Community | March 26, 2010 | 29 comments

Prodigy, 13 year old young man, claims age discrimination by UConn

source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100325/ap_on_re_us/us_prodigy_study_abroad

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MotherForTruth
Even at 13, Colin Carlson believes he's running out of time.

Colin is a sophomore at the University of Connecticut, seeking a bachelor's degree in ecology and evolutionary biology and another in environmental studies. But he's been knocked off course by the university's rejection of his request to take a class that includes summer field work in South Africa.

He and his mother say university officials told them he is too young for the overseas course. So he's filed an age discrimination claim with the university and U.S. Department of Education, which is investigating.

"I'm losing time in my four-year plan for college," he said. "They're upsetting the framework of one of my majors."

Michael Kirk, a spokesman for UConn, would not comment on Colin's case. But he said that generally, safety is the university's first concern when travel is involved.

The university would not let Colin enroll, even after his mother, Jessica Offir, offered to release UConn from liability and accompany her son as a chaperone at her own expense, she and Colin said.

Colin was 2 or 3 when he began reading on his own, Offir said, and was up to "Harry Potter" by the time he was 4. An only child, he has faced trouble before because of his brainpower. His kindergarten teacher would not allow him to take books with him at nap time, and he was ridiculed by other children who fired math questions at him to entertain themselves, she said.

"You have no idea what kids like this experience," Offir said.

Colin skipped two grades in public school and began taking psychology, history and other courses at UConn when he was 9. He graduated from Stanford University Online High School at age 11, and soon after enrolled full-time at UConn.

"I'm actually like any other student, he said. "The faculty and students have better things to do than worry about a 13-year-old holding his own."

Over the years, Colin, who said he is fascinated by natural ecosystems, has traveled extensively. He has gone sea kayaking off Nova Scotia and Ecuador, hiked in numerous national parks and, with his mother, has traveled across the U.S. by car.

"It's important to have a very wide world view," he said. "Biology is fundamentally about the diversity of life, with a focus across the planet."

Colin says the course in conservation work in South Africa would have been critical to his studies and the rejection has forced him to change his thesis plans.

He said that once he's completed his undergraduate studies, he wants a Ph.D. in ecology and evolutionary biology and a degree in environmental law for a career in conservation science. He intends to earn the two degrees by age 22.

Carl Schlichting, a professor of ecology and evolutionary biology who has taught Colin in two courses, said he is not only an outstanding student, but is unusually certain for a 13-year-old about where he is headed professionally.

"He has very strong ideas about what he wants to do," he said. "His self-confidence is very high. It's a very unusual package to see the intellect and confidence at that age."

To be eligible to study abroad, students may not be on university probation or academic probation and must have earned a grade point average of at least a "C" — no problem for Colin, who's an honor student with a near-perfect 3.9 GPA.

The study abroad office and faculty member leading the trip ultimately decide who may go, Kirk said.

Brian Whalen, president and chief executive officer of the Forum on Education Abroad, a nonprofit member association of 400 schools, agencies and other groups, said he has not heard of another case where a college student Colin's age had tried to study abroad. When accepted into a college or university, a student generally is assumed to have access to academic programs, he said.

Although Colin was barred from the South African field trip course, he will participate in a National Science Foundation-funded research group that also will take him to South Africa to study plant ecology.

Colin and his mother say they would be satisfied if the university ensures that the NSF-funded research trip and a seminar fulfill the academic requirements of the course he originally sought. They also have asked that $5,000 in stipend and expenses be reimbursed.

Their lawyer, Michael Agranoff, said he wants to negotiate a solution. He and a lawyer for the state have scheduled their first meeting Friday, he said.

Colin says he would prefer not to have to fight, but he has no choice.

"When people are drawing lines in the sand, you're going to have to cross them," he said. "I'm not going back."
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100325/ap_on_re_us/us_prodigy_study_abroad
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29 comments // Prodigy, 13 year old young man, claims age discrimination by UConn

  • regjoeschmo
    • 0
      regjoeschmo  

    • Let him go!! What things could he invent or discover that oculd help the world, and the school is refusing to let him further his education on basic technicalities!? Even his mother is willing to meet them more than halfway and they said no still!? Seems like a bunch of jealous pompous asses in the school board that cannot admit they were wrong.......

    • 2 years ago
  • feefer2010
  • common_sense_please
    • -1
      common_sense_please  

    • First off colleges do this crap all the time--throw in some stupid regulation about how you are now under the new catalogue or the new class requirements for the degree or they just up and decide to "grandfather" the program all together--so its really unrealistic to think this is personal to him and somehow he is the only student to ever have to rearrange plans to graduate in 4 years. That and he's 13 so unless he has some rare disease that is going to kill him in early adulthood it's not like he needs or can even use his degree till he's at least 16. Because he can't work or sign a contract or file a patent or like in this instance travel overseas with a college group because he's still a minor.

      And the other side of the issue is he might not be able to get a visa to get into South Africa if he is directly associated with this group of students--because the group is probably going from one college to another college so there's all kinds of political BS going on in setting up the visas that is completely different than just applying for entry to another country as a civilian tourist or as a child of a civilian tourist.

    • 2 years ago
  • MotherForTruth
    • 0
      MotherForTruth  

    • It appears to be another case of authority of government agency that knows what is best for you and will “protect” you from "harming" yourself. Who has given them the rights to tell this boy and his parents what is best for him?

      When will we start raising responsible people and heroes?

    • 2 years ago
  • brotherlelo
  • common_sense_please
    • -1
      common_sense_please  
    • MotherForTruth:

      We already raise responsible people and heros and have for about 200 years or so we have been a country. Unless of course you think Rosa Parks or JFK or Dr. King or Oprah or President Clinton or President Obama or FDR or Katharine Hepburn or John Glenn or ( fill in the blank with American heros) are not worthy of the title or hero or role model by virtue of they had some contact with a government agency.

      As for the government agency telling him what's good for him--that's their job--they are supposed to protect kids from being exploited by the "system" --hence the child protection laws that apply to child labor and to kids working in the movie industry or kids not being able to make legally binding contract decisions it's similar to why there are laws against allowing kids to access alcohol and cigarettes and even "medical marijuana" because yeah they might think its cool to get drunk or smoke or get high--but its not in their best interest to allow them that much freedom and access because they are still inherently kids and will act like kids --even if they are considered geniuses on paper or by their IQ number.

      And in this instance its most likely that the South African government doesn't want to deal with a young kid or may be refusing to issue a visa to anybody who is under 18 regardless of what the parents or the US college have to say in the matter--and therefore it's not the US government agency that's messing up his plans.

    • 2 years ago
  • MotherForTruth
    • 0
      MotherForTruth  
    • common_sense_please:

      I have high standards when it comes to leaders and heroes, unselfish, motivated by ideas that do not harm anyone else, truthful to the cause. Normally politicians or TV personality are not my heroes. Regarding the 13 year old young man who is not seeking help to buy alcohol, or cigarettes. To him "It's important to have a very wide world view” and he believes "Biology is fundamentally about the diversity of life, with a focus across the planet." He is planning to travel with his parent who is responsible for his wellbeing. I see no reason he should not be allowed to pursue his studies abroad. IMO it is the government agencies and regulations that are not capable to handle the diversity and they rather deal with “one size fits all” children as their jobs would be so much easier. Well it is not a surprise that American education system is below average and if continues on the same path will never improve.

    • 2 years ago
  • common_sense_please
    • -1
      common_sense_please  
    • MotherForTruth:

      I have high standards when it comes to leaders and heroes, unselfish, motivated by ideas that do not harm anyone else, truthful to the cause.

      So this kid must not be on your hero list either--since he is being selfish in demanding he get his way when he was told no. He's selfish to think he's entitled to receive 2 PhD. by the time he is 22 years old when most people are lucky to receive 1 PhD. by age 30. He is motivated by the idea that its okay to sue and force the school to spend money and time on paying lawyers and hassling with this BS because its not like he will even be able to get a job in his chosen field till he is at least 18 anyway. He is doing harm to others because now the class might be canceled or held up so that those students who are over 18 and also want to graduate within 4 years are now screwed out of that opportunity. And the cause he is being truthful to is basically I am entitled to do whatever I want because its not my fault I am a genius and people pick on me or misunderstand me.

    • 2 years ago
  • brotherlelo
    • 0
      brotherlelo  
    • common_sense_please:

      Wrong conclusion. He is not using drugs or wasting his time on video game to tell he no. He wants to do what the majority of the kids do not want to do. This school should feel lucky to have a kid like him and should reconsider their position. He should has his right and we should not hold him back.

    • 2 years ago
  • MotherForTruth
    • +1
      MotherForTruth  
    • common_sense_please:

      I see you have hard time resisting psychoanalyze my responses and labeling everything. I have observed your critical thinking skills please try to see the big picture.

      This young man is not a hero. He is talented, and has a lot of potential but he did not do anything for the humanity yet. He has a potential and he is currently perusing his dream. He also, imo, has a right to all of the benefits other students have and should be able to study abroad. His tuition is no different from any other student at UCon, his lectures are not different, UCon educational standards are not different! So his educational benefits should not be different either! There is no reason UCon should slow down his educational path and stall his potentials.

    • 2 years ago
  • regjoeschmo
    • +1
      regjoeschmo  
    • common_sense_please:

      he is working for his PhD's, there is no entitlement there.... he just has a step up on most people because he is that much smarter than most other people.... he cannot get a job in his field till he is 18, and that is why he is using his time wisely and pursuing an education....

    • 2 years ago
  • brotherlelo
  • eskimoe
    • 0
      eskimoe  

    • I guess it is age discrimination. But the parents would have to set up some guardian to be with him at all times. You can't expect the University to babysit him all day. He is a genius but still a kid.

    • 2 years ago
  • Mattchicago
    • +3
      Mattchicago  
    • eskimoe:

      his mother said she would go if the university covered all the expenses so technically there would be a legal parent with him at all times. I do not see the beef about the issue i think its great this kid wants to study oversea's and further his education. But yet the school is scared something might happen even thou they got parental consent.

    • 2 years ago
  • common_sense_please
    • 0
      common_sense_please  
    • Mattchicago:

      The problem is if the school covers all his expenses he is technically still a member of the college age group that is traveling and that is what is most likely messing him up. If his mom paid for him separately or accompanied him separate from the group and then he just "happened to bump into" the group once they were already in the country it would work--but otherwise not so much.

    • 2 years ago
  • regjoeschmo
  • regjoeschmo
  • common_sense_please
    • 0
      common_sense_please  
    • regjoeschmo:

      It's called sarcasm...although at this point the school has said no he cannot go--and since his mother is not enrolled in the class she can't "officially" go either. And since they both seem determined to screw everybody else in the class that is over 18 and actually will be old enough to legally hold a job when they graduate if the 13 year old doesn't get his way.... and have already filed a lawsuit over his denial--it seems like "common sense" would dictate they should just go on their own and meet up with the group once they are in the country and let him do the course work with the group there. This would free the college staff from the hassles that would come from traveling in a foreign country with a minor and it would allow the other members of the class who are over 18 to also take the class that they need to complete their degree on time.

    • 2 years ago
  • regjoeschmo
    • 0
      regjoeschmo  
    • common_sense_please:

      sorry, i didnt catch the tone over your typing...... and no his mother is not wanting to go to study, she is going so shewill be able to supervise her son and alleviate any liability or responsability for him from the school... again common sense eludes even you....

    • 2 years ago
  • DisownCashValue
    • +1
      DisownCashValue  

    • Im sure he's smart enough to understand the risks involved with going to africa as a young child. I bet he has already calculated the odds of his survivability in that enviorment and is comfortable with taking that risk. I say let the kid go where ever he wants to go in the world.

    • 2 years ago
  • cerealforeal
  • Sexirobot
  • mr_tibbles
  • tiflaf
    • 0
      tiflaf  

    • Oh, little bastard!!! "I'm losing time in my four-year plan for college," he said. "They're upsetting the framework of one of my majors." Seriously, what are you in such a hurry to do? Draw attention to yourself is what. This is what colleges do! Show me a person that actually got their degree in 4 years flat! And that sucks but--a trip to South Africa at 13?? These people aren't paid to be babysitters. You may be book smart little man, but that does not mean you're equipped to survive in the big bad world!

    • 2 years ago
  • Progresshiv
    • 0
      Progresshiv  

    • So much of what passes for higher education these days is hamstrung by fear of litigation. How ironic that the university's timidity has resulted in litigation.

    • 2 years ago
  • notrepublican
  • Mattchicago
  • treewolf39
  • curtisreed
    • 0
      curtisreed  

    • What a tiger! I love it. His professor was so right when he said "His self-confidence is very high. It's a very unusual package to see the intellect and confidence at that age."

      Most of the "nerds" are quite often insecure and very unsure of themselves. This guy kind of reminds me a little of Jurassic Park's Dr Ian Malcomb, played by Jeff Goldbloom. Do you remember that role? He was a mathmatician prodigy who had a kind of rock star personna, was ultra smart but also ultra cool, kind of the unwilling hero who overcame his fear to do what was right--in the end, he was a fighter.

      From what I glean from the article, Colin has a little of that cockiness and firebrand personality. I totally respect a kid who is that comfortable in his own skin. Here is a talent to watch in the future!

    • 2 years ago
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