Opinion on this professer, please

[horseshowmom]

All you people who say that this is par for the course in college: I really want to know where these colleges are that tolerate this kind of behavior. I went to a college where I had some real "personalities" teaching, but no one was openly bigoted or abusive. It just would not have been tolerated. Now, granted, I went to a fairly prestigious school, but seriously, don't students complain in other schools?

...and of course, OP should guide her daughter. That's her job, even over the age of 18. She just shouldn't speak to administration and complain. That's the DD's job.

I agree. My daughter had some that were great and some that were first class jerks.

Her freshman year she had a Chemisty class for majors that had 500 students in it. The lab classes were broken down into smaller sections, but the papers were just turned into a box (I think all the sections turned them in there). After they were graded, you dug through the box to find yours. Several of DD's came up missing, and she was given 0's.

She discussed it with me, and I gave her some advice (including don't let them intimidate you if they try). They did try.

First she (Dept. head) basically accused her of not turning them in. She had carried her laptop with her, pulled the papers up, and showed them to the Dept. head. Then the dept. head made a sarcastic remark about the situation (don't remember what). At that point, DD also brought up how papers are put into a big box to turn in and then gotten back from there after grading and how everybody's grade was visible to everybody else and how that would seem to be an invation of privacy (she had all A's but that was still a good place to put that).

The Dept. head's tone changed immediately, and at the next class everybody was informed that their papers would no longer be handled the way they had in the past. Also, DD never had another paper that got lost and even more amazingly, her "lost" papers were somehow found. After that, the Dept. head even tried to talk DD into changing to a Chemistry major.

 

[RachaelA]

I get that its ignorant, but as long as its not affecting her grade why does it truly matter?

You don't have to agree with what he says. Heck you don't even need to listen to it.

Why fight an unnecessary battle? Give him a bad evaluation. Take your A or whatever and move on.

 

[okeydokey]

Of course none of us (including the OP) have first hand info. I'm just horrified that people are posting that if this did happen, OP's DD should just sit there quietly and take it.

Most people are not saying to take it, they are saying that the DD needs to handle it and not Mom. If she wants to go to administration, then that's what she should do.

 

[punkin]

Most people are not saying to take it, they are saying that the DD needs to handle it and not Mom. If she wants to go to administration, then that's what she should do.

These are some of the posts I find concerning (I edited some of them for space considerations).

Welcome to college.

Seriously...she will have to keep her head down and get through it. College is/was full of prof who were idiots, biggots, etc...just spouting off their own agenda. Nothing to do but just roll with it. In real life, we are all exposed to people with differing ideas..some WAY out there.

Suck it up.

Agreed.

Even if you complain the University isn't going to do anything. As long as he isn't molesting people they really don't give a hoot. Been there, done that with the crappy professors. It's just part of being a college student.

It's only a semester so suck it up.

Agree. Like I tell mine just do what you have to to get the A. It doesn't mean you have to agree with whatever it is. Just do what you need to and move on.

I don't think anyone at all posted that OP should speak to the administration.

 

[NotUrsula]

OP can give her daughter advice, certainly, but in the end it is the daughter who has to decide what to do and to choose whether or not to do it. Getting directly involved would be a bad idea.

Just sucking it up and taking it is fairly normal when the instructor in question is tenured and the student needs that person to be on his/her side. (Thesis committee, etc.) A smart student knows that making waves with your head the only one above water can get you a reputation as a troublemaker, so in general, if you cannot get at least two other people in the class to join with you in formally presenting the grievance, it IS best to just keep your head down and go along to get along.

OP, advise your daughter to speak to some of her classmates to determine if some of them would be willing to join her in filing a formal complaint with the Dean. Lone complaints are never a good idea, because there is often a presumption that such accusations may have something to do with innappropriate relationships between the parties. (And it DOES happen quite a bit that spurned students will deliberately make trouble for a faculty member who does not give them the attention/favors that they want. Academics have to tread a very fine line in their interactions with students in order to avoid occasions when evidence for such complaints might be manufactured. I'm not at all saying that OP's daughter would do this, but it happens, and university administrations are very wary of such complaints for that reason.)

 

[Holly]

Welcome to college.

Seriously...she will have to keep her head down and get through it. College is/was full of prof who were idiots, biggots, etc...just spouting off their own agenda. Nothing to do but just roll with it. In real life, we are all exposed to people with differing ideas..some WAY out there.

I agree.

I was in college for a long time and some of the professors I had were off the charts.

I never complained. I knew they were all tenured and there was no chance that anything would change.


Think of it this way- when you are an adult out working in the world, chances are that you'll have a boss who is opinionated, and whom you may disagree with. May as well get used to it.

 

[LaughingSphinx]

At this point, the only thing you could do for her is to buy her a recorder so she can tape a lecture and take it to a meeting with the dean or the professor's department head. I had a class where the professor showed up drugged out of his mind on painkillers. The class was a complete waste of tuition. I was throwing money away to listen to some moron tell us what to drink, how to play the choking game, and my grades were dependent on this guy.

If she can talk to her academic adviser, the prof's department head, and get the word out things will start to change. She would also benefit by getting other classmates who share her opinion to schedule meetings.

You shouldn't have to 'suck it up' when a professor is not doing his job. Students (or their parents) pay good money, and lots of it, for their education. If this guy were OP's daughter's boss instead of instructor, everyone would advise that she contact HR, file a harassmant suit, etc. How is it different just because right now OP's DD's job is learning?

 

[WDWisTheBest]

At this point, the only thing you could do for her is to buy her a recorder so she can tape a lecture and take it to a meeting with the dean or the professor's department head. I had a class where the professor showed up drugged out of his mind on painkillers. The class was a complete waste of tuition. I was throwing money away to listen to some moron tell us what to drink, how to play the choking game, and my grades were dependent on this guy.

If she can talk to her academic adviser, the prof's department head, and get the word out things will start to change. She would also benefit by getting other classmates who share her opinion to schedule meetings.

You shouldn't have to 'suck it up' when a professor is not doing his job. Students (or their parents) pay good money, and lots of it, for their education. If this guy were OP's daughter's boss instead of instructor, everyone would advise that she contact HR, file a harassmant suit, etc. How is it different just because right now OP's DD's job is learning?

In a perfect world I agree with all of your suggestions. Another poster related that none of us have any information about this situation. And, I think you would agree that we don't.

I guess it boils down to how much effort a student should invest in talking with academic advisers, department heads and other administrators about a certain professor's teaching ability. I don't have an answer for the OP, other than to advise her daughter but stay out of the actual confrontation, if any.

 

[honugirl]

College students shouldn't have to put up with professors that are biggoted, sexist, racist, etc. I don't have to put up with it as an employee so I don't see why a student at a college should have to put up with it either. If no one ever says anything then the crappy professors will continue with their agendas and everyone loses, especially the students. I think students should stand up for themselves, not ignore it.

BTW, there is a difference between professors I like, ones I dislike and the ones that have no business being in their profession to begin with.

The prof is the one who controls the grades, if I'm going to stand up for myself, it's going to be at the end of the quarter once grades are posted. But if they're tenured, pretty much the only thing you can do is post on ratemyprof about them. The school isn't going to change them.

A lot of times you just have to bite your tongue. Sometimes I tend to slant away from many of my professors views, but in order to not have my grade affected, I shut up and nod politely. Unfortunately, college isn't a place where you are always free to express yourself or your views, especially if they are opposite of the prof's views.

 

[punkin]

I agree about not making waves if it is the prof's "teaching ability" that's at issue. I disagree that bigoted and abusive behavior should be ignored. Those are two very different things IMO.

 

[kimmyann]

Sorry if my response was harsh, I am a former RA and it used to always blow me away how many college aged kids couldnt do anything for themselves. Well meaning parents can really smother their kids sometimes, and it only hurts them later on.

How do you make it to age 18 and not know how to do laundry? Some kids had their parents drive 2 hours to come wash their clothes and buy their groceries. Their parents would register them for classes, go buy their books, do all the simple things that most kids can do on their own if given the chance.

You know the whole give a man a fish he will eat for one meal, teach a man to fish...... life lessons!!!!

After I left for work I thought there may be a reason you came across that way. She's been doing everything on her own and I was surprised when she came to me with this. She lives with us and I refuse to do her laundry anymore.

 

[kimmyann]

My ds always uses ratemyprofessor.com before picking a class

This winter class the prof made him watch cat videos. He just sucked it up since it was a history class and he needed the class.

If you dd complains it should be after the class is over when she gets her grade and on the eval too. She might want to have some proof etc

Hope it works out for her.

She used that website when she was choosing her classes. Unfortunatly, he was the only prof teaching this class, so she was stuck. She will be giving him a review at the end of the semester on there. Last semester she had a math teacher who cancelled every other class, thank God my DD is pretty smart. The cat thing is really out there

 

[Mermaid02]

I think he's a jerk.

 

[RitaZ.]

Colleges are sanctuaries for the arrogant.

That's so accurate.

OP, if this is your DD's first week of classes and the drop/add date hasn't passed, then my recommendation is that she drop it and look for another class. I've had my share of wacky professors and I didn't drop any of their classes. However, this professor sounds unstable, but that's not surprising. Your DD will come across some professors that aren't mentally stable.

Professors have academic freedom. I doubt that the CC will do much, if anything, to censure him. The dean may tell him that there have been complaints made against him, but that isn't going to change who he is.

Good luck to your DD.

 

[ajk912]

I'd let it go, you don't want to make waves because he's the one who give you your grade!

If her college is anything like mine, at the end of the semester you are emailed a survey x however many classes are taking and you fill it out and email it back. You rate the professor, course content, ease of textbook/required materials, difficulty level, and any other feedback. If her college does that, I would just have her wait till the end of the course to say something.

I'd MUCH rather have a prof like hers than a disappearing professor. Nothing is more maddening than taking an online class and having the professor dissapear for a month at a time when it's a 16 week class.

 

[bumbershoot]

the teacher because he doesn't teach, just talks about his opinions.

...how horrible it was today.

He was discussing politics and such and then proceeded to start yelling and cursing.

He then talked about how ignorant women are for who they vote for and even for who they marry. (he said women vote for dumb rednecks and we are the cause of the goverment's problems)

He then gave his opinion on what should be done with the 9/11 site and said how & why they should agree with him.

Everything but the opinion on what women do seems to be pretty normal for Government teachers. I went to a liberal school, and the poly sci teachers ran the gamut, but most of them did use the class as more of a soapbox, and let the reading-work do the teaching. It was always great for those students who agreed with the profs...not so much for those with different opinions.

The other part is the tricky one.

Honestly, if my poly sci/govt major friends were in the class, they probably would have waited to see if those rants continued, and if so, they would have spoken up! Poly Sci is not for the meek (which is why I avoided the courses), and it could be that he's saying these things to get a reaction. Sort of like freshman year biology courses are used as "cut" courses to get the students who can't hack it OUT of the thought of being Bio majors.

Thinking of what my friends would have done, they would have (if it continued) asked him to back up his assertions that women vote for the rednecks, ask him to be specific about the bad choices he's seen in marriage partners statistically and what makes them bad choices. Etc etc. Not just blindly and stupidly arguing, but debating along right with him.

If he actually becomes abusive (I see people saying "abusive" in their posts here and I see no abuse, just weird opinions) to people asking those sorts of things, THEN go further. In my opinion. Not to guidance counselors, in my experience at least, they are absolutely useless (I had a very negative experience with 2 of the 3 I went through), but up to the Dean of Students, if they have such a thing there.

 

[horseshowmom]

That's so accurate.

OP, if this is your DD's first week of classes and the drop/add date hasn't passed, then my recommendation is that she drop it and look for another class. I've had my share of wacky professors and I didn't drop any of their classes. However, this professor sounds unstable, but that's not surprising. Your DD will come across some professors that aren't mentally stable.

Professors have academic freedom. I doubt that the CC will do much, if anything, to censure him. The dean may tell him that there have been complaints made against him, but that isn't going to change who he is.

Good luck to your DD.

This actually is something to think about. There are LOTS of places your daughter can take a Govt. class online (other community colleges). I know our state has a virtual community college system (that many people don't even know about).

DD took a couple of electives one summer. She enrolled at the community college that had the lowest fees (not the nearest one to us, but it was online so not a big deal) even though her actual class came from a different CC. The very same courses (same teacher, same other CC) would have cost about $100 each more from the CC closest to us.

 

[luvsJack]

I work for a community college. Specifically in the campus dean's office.

Most of the opinions here are based on university experiences. Community college is a little different.

Your dd's college may be a little different in their chain of command but for us and 2 other community college's that we work closely with your dd would need to go in this order:

1. head of the department.
2. director of general ed or academic director (or whatever title they use for the person that is over all academic instructors)
3. campus dean
4. college vp
5 college p

You will probably get action about #2 but if not, work on up.

Your dd is not there to listen to his bs, she is there to get an education. Our D. of Gen. Ed would put him out on his ear if one of her instructors was doing this.

At this level our instructors are under a one year contract only and even that is completely breakable at any time. We expect our instructors to teach our students and they are NOT allowed to act like this. They can and do give their opinion to their class, I am sure; but they have to be teaching. Our dean does care very much about the students and that they are getting what they need from the instructors.

I do agree that your dd needs to do everything possible to handle the situation herself.

If she does consider dropping this class, online may be a good option. Its easier to catch up for one thing. And usually the schedule for online is a little different so they may not have started yet.

If it is past the drop/add period, keep in mind that if she drops she still will be charged for the class.

 

[horseshowmom]

I work for a community college. Specifically in the campus dean's office.

Most of the opinions here are based on university experiences. Community college is a little different.

Your dd's college may be a little different in their chain of command but for us and 2 other community college's that we work closely with your dd would need to go in this order:

1. head of the department.
2. director of general ed or academic director (or whatever title they use for the person that is over all academic instructors)
3. campus dean
4. college vp
5 college p

You will probably get action about #2 but if not, work on up.

Your dd is not there to listen to his bs, she is there to get an education. Our D. of Gen. Ed would put him out on his ear if one of her instructors was doing this.

At this level our instructors are under a one year contract only and even that is completely breakable at any time. We expect our instructors to teach our students and they are NOT allowed to act like this. They can and do give their opinion to their class, I am sure; but they have to be teaching. Our dean does care very much about the students and that they are getting what they need from the instructors.

I do agree that your dd needs to do everything possible to handle the situation herself.

If she does consider dropping this class, online may be a good option. Its easier to catch up for one thing. And usually the schedule for online is a little different so they may not have started yet.

If it is past the drop/add period, keep in mind that if she drops she still will be charged for the class.

Excellent point. The same would apply to the community colleges in our state.

 

[Carnie]

My friend works for a state university.

My friend and his colleagues laugh and laugh when mom or dad ( usually mom) calls and gets all indignant about some issue.

Then they remind the parent that the student is over 18 and they cannot discuss anything going on with the student to the parent.

You wouldn't believe the number of parents who flip out over this news.