uni. prof, ask me anything

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Do politics affect the way you treat or the way you grade students who are of a different political mindset than you? Be honest…..

(Op here): I've had classes where the leaderss of the college republicans and democrats both think I'm sympathetic to them. I care about well-constructed arguments, not whether or not one holds certain positions. Of course there are limits to this. But generally the university classroom is less polarized and clown-showish than is portrayed in the stereotypes floating around the popular media.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Do you see any correlation between number of APs taken and academic performance in college?

(Op here): While I often learn about (from them) where they went to school, I never really learn about AP classes taken, so I don't have any idea. I know the admissions office would track this, but tightly held secrets that would be...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do you heckle your children when they use improper grammar?

Prof kid here. Yes.

Ha! Another professor kid (2x over) and my science professor Dad will correct my grammar to this day. My humanities prof mom never did (and was a horrible speller like me, although award winning in Her field)

Hahaha same my math prof father was a stickler for grammar (bad grammar can change the entire meaning of your proof!); my humanities mother never cared.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If a student goes to a mediocre public school, any ideas how they can learn to write better and practice analytical reading? My son is in an “honors for all” English class so there are students in that class reading and writing at a college level to elementary level. The result is that the class seems to be taught at a low level so everyone can keep up.

(Op here): Probably in that case I'd try for tutoring (if that is a financial option), or go to book readings, or go to a quality book club. It's probably not the case that you could enroll them in an intro college class in your community because I doubt the experience would be any better. Finding venues for critical interpretation of texts and robust analysis and debate about the ideas therein is increasingly rare.

[Anonymous]

Why would we?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is the university worth it for full pay UMI “donut hall” families who gets no financial aid?
Would you send your own kids there if you are full pay Vs state university ?

(Op here): It depends. If you want to pursue medicine, I'd follow where the admits are and probably the state schools are decent at placing students- (students who do well in the majors/classes required). There's no magic--I see students all the time who paid full freight at this top place and are probably looking at middling to average salaries and mid-aspirational career objectives. Others hit the ground and light it on fire. A few flame out. I also know students at state schools that do the same. There is a way that the model of "college as training ground for career" makes it more personality dependent, although obviously a middling kid from an Ivy has a leg up generally over a middling kid from a state school--just a basic fact.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:At what age did you learn to read? Were your parents UMC?

(Op here): I was "gifted" for the poor rural area I came from, and was the first in my family to go to college (let alone onto grad school). I did not have academic inclinations or mentors until I went to college. That experience opened my eyes and set me on a different path. I'm deeply sympathetic to the admissions process creating a diverse class--kids of all backgrounds, including socio-economic. It truly makes the classroom far more interesting and educational for everyone.

[Anonymous]

Thank you OP. Do you discourage your students from going into academics due to the toughness of the field and job market?

[Anonymous]

Do you have a basic understanding of how automobiles, aircraft, computers, and cell phones work? Do you believe that 5G cell phone towers cause cancer? That private aircraft should be banned because someone flew a plane into power lines in Montgomery County?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:New poster, serious question. Can you do calculus?

(Op here): Ha. I know what calculus *does* but I can't *do* calculus with any proficiency.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My DC at a well-regarded SLAC just wrapped up a humanities class in which he wrote his final essay (exam) about his pro-life stance. This was the assignment; he did not randomly pick the topic. He's concerned about his grade because of course the professor disagrees with him. He's a strong writer and has been getting A- level grades on papers all semester. Do you think he has anything to worry about with regard to his grade in the class? How do you handle situations in class when you disagree with a student's point of view?

(Op here): I can't speak for this professor or to the nature of this assignment from the information you cited. I want well-constructed arguments. I've had many students with whom I've agreed who construct arguments poorly, and get marked down. I've had many students with whom I've disagreed who constructed arguments well, and got graded accordingly. That's my view of what the norm ought to be for pedagogical situations.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Do you have a basic understanding of how automobiles, aircraft, computers, and cell phones work? Do you believe that 5G cell phone towers cause cancer? That private aircraft should be banned because someone flew a plane into power lines in Montgomery County?

(Op here): I've rebuilt internal combustion engines yet plowed a field by horse-drawn plow, understand lift and thrust (and the advantages/disadvantages of fly-by-wire), have no clue but probably doubt it, and think that pilot seems to have made some really critical errors. All of those things are probably irrelevant to this particular forum.

[Anonymous]

Why are humanities in the academy?

Critical Studies originated to address ambiguity and interpretation in literary analysis. But that has spread into general nonsense.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sokal_affair
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grievance_studies_affair
Foucault was a pedophile, and Paul de Man was a Nazi. Even worse, this changes the perception of their work. Lacking objectivity, you cannot separate the truth from the author. The Margaret Meade controversy is also problematic.

Math has near-unanimous agreement on truth. Physical sciences impose discipline by empirical verification. Social sciences also have empiricism, and professional schools like business and engineering develop practical skills. Humanities are neither empirical nor useful. They lack external validation and internal consensus. The Marxists on campus are in humanities, not economics. There have been racial frauds in ethnic studies departments, not in physical science. Humanities seem to lack quality standards because they are subjective and arbitrary. Why should they be in college?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If a student goes to a mediocre public school, any ideas how they can learn to write better and practice analytical reading? My son is in an “honors for all” English class so there are students in that class reading and writing at a college level to elementary level. The result is that the class seems to be taught at a low level so everyone can keep up.

(Op here): Probably in that case I'd try for tutoring (if that is a financial option), or go to book readings, or go to a quality book club. It's probably not the case that you could enroll them in an intro college class in your community because I doubt the experience would be any better. Finding venues for critical interpretation of texts and robust analysis and debate about the ideas therein is increasingly rare.

Gotta be talking about MCPS

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why are humanities in the academy?

Critical Studies originated to address ambiguity and interpretation in literary analysis. But that has spread into general nonsense.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sokal_affair
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grievance_studies_affair
Foucault was a pedophile, and Paul de Man was a Nazi. Even worse, this changes the perception of their work. Lacking objectivity, you cannot separate the truth from the author. The Margaret Meade controversy is also problematic.

Math has near-unanimous agreement on truth. Physical sciences impose discipline by empirical verification. Social sciences also have empiricism, and professional schools like business and engineering develop practical skills. Humanities are neither empirical nor useful. They lack external validation and internal consensus. The Marxists on campus are in humanities, not economics. There have been racial frauds in ethnic studies departments, not in physical science. Humanities seem to lack quality standards because they are subjective and arbitrary. Why should they be in college?

Because the human experience is full of shades of grey. The humanities are necessary to prevent science from becoming tyranny. Both are equally vital.