With the first round of exams approaching, UF may find itself with a pile of unexpected consequences.
We aren't talking about "The Butterfly Effect," in which Ashton Kutcher's minuscule actions transform him from frat boy to prisoner to amputee in his future. We are talking about a case where the best intentions could produce unintended outcomes.
To combat a possible H1N1 pandemic, UF plans to equip nine auditoriums with a lecture recording system called Mediasite so that students who contract swine flu can keep up with class without infecting their peers. Additionally, all written class materials must be posted on e-Learning, and students are not required to provide doctors' notes if they miss classes or tests due to illness.
UF's goal may be to prevent a massive campus swine flu outbreak, but these new policies could encourage students without the illness to stay home.
Like welfare, this system can be abused. However, just because there are loopholes that make the system subject to abuse, that doesn't mean the system should be nixed. Instead, it should be tweaked to allow sick students to stay home but also require accountability from students to prevent it from unnecessary use.
Having lectures online could be a good thing. A dutiful student could watch and re-watch lectures, making his or her professors sound like Darth Vader and Alvin from "Club Chipmunk: The Dance Mixes" for maximum entertainment value.
This is the best-case scenario.
On the other side of the spectrum, an already struggling student could decide that a hangover, pure laziness or a beckoning call for a $5 milkshake at Cheeburger Cheeburger are valid reasons to miss lecture. Why go to class if you can watch it from the comfort of your home?
Likewise, not requiring a doctor's note for sick students who miss class or exams is bound to be abused. No one wants the girl from "The Exorcist" hacking bile all over their Scantrons, but if someone really had swine flu, they could get a doctor's note.
However, these possible consequences are not as extreme as the ones Egypt is facing due to its government's reaction to swine flu.
To prevent a major epidemic, the Egyptian government called for the slaughter of the country's 300,000 pigs. Despite the fact that international agencies quickly pointed out that pigs weren't the problem, Egypt acted.
Now the country finds itself in a huge mess.
Because Egypt's trash collectors rely on pigs to dispose of organic garbage, trash is piling up in the streets. Rotting garbage and discarded food are sprawled all over towns and neighborhoods.
UF's preventative measures are not nearly as extreme, nor are they as misguided. They are, however, somewhat unnecessary and very abusable.
Professors should require doctors' notes from students who miss class, and students shouldn't be able to access online lectures without prior permission and a valid reason.
UF was right to respond to a possible threat. But the hastily crafted solution needs work.
If the system isn't reworked to provide more accountability from students, UF professors could find themselves with an unexpected mess to clean up come exam time.
