and the information in Foundations of Osteopathic Medicine did not correlate. Questions on exams were confusing and, at times, were not related to material taught in class. Information taught in class did not correlate with information taught in other classes. Instructors were teaching information contrary to other instructors and claiming only their information was right. The responses of Dean Kuchera and Dr. Degenhardt mainly focused on the fact that many classes before ours had the same problems and that it was to be expected. They also claimed that OTM is different than other sciences in that different people look at it and teach it in different fashion with different information. In the experience of many highly educated students in my class, that is a luxury not afforded other areas of education. They did not appear to be concerned by our frustration.
I also cite the following letter from a 2nd year student:
“Travis,
At KCOM, another proper channel for voicing our academic concerns has been the end of quarter class evaluations for all classes and instructors. For the past two years students have used this avenue with no result. This can be evidenced by the disastrous quarter of OTM taught by Herb Yates, D.O. Dean Kuchera, although confronted many times with student concerns, has either ignored or not utilized student input into classes being taught. Instead, he has seemingly expanded the implementation of his “vision” for KCOM. It is extremely frustrating that Dr. McGovern and Dean Kuchera can claim they are not aware of student concerns when these concerns have been voiced through the proper channels for two years. His claim of ignorance is not an excuse and this is only one more example of his disregard for the very people he is supposed to represent.
There are dozens of examples of students going to the OTM department, Dean Kuchera and even Dr. McGovern with their concerns over the past two years. The examples are too numerous for me to document at this time, but you may speak to almost anyone in the Class of 2002 if you need an example of how concerns have been addressed repeatedly through the proper channels. I have, myself, expressed concerns and student wishes multiple times in Curriculum Committee, ECF and even at Dr. McGovern’s home during dinner. Most of the students I have spoken to said they have personally expressed concerns to Dr. McGovern at his home during the dinners he hosts. The proper channels have been followed for at least two years, and longer according to 3rd and 4th year students. There have been no satisfying results. You can only try these ineffective channels for so long before you have to find another way to express your anguish.
