Florida Atlantic University's first student-run news source.

UNIVERSITY PRESS

Florida Atlantic University's first student-run news source.

UNIVERSITY PRESS

Florida Atlantic University's first student-run news source.

UNIVERSITY PRESS

Random acts of rudeness

When I was in third grade, the principal awarded me a certificate for performing “acts of kindness.” My mommy was so proud of me.

Now that I’m a grown-up, mom expects me to be courteous without reward. But not FAU.

The Division of Student Affairs’ program titled “FAU Cares Through Random Acts of Kindness” supposedly awards certificates and sends letters to students who show common courtesy. Witnesses to acts such as “helping an elderly shopper with loading groceries into their [sic] car” can nominate courteous students by e-mail, says a recent press release — the only info currently available about this program.

Like other FAU programs and policies, FAU Cares is a good intention that administrators failed to think through.  And talk about kindness, FAU officials have yet to get back to me about how it all works.

The May 2009 press release about the program claims that its purpose is “to recognize students who perform random acts of kindness within the University [sic] community and beyond.” But that’s not the whole story.

According to administration’s Strategic Plan, a series of goals they hope to achieve by 2013, FAU Cares was concocted to foster “a traditional university experience.”

Wondering whether administration bothered to confirm a correlation between random-acts-of-kindness (RAK) programs and tradition, I called Yale. Their assistant director of public affairs thought I was playing a prank on her when I inquired about Yale’s RAK program. Yale has more than 60 student-run service organizations, she replied, but no administration-run RAK program.

It seems Yale students don’t need administrative coddling to be kind. Perhaps because unprompted kindness is its own reward. Even other universities that do have RAK programs realize that.
“We do it because it makes us feel good to [be kind]. … We don’t need any reward,” says Kemy Joseph, motion picture major and president of Random Acts of Kindness, a 3-year-old student service organization at the University of Miami.

But that warm and fuzzy feeling isn’t the only benefit. Being kind also induces a healthful high.
“We know from stress-management research that when you do good things, you get a rush of endorphins that releases hormones that can last. … The benefits keep going,” says University of Louisiana at Monroe Professor Mark Doherty, whose students started a RAK program last year.

Besides motives that ruin the spirit of kindness for kindness’ sake, here are a few more ways in which FAU Cares isn’t as kind as administration thinks it is:

Discrimination
FAU Cares recognizes only students. Faculty, staff and even administrators are an integral part of that “traditional university experience,” but FAU Cares ignores their good deeds while expecting them to report those of students.

The program also excludes potential nominators who don’t use e-mail. So much for that elderly shopper. When I tried to phone in a student’s act of kindness, the Dean of Students Office didn’t accept it. The woman who answered instead referred me to the program’s e-mail address.

Selfishness
Besides the press release, I’ve seen little evidence of FAU spreading the word about this program. So, I asked around. Only 16.9 percent of the students and 31.3 percent of the employees whom I polled had even heard of it. Far fewer students and employees actually knew anything about FAU Cares.

Antisocial behavior

In my experience, FAU Cares does not respond to reports of kindness — which the program itself elicits. On July 31, my boss e-mailed FAU Cares to nominate me. Not only am I still wondering if I’ll receive that certificate or letter, my boss is still wondering if FAU Cares even received her e-mail. As of press time, no one had acknowledged her nomination.

Killing trees
None of the university-based RAK programs that I’ve contacted issue certificates or letters. Furthermore, even if I do receive that certificate from FAU Cares some day, it would be useless. If I give it to mom, she would probably laugh. If I add it to my résumé, a potential future employer might laugh at me. It could cost me the job.

So, the next time administration wants to institute a program for students, maybe they should ask an actual student for a second opinion. That’s all it would have taken to avoid the idiocy of FAU Cares — a program that insults students who are no longer in third grade and advertises that FAU’s administration is out of touch with its students.

Leave a Comment
More to Discover

Comments (0)

Do you have something to say? Submit your comments below
All UNIVERSITY PRESS Picks Reader Picks Sort: Newest

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *