I decided to purchase an abacus for my desk. Students need at least 180 credits to graduate and at least 60 of those credits need to be from upper division courses. I decided that it would be interesting to see the reaction from my students as I calmly ignored my computer screen (with their credit information) and flicked away at my new abacus.
I am ornery.
Tags: academic advising, Academic Affairs, eric stoller, Higher Education, technology
Now why use an abacus when a good ol’ American-made slide-rule would have been even more archaic (and less racist)?
;-)
I guess I could have also purchased a used Commodore 64 and placed it next to the Dell on my desk…
from one INFJ to another that abacus idea of yours rules!
[…] Academic advisors tend to get cold sweats over this type of thing. Fortunately, the institution where I work has a pretty solid degree audit system that is bulwarked by a solid system of humans. Class substitutions and transfer course equivalencies are part of my daily routine. Plus, I have my abacus at the ready in case of emergencies. The American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers found that West Virginia University awarded 288 degrees despite discrepancies in credit requirements. […]