What is the state of higher education in our nation?
Recent news coming from our nation’s universities can be described as anything – but pretty.
What happens when those within the system attempt to stand up against a flood of negative student, staff, or institutional behavior?
Recently, a professor at Texas A&M Galveston wrote an e-mail to his strategic management students that they were a disgrace, that they lacked maturity — and that he would fail the entire class. Irwin Horwitz, a pro
fessor in the university’s department of maritime administration, decided that he had to act.
“Enough was enough,” Horwitz said. “It became apparent that they couldn’t do just some of the most simple and basic things that they should’ve been able to do at that point.”
Here is the full article.
The professor stepped down from teaching the class, and the class will now be taught by the head of the department. The institution gave a public statement saying that the students will not be failed as a class, but will be judged according to their own individual work.
This story should raise questions about the roles and rights of students and professors. Academic institutions are not controlled by the pursuit of knowledge. They are governed by the flow of money which unfortunately tips power in favor of the consumer (who are the current and potential future students).
