Extra Credit: A Short Story about Higher Education in America

by Larry LaForge

Professor Nathan Carter seems caught in a time warp. He still thinks that students should only get one shot at each test and that the grade of C represents average performance. All the students and many of his faculty colleagues at fictional Midway State University (MSU) have different ideas. Extra credit and do-overs are commonplace at the school, and many MSU students have never made a C in their entire college career. When senior Amy Watson takes a course from Professor Carter in her last semester, all hell breaks loose and a prestigious student award goes down the drain for Ms. Watson. But has this clash of cultures really harmed the student? Her answer to that question changes dramatically as events unfold in this entertaining and thought-provoking story about higher education in America.

27 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 1, 2012

About the author

Hi. I spent 35 years as a college professor, and focus my writing on stories that draw on my many experiences in higher education and college sports. I use fictional settings to tell stories that address important issues or dilemmas faced in higher education. My stories blend humor with serious circumstances encountered by college students, educators, and administrators in today’s world.

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Reviews

[Beth Tally · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this simple story about today's society and how sometimes our motivations are all about getting credit and have nothing to do with a sincere desire to help others And...when getting credit is institutionalized, it only makes things worse.

[Mark Rybka-Wachhaus · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantastic story about a professor with some old-fashioned ideas about education and a student who is inspired by his beliefs. This story shows how much one person can influence another's life without knowing it.