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The recent firing of a teacher whose students said he graded them too harshly has ignited debate in USA about the universities who bend too much to the wishes of their students.
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maitland joneswho taught organic chemistry at the New York University (NYU)was fired in August without a prior interview or a clear explanation, which left him “embarrassed”, as he told AFP.
There were 82 students who signed a petition to complain about their grade, which they considered too harsh.
“The students who wrote the petition (…) could not accept the fact that they were not doing well (…). They looked for someone to blame.”Jones claimed.
Jones estimated that only a quarter of his 350 students failed to pass.
Jones’ firing at age 84 might have gone under the radar were it not for a newspaper article. The New York Times in early October, sparking a heated debate. Before working as an adjunct professor at NYU, a private university, Jones held senior teaching positions at prestigious universities in Princeton and Yale.
Many other professors have offered their support to Jonesdenouncing what they see as the disproportionate weight of student opinion, some with heightened sensitivities due to social tensions and lockdowns related to the coronavirus pandemic. covid-19.
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power changed hands
marty rossprofessor emeritus of the Northeastern Universityin the city of Bostonbelieves that some private universities patronize students in a country where students are routinely asked for their opinions on professors and courses.
These “clients,” he said, tend to be hostile to difficult or non-specialized subjects, like organic chemistry, and “develop a ‘why do we need this course?’ attitude.”
“If (they have) difficulties, they give the course poor grades and may file formal complaints”he told AFP.
In contrast, this retired environmental scientist noted that he knows of incompetent professors who manage to complete their courses solely because they have a reputation for being “easy qualifiers”.
In the end, Ross said, “Power has passed from the professors to the students, which is not the best way to run a university. It’s like the patients are suddenly telling the surgeons how to operate.”
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The deferential relationship between students and teachers seen elsewhere does not really exist in USAsaid Karin Fischer, a journalist and research associate at Center for Higher Education Studies at the University of California-Berkeley.
“In USA, there’s this notion that you’re supposed to challenge authority in the classroom. You’re supposed to ask your teachers questions. You’re not supposed to assume it’s all through their gospel.”said.
“Debating and having discussions and questions is part of the critical thinking mentality of the American university”he added.
Souradeep Banerjeea young professor at Temple University in Philadelphia who did most of his studies in India, said he first realized the power of American students when he was given the task of grading papers.
A teacher in charge of a course with 300 students brought together Banerjee and three other attendees and told them they had to be more flexible when grading “Because Temple’s finances and the running of the university basically depend on student enrollment, right?”
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Tuition through the roof
This business relationship is paramount to some students and their parents, who demand a quality education commensurate with the sacrifices they make so that young people can attend college.
In the United States, it is common for a student college pay up to $60,000 a year for tuition, that without including the expenses of accommodation, transportation or food. Many students take out large loans in order to finance their college education.
“The fact that they have had to borrow a lot of money puts a lot of pressure on them to get good grades,” Fisher explained. Students want to achieve positive results “so they don’t have to spend extra semesters in college,” she stressed.
Temple University freshman danielle jamesadmitted that before enrolling in a course, he looks at the way in which the professors rate and also reviews the comments about the professors in RateMyProfessors.com.
“I can’t afford to waste time. I’m paying a lot”said James, who juggles two jobs outside of class, one on campus and one at one of America’s leading clothing store chains.
Source: Elcomercio
I, Ronald Payne, am a journalist and author who dedicated his life to telling the stories that need to be said. I have over 7 years of experience as a reporter and editor, covering everything from politics to business to crime.
