Sense of Entitlement or Right to "Sample"

[Tait, MSN, RN]

I have my opinions as an educator on this piece, but was wondering what students thought.

Ok, let's get serious here. A popular professor at NYU's Stern School of Business replied to a student's email in a way that is party jerkface but mostly, part sage life advice. Deadspin reports that a student walked into the 1st day of class an hour late and the professor told her to leave & come back to the next class. In the comments section, most people were surprised to find themselves siding with the professor, citing topics like the rudeness of interrupting 80 people who pay full tuition to the foolishness of "shopping" 3 classes in the same time slot. The professor actually XXXX'd out the student's name and emailed it to all of his students! See below.. what's your take on this?

http://doanie.wordpress.com/2010/02/23/mean-professor-tells-student/

[donk]

Personally I think the prof had every right to ask the student to leave. The email he/she may have went off on a bit of an unnecessary tangent. I do agree with the part about unspoken expectations like showing up on time but the rest seemed a little over the top. Just my opinion though :)

[Tait, MSN, RN]

Personally I think the prof had every right to ask the student to leave. The email he/she may have went off on a bit of an unnecessary tangent. I do agree with the part about unspoken expectations like showing up on time but the rest seemed a little over the top. Just my opinion though :)

Now this point I can agree with 100X more than most of the responses my friend is getting on FB!

[elkpark]

IMO the professor is entirely right, and I salute her/him for taking a firm position. The last time I was teaching (several years ago), a friend forwarded me a v. funny piece from the New York Times about being a "mean" professor, and the bizarre expectations students have nowadays (compared to what we old fogeys took for granted).

[Jennybrie]

I would never have thought that sampling classes as this student had done would be acceptable at any campus. It is incredibly rude to walk in or out of any lecture for any reason other than an emergency. You wouldn't walk out of a board meeting or show up to work an hour late because you decided to sample other employment options. I believe professionalism starts in the classroom and she provoked the instructor by emailing a ridiculous argument and whining about being dismissed. She should be so lucky that the professor decided to rip her a new one through email and not humiliate her in front of the class (as I have seen done). His response was entirely appropriate and even though he went off topic, I think it was necessary to get his point across to what seems like a very thick headed individual.

[stephanie.]

Love it!

Said student wouldn't accept three jobs and try them out all at once to see which is the right fit.

[macawake, MSN]

While I feel that the sentiments of the professor are understandable I can't help but feel that a lecture on decorum followed by the admonition/advice to "get your :poop: together" is perhaps a bit lacking in both the logic and the aah.. decorum department

[Rose_Queen, BSN, MSN, RN]

Don't students have to set a schedule for a reason? Yes, they can add or drop, but there are restrictions via number of seats and required prerequisites. How did the student know the classes she was "sampling" were even appropriate or available for her to take? Either way, it's incredibly rude and disruptive to simply show up unannounced and late to a class one does not yet belong in and disrupt those who did the right thing- registering for the class and arriving on time. Most colleges allow for adding classes for a period of time greater than one day. She should have contacted the professors, arranged for permission to audit a class, and arrived on time.

[stephanie.]

Totally my opinion but maybe the whole politically correct mantra isn't working. I doubt "you should be more organized and better mannered" would have sunk in as much as "get your ---- together".

[classicdame, MSN, EdD]

the time has come for that student to learn that actions have consequences

[Griffin123]

I don't think the student should have been "shopping" in that manner but I also don't get the impression that he was trying to be ugly to that professor (or, at least not nearly as ugly as the professor was trying to be to him).

This graduate student is probably fairly young and inexperienced. (This is college, go figure) He probably is unaware that there are easier ways to "know what you're getting into" besides "shopping" for a class the way he did. He could have visited any number of websites that allow students to write reviews about instructors or he could have visited forums or even simply asked around. I think the kid was kind of dumb for shopping around the way he did.

Having said that, this professor is just one of many in academia that should not actually have contact with any human beings whatsoever. Berating the kid the way he did (in my eyes) is unacceptable. I expect more out of people who get paid to do a job. Just about any other profession I can think of requires paid employees to not react like a moron when the customer/client says or does something stupid. That professor chose to work in a profession that requires a great deal of human interaction and yet he flies off the handle over something so irrelevant. I am virtually certain that the professor delayed the class longer by calling this kid out and telling him he can't sit for class than the student did just by walking into the room. Yeah the kid was dumb but there's bigger things to get your panties in a twist over. I expect students to be somewhat thoughtless. So is the rest of the world. But (and I know this is crazy) I expect a "paid professional" to actually act....professionally.

[Stephalump]

Personally, I think the response from the professor was more disrespectful than anything the student did.