New RESPECT University Courses Take Off
New courses supplied by RESPECT University are now under way, and we hope the range and number of subjects will increase in the near future. English for Academic Purposes is a popular course, as is Business skills. There are also some more unusual courses starting, such as Music Technology, Song-writing, Statistics, and Journalism.
For tutors planning a course, the idea of working with individuals whose skills are unknown can be daunting; for that reason, the first assignments are always exploratory and open in style. Similarly, for students embarking on a RESPECT University course, they too have many questions to ask and many expectations to fulfill.
Progress can be slow at times. Not all students have access to the internet, so assignments are distributed, and returned to the tutor, via snail-mail, the postal service.
Despite our respective worries, the courses are reported to be enjoyable and stimulating for tutors and students alike.
"Knowledge is Power" wrote Francis Bacon, as far back as 1597. Now, over 400 years later, we still acknowledge that truth, and only last month, Nelson Mandela added that "Education is the most powerful weapon you can use to change the world."
If there are any e-Zine readers who would like to know more about becoming a tutor for RESPECT University, please contact me, Iona Lister, RESPECT University Coordinator at: university@respectrefugees.org. Applications may be made directly via the website: www.onlinevolunteering.org. You will need to register on the site to apply.