Complaints about professors.
Brian
7,618 Posts
How are these best addressed for the academic strutters out there? I have several legitimate complaints about a professor I have right now and actually am pissed off enough about it to do something about it. Email/meeting/letter to department chair/dean/?
Comments
What did he do?
Are there others in your class who feel the same way? If so, you may be able to do something.
Or ask you adviser, if you have one.
Usually with something like this, professors will send that shit to Kinko's or some local copier for students to pick up for like 5 bucks. The whole thing could probably be shared on university webspace and be like 50mb at the most. Paying $90 for this book along with some bullshit online content is completely and totally ridiculous and had I known beforehand I would have not taken the class just on general principle.
1) Email the professor in a very polite way, outlining whatever issues you have. This should come after you've already spoken in person to him/her, and only serves to be used as evidence that you have made yourself clear in a polite and respectful way.
2) Assuming things aren't resolved, setup an appointment with an adviser.
3) If the meeting with the adviser is insufficent, then proceed to the department chair. But understand that a lot of morons have already tried doing this incompetently, and you're talking to an ally of the teacher in question, so be careful what you say. Department chairs hate these meetings and faculty will protect their own like children.
There's only so much you can do though if what the professor is doing doesn't explicitly violate university policy.
If after all this you get nowhere, put his ass on blast. Talk to other students in your class and get the word out about Dr. Fucko
Use http://www.ratemyprofessors.com/
Write him a note about how pathetic his coursebook is and get people in your class to sign it.
None of this will help you immediately, but it may force him to stop his bullshit, and it may make future students reconsider taking his class.
Good luck.
On top of the other advice you've received, I must add that you need to make sure you're a credible "complaintant." What I mean is that if you're a bullshittin', class-cutting, and/or failing student your complaint won't be taken seriously, but perceived as "sour grapes" by the department chair, or by bodies convened to hear your case formally (if it goes that far). Only you know the answer to this concern but I thought, in good conscience, I should put you up on the knowledge. This is coming from a person who has served on school-wide academic grievance committees. Cats with a 'D' in the class usually lost miserably.
Peace,
Big Stacks from Kakalak
Conflict of interest!!! Rutgers has very strict rules about adopting your own textbooks for classes. I couldn't fleece my students like that in good conscience.
Peace,
Big Stacks from Kakalak
I've had professors at this campus that have had their name stamped on a "University of Hawaii edition" of a regular textbook. I had no problems with this because one of them included all of the notes from his lecture and it ended up being cheaper because he stripped out all the chapters that he didn't cover. I'm okay with the professor making money off a book for their class (even though shits definitely shady) if the textbook is actually useful. This is definitely not the case.
Can a musical artist that teaches a College course require his/her album as mandatory listening?
That said, I dunno how much complaining will help you in the current semester, but I'm sure future students will appreciate the warning.
I'm not sure about that one, but they definitely monitor whether profs use their own textbooks in a course.
Peace,
Big Stacks from Kakalak
This is seriously what 75% of the book is except it's 6 to a page and different subject matter.
i learned too late to read ll my books on reserve, or get them on interlibrary loan or used (last resorT). if i like the books, i buy them toward the end of the course...off the other students is always an option.
i got 3 classes this semester and spent $50.
dr.fucko for real. i love the Q&A page
Thanks for all the suggestions guys. I'm going to email the department head saying that I have some concerns over the text issued for a course I'm taking and that I would just like to clarify the department's requirements and stance on text for its courses and ask to schedule an appointment.
Also deeply disappointed in Odub's lack of participation in this thread so far.
i thought it was the norm for teachers to assign their books
i have 2 great courses righ tnow and one shit course. i am seriously considering tweaking two old papers of mine for the two we gotta write for this class. is that unprofessional? stacks?
You know that's foul, Tripledouble. See, I ask my colleagues whether a student has written a particular paper for their classes. If so, then I give the student an 'F'. Profs communicate about these things so I hope you don't get caught.
Peace,
Big Stacks from Kakalak
but isnt it my work in the first place? or is it violating a "double dipping" code? F*ck!!!!!!!!!
these guys put so little effort into this shit, i feel like im just following suit
The problem is that you cheat yourself out of the additional learning opportunity available from researching a topic (or topics) to write an original paper. Knowing more won't hurt you and all you lose is some time and effort. But I forgot, higher "education"[/b] is becoming a misnomer. We sell credentials these days, most cats don't give a F*ck about learning.
Peace,
Big Stacks from Kakalak
but i feel you. i wish i had much more undiluted time to read write and think.
oh yeah...soulstrut is a major responsibiltiy too
Pardon my rant, man, it's just sad how so credential- and grade-possessed students are these days. Only about 5-10% of them truly want to learn, while the rest are all about getting a credential and a job. Shit, for me, 'A' still equals excellent. But, if they knew more, they might be more attractive job applicants. Wow, imagine that!
Peace,
Big Stacks from Kakalak
then again,many are on some brown nosing suck the professors balls type shit cause they realize how important networking with them can be. thats kind of corny imo, but i know its part of the game.
finally, education isnt only done in academic institutions. my education is ongoing in this life...but inthis particular setting, there is a credential at the end which is important in its own right.
I've had a couple instructors specifically mention that reusing a prior paper is considered 'plagarizing' which is kinda bullshit since it doesn't fit the definition as I understand it. I would think it's up to the professor if it isn't specifically in the honor code for the school though.
I don't know if I would define it as plagarizing (since you wrote it) but it certainly is intellectually dishonest and if you are attending college and you attempt to cut corners on enriching your own learning then you are playin' yourself.
So Tony, its just good life experience.