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                   %DEDICATION TO STUDENTS' SUCCESS 841214
                                                          
     When   professors   are  dedicated   to   maintaining
standards  in  an  exclusive  way  they  tend  not  to  be
dedicated  to  promoting students'  success.   Too high  a
success  rate is often regarded as a sign  that  standards
are not being maintained.  It is assumed that only a small
fraction  of  all  students can  succeed.    There  is  no
unbiased  evidence  that  such is  the  case  because  the
professors'   conviction  that  only a  few  students  can
succeed is an expectation which leads to a prediction that
leads  to its own fulfillment.   Predictions  which  cause
their  own  fulfillment are not about  objective  reality,
they are not scientific.   Such predictions are subjective
political  acts of choice.   Often predictions of  failure
which   cause   failure   are   alienative,     exclusive,
excommunicative; they are evil acts.                      
                                                          
     Students  who  are the victims of professors who  are
exclusively  dedicated  to maintaining standards  need  to
call   attention   to  the  alienative  effects  of   that
dedication.  Ideals that lead to alienative,  exclusivity,
elitism and arrogance can not be justified in any fair way
as contributing to the welfare of the community;  they  do
not promote the unity of the community.   They lead to the
disintegration  of  the community by undermining  personal
and communal grounds for integrity.  Such ideals undermine
motivation to be in dialogue, to listen, to share intimate
insights.                                                 
                                                          
     Students  need to ask why professors are not free  to
dedicate  themselves to promoting  success,   integration,
unity,   cooperation,  dialogue,  listening,  etc.    Such
dedications  are  not objective acts and  are  avoided  by
professors  who are exclusively dedicated to  objectivity.
Their  dedication  to objectivity is a  non-objective  act
which  conceals  from  them the fact that  it  is  a  non-
objective  act.    Through  that action  they  lose  their
freedom  to  openly  and honestly dedicate  themselves  to
anything.    They must pretend that all their actions  are
objective  in  nature because they value objectivity  more
than  they value open and honest dialogue with people  who
are   significantly  different.    Objective  people   are
dedicated  to  discovering  truths about  which  universal
agreement  is possible.   They seek to associate only with
people  who  are wiling to agree with them about what  are
objective  facts and truths.   Objective people have to be
selective  about  their choice of associates,  else  their
objectivity might be destroyed!                           
                                                          
                         (c) 1997 by Paul A. Smith in     
                      "Search for Integrity and Honesty"  
                    (On Being Yourself, Whole and Healthy)

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