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[j_source]

i just read this in a New Zealand newspaper.  The student is from the United Arab Emerites, if that makes a difference.  Should he have lost his job?


Subject: RE: Extension
Date: Wed, 30 May 2007 19:24:20
From: Paul Buchanan
To: Student

Dear xxxx:
I say this reluctantly but not so subtly: you are not suitable for a graduate degree. It does not matter if your father died or if you have a medical certificate. I have been too nice and given you too high marks all along (at C+). I do not anticipate that you will do better in the final exercise. You are already a day late. The extension is meaningless because you have not attended the last few classes and are the worse performer in the class.
Of course by a far stretch, You will have the obiturary of your father, but even if available and the student health people might have believed you, I do not.

You are close to failing in any event, so these sort of excuses-culturally driven and preying on some sort of Western liberal guilt-are simply lame.Prove that your father died and your were distraught and unable to complete assignments-in spite of your abysmal record to date as an underperforming and underquallifed student- and perhaps you might qualify for an extension to get a C-.

But as it stands, you will flunk since your are already a day+ late, and you trrack record is poor.
By the way-are you a Hoadley student? That would explain a lot of things.
In a word: NO-I do not accept your extensuon request.

PGB
Paul G Buchanan
Director, New Zealand Centre for Latin American Studies (NZCLAS)

[vagarh]

Well, it's certainly poorly written enough to lead one to question his proficiency as a lecturer.

[jonesey]

Well, the bit about having the student "prove" that his father actually died, and that he was distraught over the death, is a bit much.

What I wonder is why a student from the UAE was studying Latin American Studies?

[acrimone]

I wouldn't fire the guy, but I'd mercilessly mock him for months for his inability to spell or proofread.

[tenured_feminist]

I'd assign this letter to every future class to explain why the mean perfesser grades us on our writting even though its not a writting class. Becuase bad writting can be embarassing for the author and make you look like your not very smart.

[divorcecourt]

Well, the bit about having the student "prove" that his father actually died, and that he was distraught over the death, is a bit much.

What I wonder is why a student from the UAE was studying Latin American Studies?

I don't know. Why would an American study (___________fill in any area of study other than American History).

[_touchedbyanoodle_]

It sure sounds like the professor was having a meltdown. I suspect this was a final straw upon other unprofessional acts that sealed his fate.

As a first offense, I'd think firing is a bit much.

[divorcecourt]

K16, you didn't tell us you got fired!!!


Honestly though, firing is a bit much. I would question the prof though--is there something else going on? The email looks to be quickly and thoughtlessly written.

i just read this in a New Zealand newspaper.  The student is from the United Arab Emerites, if that makes a difference.  Should he have lost his job?


Subject: RE: Extension
Date: Wed, 30 May 2007 19:24:20
From: Paul Buchanan
To: Student

Dear xxxx:
I say this reluctantly but not so subtly: you are not suitable for a graduate degree. It does not matter if your father died or if you have a medical certificate. I have been too nice and given you too high marks all along (at C+). I do not anticipate that you will do better in the final exercise. You are already a day late. The extension is meaningless because you have not attended the last few classes and are the worse performer in the class.
Of course by a far stretch, You will have the obiturary of your father, but even if available and the student health people might have believed you, I do not.

You are close to failing in any event, so these sort of excuses-culturally driven and preying on some sort of Western liberal guilt-are simply lame.Prove that your father died and your were distraught and unable to complete assignments-in spite of your abysmal record to date as an underperforming and underquallifed student- and perhaps you might qualify for an extension to get a C-.

But as it stands, you will flunk since your are already a day+ late, and you trrack record is poor.
By the way-are you a Hoadley student? That would explain a lot of things.
In a word: NO-I do not accept your extensuon request.

PGB
Paul G Buchanan
Director, New Zealand Centre for Latin American Studies (NZCLAS)

[crazybatlady]

I'd assign this letter to every future class to explain why the mean perfesser grades us on our writting even though its not a writting class. Becuase bad writting can be embarassing for the author and make you look like your not very smart.

LOL! Nice one, TF.

What was the reasoning for his losing the job?

And I wonder--many of us in the humanities talk about the huge number of graduate students who then cannot get jobs and about ways to reduce the number of PhDs in our fields; what's wrong with someone saying, "No, sorry, you don't have the intellectual capacity to accomplish this goal"?

cbl

[mirandaf]

Wow. I don't know what the policies re: staff & faculty retention are at NZCLAS, but perhaps there were other things that Dr. Buchanan had done previously, and this was just the final straw. [Perhaps he was a wanna-be hotshot, sizzling-looking 32-year old professor who wanted to date his students? ;) ] For what it's worth, at my prospective U, some professors make students provide obituary notices re: any missed assignments, tests, etc., caused by alleged funeral attendance. One prof actually writes this into his syllabus so the students know ahead of time. Otherwise, apparently, it's an oft-used excuse.

The tone of the e-mail is rather mean. Not that I haven't drafted flaming e-mails, but I try to remember to save them in draft form for 24 hours; and then come back to them when I'm no longer furious. Had Dr. Buchanan done that, then perhaps he could have also remembered to use the spell-check function first.

MirandaF, who will preview/proofread this post before posting it, to check for misspellings and flaming language

[yemaya]

The letter, however, was unprofessional in tone and poorly written, but on its own, I'm not sure that this is an offense worthy of termination.  Instructors do need to be able to be honest with failing students.  I have had to have the "are you sure you're really cut out for this major?" talk with at least one undergrad.  There are ways to address problems like this in a more human manner than Dr. Buchanan chose to deal with his student. 

[jonesey]

I don't know. Why would an American study (___________fill in any area of study other than American History).

I get that..it just seemed, out of the ordinary, for a student from the UAE (and, presumably, as a foreign student he will be returning to the UAE upon graduation) to study Latin American History. 

I just don't see a big job market for LAH in the UAE, that's all.  Nothing against anyone's right to study what they want.

[larryc]

You can say no to a student, or even tell him he is not suitable for graduate study, without being a vindictive (and illiterate) ass about it.

[jwocky]

I don't know. Why would an American study (___________fill in any area of study other than American History).

I get that..it just seemed, out of the ordinary, for a student from the UAE (and, presumably, as a foreign student he will be returning to the UAE upon graduation) to study Latin American History. 

I just don't see a big job market for LAH in the UAE, that's all.  Nothing against anyone's right to study what they want.

Please reexamine the "I get that" because "presumably, as a foreign student he will be returning to the UAE upon graduation" indicates otherwise.

[crazybatlady]

You can say no to a student, or even tell him he is not suitable for graduate study, without being a vindictive (and illiterate) ass about it.

No disagreement here!

cbl