[DRAFT] Professors Paid Off?

[Dabarastan]

I don't have a high enough population yet so I can't submit for a little bit, but I've just drafted this, would like your thoughts.

Issue: Professors Paid Off?


Must not have: State Press, No Immigration

Description: After Xuan Jin – a nearby dictatorship and traditional adversary – recently eased its restrictions on citizens travelling to @@NAME@@ for study purposes, universities across the country have reported a spike in enrolments from students on visas from the oppressive regime. Many are now questioning whether university professors have been intentionally suppressing discussion of Xuan Jin’s controversies for fear of losing enrolments and valuable tuition fees.

Option 1: “This has gone far enough!” howls talkback radio host @@RANDOMNAMEMALE@@ on his peak-hour program Let’s Get Rowdy, “Professors are reluctant to even mention Xuan Jin’s government in class, let alone discuss their record of horrific human rights abuses! The colleges are more concerned with the profit they generate from these students than the truth! Our government needs to cancel all the visas issued to these students and ban any more of them from entering @@NAME@@!

Effect: universities across the country are closing down after a record low number of admissions this semester.


Option 2: “Well hold on,” interjects Dr @@RANDOMNAMEFEMALE@@, the show’s guest and Professor of International Relations at @@NAME@@ State University, “We’re in @@NAME@@ here, and I find it incredibly offensive that you could suggest our higher-education system is so corruptible! If you’re worried about our teaching standards then the government should increase autonomy and funding to universities so that only the best lecturers are hired, and we can continue to produce the brightest academics of all of @@REGION@@!

Effect: many university courses are now taught in a foreign language for practicality’s sake.


Option 3: The show’s first caller, who insists on remaining anonymous despite their heavy Xuan Jin accent, has another idea.
“These claims of 'Xuan Jin influence', human rights abuses, election interference, murdered journalists... these are all xenophobic foreign media lies! Instead, @@NAME@@ should grant Xuan Jin students cheaper tuition fees, and stipulate to the universities that all course materials must be screened by the Xuan Jin censor for decency… in return, I am sure the benevolent Xuan Jin government would be happy to grant @@NAME@@ preferable trade deals and investment!

Effect: universities are now propaganda playgrounds for foreign dictators.

Edit: Followed below feedback and changed Description and Option 3

[Daarwyrth]

I have a feeling the issue comes a bit close to #942, but you've gone down a bit of a different angle, I admit.

I feel that if you could add a more unique reason as to why these students from Xuan Jin come to @@NAME@@'s universities and take that as your premise's focus, that you could further distinguish your draft from the already existing issue about this subject and avoid duplication.

As to the issue itself, I am a bit unsure about the language in option 3. Initially I was confused about why you suddenly went from correct grammar and syntax to incorrect. I had to reread it twice to understand that you're conveying a joke there, that the anonymous caller is from Xuan Jin and that is why they speak that way. However, this doesn't come out clearly because the reader has to create the assumption that people from Xuan Jin don't speak English that well, or something along those lines. I'd propose making the grammar and syntax in the speech correct, and adding this line instead:

The show’s first caller, who insists on remaining anonymous despite their heavy Xuan Jin accent, has another idea.

[Dabarastan]

I have a feeling the issue comes a bit close to #942, but you've gone down a bit of a different angle, I admit.

I feel that if you could add a more unique reason as to why these students from Xuan Jin come to @@NAME@@'s universities and take that as your premise's focus, that you could further distinguish your draft from the already existing issue about this subject and avoid duplication.

Thanks for the feedback. I'd hope to agree that it's different enough from the issue you referenced, but I agree the description needs to change for that to work. I've written this. It's a little longer but I think stronger:

Description: After Xuan Jin – a nearby dictatorship and traditional adversary – recently eased its restrictions on citizens travelling to @@NAME@@ for study purposes, universities across the country have reported a spike in enrolments from students on visas from the oppressive regime. Many are now questioning whether university professors have been intentionally suppressing discussion of Xuan Jin’s controversies for fear of losing enrolments and valuable tuition fees.

[Daarwyrth]

I have a feeling the issue comes a bit close to #942, but you've gone down a bit of a different angle, I admit.

I feel that if you could add a more unique reason as to why these students from Xuan Jin come to @@NAME@@'s universities and take that as your premise's focus, that you could further distinguish your draft from the already existing issue about this subject and avoid duplication.

Thanks for the feedback. I'd hope to agree that it's different enough from the issue you referenced, but I agree the description needs to change for that to work. I've written this. It's a little longer but I think stronger:

Description: After Xuan Jin – a nearby dictatorship and traditional adversary – recently eased its restrictions on citizens travelling to @@NAME@@ for study purposes, universities across the country have reported a spike in enrolments from students on visas from the oppressive regime. Many are now questioning whether university professors have been intentionally suppressing discussion of Xuan Jin’s controversies for fear of losing enrolments and valuable tuition fees.

This sounds more distinct indeed, as the issue that handles a similar subject specifically targets the influence that foreign students have on the country, while this issue revolves around the question of how to deal with students from a culture/nation that has different values/ideals, so it's basically coming from the other end, which is good!

Trotterdam is very good in recognizing potential duplicates, so I'd definitely also wait for their commentary. But from where I stand, the current premise seems distinct enough to not be considered a duplicate. But I'd still advise to lay both issues side by side and compare what you could change in your draft to create as much distance between the two issues where you can. As the subject at the core of this issue is an interesting one.

[The Free Joy State]

Student visas already does have rather a lot of overlap already to #942. Visas and education autonomy seem like two completely separate subjects (and the conflation is somewhat awkward), and -- you aren't to know this -- but there's an issue currently in-edit on the subject of education autonomy.

So, I'm not sure this is going to work.

But welcome to Got Issues, OP.

And please, in future, don't spoiler your options (spoilering is for older versions of your draft; which should be in the opening post for ease). Have a look around at some more experienced authors' drafts to get an idea of the format.

EDIT: And, for future reference, this list of NPC nations may prove useful.

[Dabarastan]

Student visas already does have rather a lot of overlap already to #942. Visas and education autonomy seem like two completely separate subjects (and the conflation is somewhat awkward), and -- you aren't to know this -- but there's an issue currently in-edit on the subject of education autonomy.

So, I'm not sure this is going to work.

But welcome to Got Issues, OP.

And please, in future, don't spoiler your options (spoilering is for older versions of your draft; which should be in the opening post for ease). Have a look around at some more experienced authors' drafts to get an idea of the format.

EDIT: And, for future reference, this list of NPC nations may prove useful.

Thanks for the feedback either way!

[Chan Island]

It's a pity there already is another issue in the works, this was a very good idea and nice draft.

Personally I would have had an element of a single spark- an incident that threw all of this into the spotlight. Perhaps the dictatorship committed some particularly nasty atrocity, or the universities are refusing to host anti-dictator speakers on their campuses for fear of offending those students.

Welcome to GI though! I hope you will enjoy your stay.

[Bears Armed]

Personally I would have had an element of a single spark- an incident that threw all of this into the spotlight. Perhaps the dictatorship committed some particularly nasty atrocity, or the universities are refusing to host anti-dictator speakers on their campuses for fear of offending those students.

Or they are hosting the speakers, and somebody from that nation's embassy is conspicuously taking notes about who attends the talks and what questions they ask...

[Chan Island]

Personally I would have had an element of a single spark- an incident that threw all of this into the spotlight. Perhaps the dictatorship committed some particularly nasty atrocity, or the universities are refusing to host anti-dictator speakers on their campuses for fear of offending those students.

Or they are hosting the speakers, and somebody from that nation's embassy is conspicuously taking notes about who attends the talks and what questions they ask...

Oooooh, I love that idea so much! Shame FJS said that an education autonomy issue is already in the works, because that idea is awesome.

[The Free Joy State]

Or they are hosting the speakers, and somebody from that nation's embassy is conspicuously taking notes about who attends the talks and what questions they ask...

Oooooh, I love that idea so much! Shame FJS said that an education autonomy issue is already in the works, because that idea is awesome.

An issue such as the one described by Bears sounds like it could be different enough to work.

Perhaps one or both of you may want to work with the OP on this idea?

[Australian rePublic]

You're acting as if the students are silencing critics at gun point. Also, option 2, educated=/=honest. Just because someone's educated, it doesn't mean that they're not corrupt