Wednesday, October 1, 2008

Enough is enough, professors fight back

Over my years of teaching I have noted a gross incivility from students toward professors. This seems to be particularly prevalent under two sets of circumstances: 1) online classes, 2) foreign students from SubSahara Africa. The two seem to have a greater effect than one alone. Students in class face to face do not dare to be uncivil to me more than one time, because they simply get tossed out or I call security. This has not happened in a long time as I teach grad students, the classes are small, and most of my grad students think I walk on water. Undergraduate students were different. But I could control them with a whithering look for the most part.
The last 5 years has seen an influx of these SubSaharan immigrants to my universities graduate programs and the incivility, rudeness, and entitlement is unbelievable. Some of them, when brought before the dean, try to explain it away as cultural and that the professor is the one who is arrogant. Hey, ya know what, if you're in my culture (the US) you learn how to act in my culture and you know that the proper role here is me - professor and you - student. Not that respect shouldn't flow both ways. When I go to Liberia or Nigeria, I will be as subserviant to you princesses as the culture demands.
My African American colleagues have noted this behavior as well, and it drives them crazy; only they say that actually the behavior is intensified because they perceive that the SubSaharans think that they are better than US blacks.
One of my students complained to the dean that my posting my CV on the first day of class by way of introduction in my online advanced psychopharmacology was an example of MY arrogance. Only this group sees it this way, regardless it is not an excuse for the way that they treat us.
Today, one of my colleagues, who has had it with these students, suggested that we start bringing the students up to the Student Affairs committee to censure on grounds of incivility. His is a grand suggestion and I am going to start doing this. It is high time that it got around the student community that this behavior will not be tolerated, and since I have several nasty emails in my inbox right now, I'm ready to go. Stay tuned for the results! It is time faculty stood up for themselves and sent a message to their colleagues, as well as to students.

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