NSU professor loses job in dispute over grades

PilotOnline.com ^ | May 4, 2008 | Bill Sizemore

[goodnesswins]

If one student got an “A”....as cited here...then I think we’ve got a problem....I really don’t want any of the D and F students to be MY DOCTOR.

[dynachrome]

“high-quality education for an ethnically and culturally diverse student population,”

Sigh. Quotas in grades based upon race and/or ethnicity.

My take, anyhow.

[clee1]

Just damn....

[dangus]

I’m all for a professor who isn’t afraid to flunk a lousy student, but this is ridiculous: “Citing seven classes in which 83 to 95 percent of his students got a D or F...”

He’s not teaching at MIT.

[E. Pluribus Unum]

Gotta keep those tuition checks rolling in.

[dynachrome]

Posted just before this:

“Success Is Built On Work Ethic, Not Grievances (SOWELL)”

Dr. Sowell gets it.

[Lizavetta]

And what did they say to or do about the flunking students?

Actually go look at the school work that failed? I doubt it. It's all the teachers fault.

That colleges actually offer remedial math and English AND accept students who need those classes still astounds me.

[joma89]

What happens in a world where everyone is told they are experts in everything (i.e. they are passed when they actually failed) when in fact, no one in the world is an expert in anything? I don't think I want to live in that world.

- JoMa

[dangus]

>> For instance, Hall said, he gives optional bonus quizzes to help students pull up their grades. <<

Flunking 9 out of 10 students isn’t the answer. Bonus quizzes aren’t. Remedial instruction, maybe? Nah, that might COST something.

[pillut48]

I feel for the guy, having gone through the same thing when I taught in an inner city public school in Dallas several years ago. The first 6 weeks I first taught ended and I had to prepare my grades—not a single one of my 30 or so students passed! (Bear in mind that many of them were illegal immigrants.)

I went to my mentor who totally freaked out—turns out I was required by DISTRICT POLICY to pass EVERY single student. I was totally shocked!! I was to substitute their real grade if they weren’t passing with a 70, which was passing. This was even for students who came into my classroom (4th graders) with no school supplies (although many had Air Jordan sneakers and lovely Raiders coats) and would stick their feet up on the desk and not do a darn thing the whole day (except for get in trouble) and never turned in a single piece of work—to this day it still galls me that those children were cheated like that. It just reinforced their ‘entitlements’ mindset. :-(

[PapaBear3625]

There is something wrong when the majority of students flunk a course. Either the professor stinks, or more stringent prerequisites should be applied so that only students who are likely to pass enroll in the first place, or the material of the course needs to be split up into two or more courses. Or some combination of the above

[FoxInSocks]

Five students have left their opinions at ratemyprofessors.com:

• He is the worst teacher ever. I know this because he got fired because he is not willing to change is course material.I pass all the common test it just those quizzes. (12/3/07)

• Steve's cool, he just requires you actually exert yourself and be a student, instead of a braindead wates of chair space! He clearly tells you what's expected and required of you from the beginning, and thats all that he wants from, nothing less. Do that and you'll pass (12/28/06)

• He is only hard if you don't want to study. If you don't want to study, why be in school? You can get more help if you go to his office hours w/ questions. I have an A in his class, everyone else is failing because they are lazy and they are complete idiots. He won't give you a higher grade than you deserve. GET OVER IT, and become adults! (11/11/05)

• He is very hard and he does not take the time to explain anything. HE IS SO WEIRD WHEN IT COMES TO SNAKES. He is too hard, if you can avoid taking his course; please do. The way he teaches the class is boring and confusing; if you take this class. Look forward to a lower GPA. (11/10/05)

• he was a very bad teacher. everyone in his classes fails or gets a really bad grade and he does not care. he has a weird fascination with snakes (10/19/05)

[ltc8k6]

Or the students got this far without learning very much.

A likely scenario, imo.

Goes back to “teaching the test” so your graduation rates look good, and to hell with actually learning the subjects.

When these students get to higher level schools, they are screwed. They haven’t got a clue.

Wait until they get into the work force...

[brwnsuga]

I just read your post about the opinions on ratemyprofessors.com. Is it just me or do these students need grammar lessons too?

[Edison]

“”..To support his allegations of grade inflation, Aird performed a statistical analysis of two common exams that were given to all students taking the freshman-level biology course in the fall of 2005. The median grade in all sections on both exams - taught by five different professors - was F...””

If true this part here seems to support the inflated grade part.

[FoxInSocks]

There is something wrong when the majority of students flunk a course.

I took a notoriously difficult first-semester chemistry course in the UVA engineering school. The highest scores on tests were routinely in the 30 to 40 percent range.

The professor used some sort of curve system, though, so everyone didn't necessarily fail. I did learn a lot, despite the low test scores. I guess a lot of the problems were simply very hard to solve -- correctly, that is.

[Lord Basil]

Go read more reviews at the Web site. Words will fail you.

[steel_resolve]

My mother is a college comp sci professor. This is spot on. Schools are graduating students who I wouldn’t let clean my pool, let alone write code.

[MarineBrat]