Oct 07, 2022 09:00:00

A university professor complained by more than 80 students that ``classes are too strict'' will be dismissed

In any university, there are professors who are not good at it because students say things like 'that professor's lectures are too difficult' or 'the exams are too strict'. At the prestigious school in the United States,

New York University , more than 80 students complained to Professor Maitland Jones, Jr., who was teaching organic chemistry, that the class was too strict, and Mr. Jones was dismissed. developed into. Chemistry professors have voiced their opposition to university authorities.

At NYU, Students Were Failing Organic Chemistry. Whose Fault Was It? - The New York Times
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/10/03/us/nyu-organic-chemistry-petition.html

Mr. Jones has been teaching organic chemistry at Princeton University for decades, has been involved in writing organic chemistry textbooks, and has been described as pioneering teaching methods that focus on problem solving rather than memorization. After retiring from Princeton University in 2007, he moved to New York University. was

However, in the spring of 2022, 82 of the 350 students who were taking classes in organic chemistry submitted a petition to the university saying that Mr. Jones' class was too strict. University officials have terminated Jones' contract prior to the fall 2022 semester, allowing exceptions to review grades and retroactively cancel classes.

The decision to dismiss Jones over the student petition provoked a backlash from chemistry professors and students who supported Jones. Chemistry professor Paramjit Arora said: 'The presidents are clearly after profit and want to attract happy students who say great things about the university. will be admitted to New York University, and the university rankings will continue to rise.”

In an interview with the daily New York Times, Jones claimed that ``students were neglecting their studies during the pandemic of the new coronavirus infection (COVID-19), and their academic performance was declining rapidly.'' . In the first place, many students misread the text of the exam questions, and even though the difficulty level of the exam has been lowered, there are students who score in the single digits or even 0 points.

To cope with learning delays due to the pandemic, Mr. Jones cut off his own money of $ 5,000 (about 720,000 yen) and collaborated with other professors to record 52 organic chemistry lectures and hold online meetings. It seems that he did, but still the decline in academic ability has progressed. Kent Kirschenbaum, a professor in the same chemistry department as Mr. Jones, found a student cheating during an online test, and if he pointed out cheating and lowered his grade, the student said, ``I can't get into medical school with this grade. No,' he testified.

The university relaxed COVID-19 restrictions from the spring semester of 2022, but Mr. Jones said, 'Students were not in class,' 'They weren't watching videos, and they weren't able to answer questions.' I couldn't,' he pointed out.

Students then vented their frustrations in group chats about the class, and in May filed a petition with the university claiming that 'our grades don't accurately reflect the time and effort put into this class.' submitted. In the petition, students complained that the number of midterm exams was reduced from three to two, that average grades were not disclosed, and that credit replenishment was not provided even though some students had COVID-19. He criticized Jones for removing access to Zoom lectures without doing so, and for being 'insulting and commanding.' 'Please understand that a class with so many students dropping credits and underperforming does not prioritize the study and well-being of the students and gives a bad impression not only to the chemistry department, but to the entire university.' claim.

In response to these claims, Mr. Jones said that the number of midterm exams was reduced only in response to changes in the number of classes, and 25% of the grades are based on experiments and final exams, so it is not possible to disclose average grades. argue that it is impossible. He explained that access to Zoom lectures was not a personal decision, but a technical issue in the lecture hall.

Zacharia Benslimane, a teaching assistant in Mr. Jones' class, said in an email to The New York Times, 'This petition was written out of dissatisfaction with test scores, not out of a feeling of being unfairly treated. I think it's something.' ``We know that students who consistently complain about classes are not using the resources we provide them,'' he defended Mr. Jones.

Ryan Xue, a student who took the class, said Jones was likeable and inspiring. ``This is a big lecture, and it has a reputation for being a ``weeding class (a class with many students dropping credits)'' ``That's why some people can't get the best grades. It may have something to do with the grades that person got.'

Some students were certainly shocked by getting bad grades in Mr. Jones' class, and many students were worried about the future. But the students who filed the petition were also surprised that Jones had been fired, explaining that the petition didn't call for Jones to be fired, nor did they think it was possible. increase.

John Beckman, a spokesperson for New York University, has been watching classes with poor student performance, pointing out that organic chemistry has long been a class with many 'D' and 'F' students. 'Does it need to be punitive to be strict?' He argued that his dismissal was justified.

Noting that the case could serve as a case study for the pressures on higher education, The New York Times said, 'With many students grappling with the mental health and academic impact of the pandemic, college Should the pressure on students be eased?How should universities respond to the increase in student complaints against professors?Students are paying too much for non- tenured contract faculty. Do you have power?' I am raising the question.

Mr. Arora claims that Mr. Jones was an educator at a time when high-level education was the goal, and that he wants students to overcome tough classes. Kirschenbaum also said, ``I don't think I can be a good doctor unless I understand changes at the molecular level, and I don't want such a doctor to see patients.'' expressed concern about loosening the

Chemistry faculty also opposed the dismissal of Mr. Jones, with about 20 members of the dean of science and other deans saying, '[Mr. It sets a precedent that undermines the freedom of children and undermines proven pedagogical practice.' Tenured faculty member Nathaniel Trasas, one of the faculty who signed up, said: 'Untenured faculty saw this and said, 'Oh, what if this happened to me and my contract wasn't renewed? I think so,' he commented.

Mr. Jones was planning to retire in the near future, so he said he no longer intends to return to New York University. 'I just don't want this to happen to other people,' he said.