The Chronicle of Higher Education: Colloquy

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I have encountered all the problems mentioned in the article by the professors interviewed. I even witnessed a student threaten one of my colleagues with physical violence, for which this student was arrested. Only in such cases have the departments acted.

Usually, for general classroom disruptions, no disciplinary action is allowed, as I have tried. Late-arriving, inattentive, chatty, and disruptive students unfortunately will not go away, regardless of what extra training we may seek out to deal with such problems.

Given the fact that all power to discipline has been removed from the classroom professor, I have found that the best way to deal with such problems is to let them defuse themselves, and then give such students a failing grade, which they can always appeal. If they cannot figure out why they failed, then they do not belong in college.

-- Scott Glotzer, Adjunct Assistant Professor, William Paterson University, CUNY: Lehman College (posted 3/24, 11:24 a.m., E.S.T.)
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