It really pains me that I have to explain to colleagues why it’s a ridiculous idea to have college professors teach (for credit and in an obligatory way for all students!) things like “stress management” and “financial literacy for college students.” The idea of me lecturing anybody – professionally or for fun – on either of these things is crazy, to say the least.
There is also a subject like “living and studying in a diverse environment.” WTF does this even mean?
Also, how about liability? When professors of Spanish literature (or physics, or history, or anything else besides the actual disciplines that study these subjects) dispense advice on mental health or personal finance in the classroom, how will we defend this practice if somebody follows this advice and gets in trouble?
The only advice I can give on managing stress is find an analyst at $160 per hour, which is not very relevant to our students. And the only advice on personal finance is marry someone who understands money and has it and get your spouse to organize your finances. Which, once again, is quite ridiculous. It worked for me but you know?