Unconcerned, Poor Quality Professor

[Mr. Hobbes]

Hi,

 

I'm working for a professor this semester who simply does not care. He iis close to retirement. He has no organizational abilities, and his class is lackluster at best.

 

He lectures for 75mins a week, and I guide a discussion section for 75mins a week. The students in my discussion section constantly send me emails with questions and complaints about the class. Frankly, their concerns are justified. When I carefully approach the topics wth him, he simply ignores the concerns. For example, his syllabus lists assignments in two sentences: "Write 250 words about demographic changes in the metropolitan region." When kids ask for further clarification, I send him emails or messages to get his input. He never responds. Then, when I attempt to address the students' concerns and CC him, he'll ammend what I say to something completely different. At the beginning of the semester, I very cautiously hinted that his grading criteria was extremely subjective (e.g. a rubric that includes components like "how interesting" and "demonstrates intelligence"). He didn't give a darn. He always suggests that my co TA and I grade way too softly, but his assignments provide barely any guidance.

 

Recently in his lectures, he's made references to bizarre topics like oral sex and prostitution (with no relaionship to the academic content). He joked about a recent shooting in a nearby mall. He read a "poem" that he had written--really jjst rhyming couplets--about grading students. In the poem, Mary receives a higher grade because she is cute, but Becky receives a low grade because she is "so very fat." This was published in the faculty newspaper. Sure, maybe it's supposed to be a joke, but I sort of assume there have to be people out there who find it offensive.

 

I'm a career changer. I spent five years teaching in an urban public school, and have a masters in teaching. I think I'm a good judge of what is and isn't acceptable instruction. I think I have a fair understanding of what is and is not appropriate in a lecture hall.

 

This has gone on for a few weeks. I'm getting to the point where I don't know if I can take it. The students in the class are visibly angry about grades and course "content". I'm almost sure if they could drop the class and recoup the costs, they would. The professor I worked for last semester is the department head, and I have a good relationship with him. I don't know if this is something I should address with him or not. Part of me wonders if I should just be thankful to be funded, but another part of me recognizes that students are customers. They're paying for this awful class... Then again, this old timer will be retire soon... I think...

 

 

Advice?

Edited March 7, 2014 by Mr. Hobbes

[hashslinger]

That sounds like a terrible situation.

 

However, I don't know if there's anything you can really do about it at this point--or if you should devote your time to trying to change the situation. You're a grad student on what I assume is a tight funding schedule; you really have to be careful about getting involved in department politics. To be honest, I'm guessing that people have probably complained about this guy before and look, he's still there. People don't suddenly become lazy, unmotivated sexual harassers at the tail end of their lives (unless going senile or something, and that doesn't seem to be the case). He's been doing this awhile. Continue to be sympathetic to the students and offer you as much help as you can. If some approach you with concerns (especially with the sexual harassment stuff), you might quietly direct them to the authority in the department.

 

Moreover, if the students have serious concerns, then it's their responsibility to address the situation. As you point out, they're the ones paying for the class, not you. Since they're the ones receiving bad instruction, it's ultimately their responsibility or imperative to file complaints, not yours. Unless the guy's making your work conditions unpleasant specifically, you can't really say anything. I'm guessing that some of your students might have complained already.

 

It sounds like most of the students realize that you're not cut from the same cloth as this guy, but you might receive a few bad evaluations as "collateral damage" anyway.

[hashslinger]

He read a "poem" that he had written--really jjst rhyming couplets--about grading students. In the poem, Mary receives a higher grade because she is cute, but Becky receives a low grade because she is "so very fat." This was published in the faculty newspaper

 

Oh, and, just the fact that this was published in the faculty newspaper would make me proceed with caution. Sounds like these attitudes are embedded in the culture. 

[danieleWrites]

Unless your school doesn't do teacher evaluations, your department already knows he's a crappy teacher. But he's got tenure, right? And he's a full professor, right? Not much that can be done about getting rid of him.

There are things that can be done if the department is willing, but there's not much you can do as a student and TA. I would suggest that you speak with a full professor that you trust in an off-the-record fashion for some advice. This person knows the rules for faculty of his stature and what you can and cannot do. At the very least, s/he might have some advice as to what to tell the students. If nothing else, you'll feel better because you did something and someone listened to you.

Probably the most important thing you can do for your students is be there to listen to their frustrations and complaints. But this is a be-careful thing. A sympathetic ear that commiserates with the situation can do wonders for student confidence, to assure them that it's not them, it's him; but you don't want to say anything or be put into a position by a student trying to use your words to better their situation. But Mr. Hobbes said... isn't going to hold any weight with anyone else they complain to. Students are usually good people who wouldn't want to do anything to bring trouble down on your head, but they haven't the first clue about how a university works, let alone how teacher hierarchy works. They know that Doctor has more expertise and authority than TA, but they don't know that, as far as the university is concerned, you're lumped in the student category with them, not with the doctors.

You can also dispense advice. Hand out Twain's homily: Don't let school get in the way of a good education! Talk about cost-benefit analyses in a realistic way. What good would it do poem-Becky to spend hours and hours fighting for a grade she can't get because of the teacher to the detriment of her other classes?

The most important bit of advice you can dispense involves how your university's grade appeal policy works and how long, after the semester ends, they have the option to appeal. And, particularly, that should a student feel it in their best interests to file a grade appeal, they should keep a record of everything and only send copies, not originals. For example, emailing the professor directly rather than talking about it after class or in office hours. Or, if they talk about it, put their phone, already recording, on the table/desk and inform the professor that the conversation will be recorded and would he like a copy emailed to him. States have varying laws about recording people and how that can be used, but all states are okay with it if all parties concerned know they're being recorded. Most especially they should keep the originals of the assignment instructions, the rubric (if possible), and their graded work. At any rate, grade appeal policies are in the student handbook, but students never pay attention to or remember this kind of thing, which means they don't feel that there's anything they can do when the grading is unfair. And because they feel they can't do anything about it, they feel powerless and get angry. I consider teaching students how to effectively advocate for themselves in the university one of the responsibilities of a lower division course. We're all human and make grading errors, or other errors that upset students, and they need to know the appropriate way to deal with it to the satisfaction of both parties. On top of that, most students in lower division courses came straight out of high school or a gap year, and all the advocating for their interests was done by someone else. I suppose I think this way because I teach two of the four courses every single undergraduate in the US has to take to get a degree (comp 1 and 2, public speaking, and algebra). Anyway, tell them who they can turn to for help (like their academic adviser, the counseling center, dean of students office, or something), and to practice the conversation with a friend, before having it.

I imagine that if he had a line of students waiting for him to justify his grades, his assignment "instructions," and his "rubric" before they took it to their grade appeals to the chair, or dean, or whatever, he'd change his ways.

One thing you can do about him, personally, because you and your fellow TA have access to both grades and students, is to see if you can find grading patterns. If he's writing and publishing "poetry" about grading based on curves, odds are he's probably doing it for realsies. If so, he's violating Title IX. If Dr. Dog is violating Title IX, the university has to do something about him. If his grading patterns show that he is grading based on sex and attractiveness, you have something that you can take to the department head that the department head can actually do something with. Because you're a TA, you can bring it to the department head quietly, on the downlow, without putting anyone on the spot right away. This can come back to bite you, though.

Edited March 9, 2014 by danieleWrites

[overworkedta]

^ That is great advice.

 

Also, letting them know that you care (even in a little way) can do a lot.  Think back to when you were a student and had a horrible prof.  Most of us can.  Now, think about the TA in that class.  There was one such class my Senior year (a little do-nothing psych course I was getting an A+ in but hated) that life was made bearable by very good TA's that actually listened and encouraged us to write to her tenure committee.  The prof was racist and homophobic on a DAILY basis, violated FERPA regularly, and was totally derogatory on a regular basis in lectures towards our then-Nobel winner on campus (who was in MY dept.) because she had to take a grad methods seminar from her once 10 years ago during her masters and hated it.  Likewise, with a very old, racist, and crazy bio prof, the TA's were the only people who seemed to care.  I noted that and didn't blame them. I felt empowered by me suggesting I write a strong eval against her practices.

 

I definutely agree with the idea that if he is violating Title IX, you need to talk to a dept. head.  If you can even find an inkling of that with numbers (a strong one), go ahead.  Sometimes it's not worth it if your dept. chair is a really PITA but most are pretty understanding.

[St Andrews Lynx]

I commiserate, and acknowledge that there probably isn't much you can do as a TA. The department higher-ups probably feel similarly to you, but I think there are fewer things harder to get rid of than a close-to-retirement tenured white male professor. Getting on the wrong side of this somewhat obnoxious bore won't do you any good either. 

 

My advice would be to sympathise with and advise the students as best you can. Minimise the contact you have with the professor - cc-ing them into emails or trying to tell them that their teaching style is atrocious doesn't seem to have done anything constructive, and just leaves you feeling more frustrated. You almost certainly have the experience and knowledge to guide the students in the assessments without needing to approach the professor for clarification. Most grading rubrics I have encountered as a TA are broad & vague: it is up to me as the grader to decide what I'm really looking out for, and how strict I'm going to be.