Here I sit completing my third year of my doctoral in Traditional Chinese Medicine. Haven't been in a class for a few months now, and they've changed administrators since my last time. It now seems to be run almost entirely by the Chinese members of our community, and I am saddened by the chaos reigning here today.
I graduated with my master's in TCM from Five Branches University, and I've always been proud of this institution and the quality of my education. However, I can't say that today.
I walked in here at 8:55am (class starts at 9am, but is ALWAYS late), and was met with total chaos. The back table was a total mess and surrounded by Chinese people who don't seem to speak English, and even if they did they are clearly not interested in being of service to the students showing up for class. They were much more interested in setting up the audio/video systems, etc.
Now I love Chinese folks, I love China, and I definitely honor their amazing medicine! This is the English doctoral program though so whoever's running this thing should be fluent in English at the very minimum. And no matter their nationality they need to be focused on representing the school in the finest tradition possible.
It was also the first time I became aware that this class was being taught in Chinese, and would have a simulcast English translation. So I had to grab my own transmitter, then I was handed a headset and batteries, and asked to initial a sheet for it. I knew I had to sign into the class to get credit so I had to shuffle through papers to find the sign-in sheet. Last month for Dr. Tan's class they had one sign in for the EDAOM students, and another for CEU students. This month there seems to be only one sign in sheet entitled DAOM - CEU's. My name wasn't on it so I don't even know if it was the right one. I wrote in my name, and will have to check back later.
I found my seat, and began the stupid process of getting my translation equipment working. Me and the guy behind me began trying to crack open the transmitter to put the batteries in that we'd been issued. Sheesh! I'm no slouch (I'm in the doctoral program for gosh sakes!) but that little bugger was a little tricky getting it open! We finally went with a twisting action that did the trick.
Finally got it powered up, my headset on, and was told to go to Channel 1. Teacher began teaching, and we got nothing coming through our transmitter. Damn! What did I do wrong, we all asked ourselves and each other?
And still students were wandering in looking for seats, and trying to get their transmitters together. How rude!
Teacher kept teaching.
Finally it was shouted out that we should tune to Channel 7. Yay! I can hear my translator.
So teacher is still teaching, and talking alot, but we're getting hardly anything from the translator. Uh oh, she's the type that has to understand what the teacher says before she'll pass it along 8-( Why don't translators get that we don't want their understanding of what the teacher says - that we just want them to repeat ver batim what the teacher is saying? Candace was a great translator - this one sucks. Man it's going to be a very long 2 days I'm afraid.
I've always been proud, but I don't feel that way today. Someone's not paying attention to FBU's excellence and professionalism. Uh oh, squared..,
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