Teachers at Centro Universitario Regional del Nordeste (Regional University Center in the Northeast)

By Francisco Antonio Pichardo Espinal

    

San Francisco de Macorís

Dec, 08^th, 2012

Teachers at Centro Universitario Regional del Nordeste (Regional University Center in the Northeast)

By Francisco Antonio Pichardo Espinal

As human beings, teachers have their own way to behave as members of society. So happens in the Centro Universitario Regional del Nordeste (Regional University Center in the Northeast). It is one of the most important UASD`s branches located in San Francisco de Macorìs. Here, teachers are seen as humble people who have their virtues and faults. In fact, teachers at the CURNE have many features we can state as positive and negative.

      First of all, teachers at Centro Universitario Regional del Nordeste (Regional University Center in the Northeast) do not have any specific rules about the outfit they have to wear in the classroom. It does not mean that teachers are allowed to teach inadequately dressed. In this tenor, the Vice-Director expresses that the institution, unlike other colleges, does not give any admonition to their teachers in terms of outfit. She says, ``our professors know their responsibilies about the way they need to dress when they come to school. This is due to teachers are models students follow while pursuing their careers.´´ Also, the Vice-Director says that the institution suggests that female teachers should not stand in front of their students in revealing clothes. These teachers should not wear an outfit that shows their backs, chests, or leg`s skin up their knees. Besides, there are also suggestions for male teachers such as not come to class wearing t-shirts, shorts, sandals, slippers, hats, or sunglasses. Also, it is recommended not to wear extravagant perfume. Thoroughly, a teacher who wears an outfit out of context could distract the students’ attention. Consequently, this could affect the goals of the institution. Even though we live in a tropical country, a big number of the CURNE`s teachers wear heavy clothes. For example, in this institution it is not weird to see some teachers wearing thick fabric suit and tie. Also, many of them wear casual clothes which are acceptable to teach in classrooms. Moreover, some teachers attend to the university wearing accessories such as bracelets, hats, and scarves. In fact, the CURNE`s teachers have the right to dress as they please unless it damages the institution`s reputation.

      Another element to take into consideration is evaluation. Teachers at Centro Universitario Regional del Nordeste have not established a specific way to evaluate their students. However, the curriculum suggests three partial exams. It proposes a first exam to evaluate the first four weeks; a second exam given to assess half of the semester, and a final exam to complete the last score of each student. The final grades for student subjects usually are published ten days after final exams. Besides, some teachers give extraordinary exams for those students who do not have the score required to pass a subject. Those exams are supposed to help the students who get between 60 and 69 points in the sum up of all the activities to be evaluated including the three exams. Frequently, some teachers at the CURNE convalidate the value of one exam with another kind of activity. For instance, they convalidate tests with an oral presentation, seminar, or even an excursion. This means they do according to their own style.  From the very first class day, most of the teachers show their students the distribution of the points among activities, in which the students learn the value of each one. Those activities could go from students’ attendance to the final test. Accordingly, some CURNE`s teachers are hardly criticized due to their way of evaluation. The matter is that few of them change the value of final tests for having fun by going out with their students.

      Some positive features that teachers at CURNE have, are that they are described as the ones who have the most complete knowledge about the fields they teach. Those teachers need to hold a Master’s degree before they are hired as teachers at this regional university. This requirement has not been enough to ensure a correct behavior of all the teachers in terms of respect for their students. For instance, there are rumors which state that some teachers negotiate grades with students. Some invite them to go out and have fun. Also, teachers at the CURNE as in other institutions or colleges, they miss one hour out of the total time they are supposed to teach in a day for a subject. They agree with the students to finish earlier. This way, they intend to decrease the charge of work and stress.

     In conclusion, the Centro Universitario Regional del Nordeste (CURNE) does not have very strict rules the teachers and students have to obey in terms of outfit. Also, teachers here are not imposed any kind of evaluation in order to apply in classrooms. In fact, CURNE is an institution which has made great contribution for     decades to society. Many of its teachers have written interesting books and done researches which help to better life condition in the Dominican Republic. This ensures hundreds of new professionals all over the area every semester. Mainly, those contributions have made the CURNE an outstanding higher education institution.

San Francisco de Macorís

Dec, 08^th, 2012