Professor Threatening To Sue Students Over Anti-intellectualism

[bostinelosd]

Dartmouth's 'Hostile' Environment - WSJ.com

Wow. I mean if students arent interested in your subject, find new ways to make it fun. Hammering on them is not going to peak their interest.

I do however realize that students need to try hard. They cant just float through because they can. You pay alot of money to go to school and learn. Expand your mind, etc.

You also have to publicly respect your profs even if you don't particularly like them or the class. Its courtesy.

[leg4cy]

If students weren't arguing and questioning what professors said, then I would have a problem. A student who doesn't speak his/her mnd and challenge a professor is a fool. Professors are supposed to challenge students by making them think, often times by supporting ridiculous theories or taking crazy stances with the hope that an exchange will occur. To me, it sounds like this professor just couldn't stand the heat. I wouldn't want to learn French literature either.

[bostinelosd]

Originally Posted by leg4cy

If students weren't arguing and questioning what professors said, then I would have a problem. A student who doesn't speak his/her mnd and challenge a professor is a fool. Professors are supposed to challenge students by making them think, often times by supporting ridiculous theories or taking crazy stances with the hope that an exchange will occur. To me, it sounds like this professor just couldn't stand the heat. I wouldn't want to learn French literature either.

I agree with that. I wonder how they were forming their arguments. If they were asking questions or forming valid arguments I would think that was ok. If they just disrupted class with stupidity to get a laugh, that probably wasnt helping the situation.

[Phaedrus]

"They'd argue with your ideas."

Wow. Students would actually DARE to challenge a strident professor of the "agit-prop" method of teaching.

And not just challenge her, but her IDEAS!!!!

Shocking.

Ironically, she teaches the field in which I've on- and off-again considered earning my PhD. But after reading the entire article, I see she's taken a tack far from my conceptions, and I would like to ask that she "not be on 'my' side".

"Science as a social construct" is actually a fascinating field of study. Unfortunately, the ideologically insane apparently have found a home there these days.....

[Flag Guy]

She maintains that some of her students were so unreceptive of "French narrative theory" that it amounted to a hostile working environment

OH NO!!! People of different backgrounds, ages, sexes and cultures are disagreeing with my beliefs and theories!!!

"They'd argue with your ideas."

Yet she's suing for Anti-intellectualism... seems to me that spouting your beliefs without allowing others to debate them isn't intellectual, thats craming your view down other's throats. Intelligent debate helps broaden minds and cultivate thought... seems like she's the one being anti-intellectual

One student took issue, and reasonably so – actually, empirically so. But "these weren't thoughtful statements," Ms. Venkatesan protests "They were irrational"

Care to rationalize that statment please?

Then, after consulting a physician about "intellectual distress," she cancelled classes for a week

Such conduct is hardly representative of the professoriate at Dartmouth, my alma mater. Faculty members tend to be professional. They also tend to be sane.

[kgreeny]

Originally Posted by leg4cy

If students weren't arguing and questioning what professors said, then I would have a problem. A student who doesn't speak his/her mnd and challenge a professor is a fool. Professors are supposed to challenge students by making them think, often times by supporting ridiculous theories or taking crazy stances with the hope that an exchange will occur. To me, it sounds like this professor just couldn't stand the heat. I wouldn't want to learn French literature either.

I agree with you, seem the prof could not defende her own teaching. I can't believe Northwestern hired her so quick.

[Cyclonepride]

Very refreshing to see young people challenging ideas presented to them. This country was founded by people such as these.

[Phaedrus]

Originally Posted by kgreeny

I agree with you, seem the prof could not defende her own teaching. I can't believe Northwestern hired her so quick.

Because of her sex, ethnic makeup, and general freakishness, she is probably the hottest commodity in post-secondary education today.

Academics often flaunt their freakish beliefs as a "product feature", especially at the "elite" institutions.

[mramseyISU]

Until you make a department chair cry with 300 signatures on a petition calling her an idiot you havn't really accomplished anything.