Reply to NYU Prof fired because his class was too hard

Forum Index » College and University Discussion

Reply to "NYU Prof fired because his class was too hard "

Subject:

Emoticons





More smilies

Text Color: Font: Close Marks

[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]His nasty tone notwithstanding, I can't say I disagree with the substance of his farewell letter to students.

"I learned last week that I have been fired from my position in the chemistry department at NYU. I was not given a reason, but I assume that it involves the “petition” of last spring (which I have never been allowed to see or comment on).
I send you this information because I will no longer be able to make any changes to the current data for chemistry 225 (2021) and 226 (2022). ALL – repeat ALL - future administrative matters including, but not limited to, grade changes, regrades, resolution of INC grades, and letters of recommendation must be dealt with by the deans and/or the departmental leadership, Professors Tuckerman and Walters.
I send congratulations to those of you who did well, and an apology to those of you who cruised through this course with a relentless stream of 100’s. The apology comes because I didn’t stretch you, and thus deprived you of the chance to improve beyond an already formidable baseline. Keep it up!
This incident is far more important than it looks. Consider the effect on an untenured or clinical professor. If his or her career is at the mercy of disgruntled students and accommodating deans, how are they to teach real material and give real grades? Much the same can be said for departmental administrators who meet with students daily. Can they afford to be tough when necessary?
The chemistry department’s ability to meet its teaching responsibilities has been diminished. Indeed, the university’s reputation has already suffered.
[b]Now a piece of unsolicited advice: It is very difficult to be self critical. It is hard to accept personal responsibility when we meet failure, as each of us will at some point, but it is an essential life skill you would be wise to develop.[/b]
Good luck to all of you.
mj"[/quote]

This is quite a funny thing to say. He doesn't have very much introspection--does he? If you have so many students failing and unhappy in your class, maybe you need to look at what YOU are doing or not doing and also accept responsibility. I'm a former high school teacher who also spent many years as a college adjunct. If I had THAT many students who were failing my class, you can bet your bottom dollar I would have gotten in big trouble, and it wouldn't even have come from the students. The administration would have wanted to know why my students were struggling so much and what I was doing to help them. It doesn't look good for schools. The only reason he was given as much freedom as he was is that he had very solid credentials.

There's something to be said about dumbing down curriculum and grade inflation. It's not really good for students. But this guy doesn't seem to have an ounce of self-reflection here, which kind of makes him seem like an arrogant jerk?[/quote]

I take your point but on balance I think he is more right than the students. Apparently there were a number of kids doing well in the class and it’s a given that a certain number of kids will crash and burn in organic. Do I think he was uniquely terrible and that the petitioners would have thrived with equal effort (and normal rigor) in another class? I do not! In any case, the mcat will sort them! [/quote]

The reality is the school has a control group. The other organic chemistry classes. They are learning the material and passing exams. His class isn’t, it’s not complicated, he is the problem.[/quote]

Options

	Disable HTML in this message
	Disable BB Code in this message
	Disable smilies in this message

Review message

Search Recent Topics Hottest Topics