March 20, 2008
Professors Strike Back....sort of
John Houseman, “The Paper Chase,� 20th Century Fox/Kobal Collection
The NYTimes has an amusing article on professors who are tired of the RateMyProfessor rants of students and have decided to "strike back" so to speak. There is a new blog on mtvu.com called ProfessorsStrikeBack in which professors respond to student comments on RMP.
The more interesting part of the article, however, is the rising number of professors who have gone online to reveal more about themselves than previous generations. Is it really more than in the past or is it just a different medium?
Take Professor Kingsfield from Paper Chase (anyone under 34 likely does not remember this tv show). In the show, he's demanding and tough on the law students. However, as the show progresses, life lessons are learned through the students interactions with the professor - both in the classroom and outside.
In the old days, professors felt comfortable and were more free to mingle with students outside of the classroom. Inviting them over for dinners or having a happy hour with them on Fridays. Such activities are discouraged or frowned upon at many institutions these days (although some small, liberal arts colleges still encourage this type of faculty-student interaction). So what is a professor to do? Perhaps it is this conundrum that has led some professors to move their interactions online?
Posted by richlee at March 20, 2008 11:53 AM