A professor's policy on students' taking cell phone calls in class

[bluestateguy]

I'm assuming this guy has tenure.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hut3VRL5XRE&eurl=

[pinniped]

1. He should have just made the dude leave the class.

That dude should be getting the bill for a replacement right about now.

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

2. He looks too young to have tenure.

What a dick. He should have just said to leave the room or turn off the phone.

[Maddy McCall]

22. Not really...

I know tenured profs in their 30s and 40s. He easily fits in that range.

I'd guess that his syallabus probably states "Turn off you cell phone before entering the classroom." Most do these days.

I'd also guess that he, like me, is extremely frustrated from students refusing to turn off their cell phones...and even more aggitated that this guy was so rude as to actually take the call during class.

I bet no other student will be so stupid as to leave the phone on in class.

:D

[fishwax]

32. I just can't imagine a student answering the phone in class

I've had student's phones ring, and they look appropriately embarassed and rush to turn it off. It doesn't bother me, really, as it doesn't happen terribly frequency, and it's easy enough to forget. But to actually answer the phone? Yeesh.

[Maddy McCall]

33. Same here.

Last summer, I had one student get up to leave the room with the phone when it rang. I stopped lecture and told her, "If it's important enough for you to interrupt class, take your backpack, too, and don't come back."

[fishwax]

36. come to think of it, as an undergrad I actually had a PROF answer his

cell phone in class. This was about two years ago (I'm a GA now). We were in the middle of a class discussion (it was an English class) when his phone rang. He looked embarrassed and confused, actually, but said he thought he should take it. It was one of his young kids, and he patiently explained he was in class and couldn't talk now. Now, if it hadn't been his kid, I'd've probably been irritated, but since it was his child we all just thought it was a cute moment :)

I think your reaction was right on. Out of curiosity, did you count her absent (if you have an attendance policy, I mean)?

[Jamastiene]

48. There are some students who not only answer

their cell phones, but ignore the teacher when they stop lecturing to ask them to follow the rules. It annoys me tremendously. Most cell phones do have voice mail, don't they? It's not like they would comletely miss a call.

I turn my cell phone off once my first class starts and turn it back on when I leave for lunch or to go home. My cell phone has never went off in class either. It looks like others would do that too. It would save the battery if nothing else.

[Oeditpus Rex]

3. I love it!

Asspipe kid won't do that again. :thumbsup:

[sendero]

4. I agree..

... assholes who think their piddly cell calls are so important they should be able to disrupt a classroom should just drop out. They aren't going to learn jack shit anyway - they are wasting daddy's money.

[WCGreen]

6. Dude, how am I gonna get my pot if I don't take this call....

[Deja Q]

5. A bit extreme, BUT

to pick up the phone and jabber in school?! That defeats the purpose of something, and I don't mean "ensuring the cell phone battery will have enough power throughout the remainder of the day".

And to think portable cassette decks were all the range in my era (late-80s) and teachers did nothing to students who preferred to listen to rubbish music instead of learning. I almost want to praise the teacher for using the cell phone like he would a baseball.

[bluestateguy]

7. kick

:kick:

[Rabrrrrrr]

8. The professor is totally in the right. Sadly, the law sees it different,

and more than likely so will the Dean of the college after the student protests.

Personally, I think professors should be allowed to tazer anyone taking a cell call, listening to their iPods, or otherwise being rude to the person who is lecturing/teaching/speaking.

[RedCappedBandit]

46. Thats smart..

Tazers are potentially lethal. Lets kill people for being rude.

[Rabrrrrrr]

50. Oh, spare me the bullshit crying lecture

:nopity:

[RedCappedBandit]

52. Then don't make idiotic remarks

:)

[Rabrrrrrr]

53. Or perhaps you could try not being an ass.

That's often the first step in not looking like a fucking moron and building up a huge storehouse of negative karma that will haunt you to the end of your days. The second step is learning what the hell you're talking about before saying something.

Welcome to DU and all that -- :hi: -- but you might want to spend some time "larnin' yo'self".

[RedCappedBandit]

55. Thanks..

i've been lurking for a little over a year or two, but thanks. I'm not really worried about karma.. I just don't take kindly to violence :)

[Orangepeel]

9. does his syllabus say he'll smash cell phones answered in class?

:D

[MrCoffee]

10. standing ovation for the prof!

[izzybeans]

11. Wow I would just talk to the person on the other line

and ask them not to disrupt my class.

[evirus]

12. what ever happened to respect for the teacher?

when i was young, i was tought to always respect the teacher. and frankly if you in his class, what he says goes, don't expect to be able to have you cell phone ring that loud, and be able to get away to talk on it while the teacher is trying to give a lecture.

frankly thats pretty funny

[Debi]

13. Isn't it odd that THAT class got video taped....

and that nobody commented or giggled or gasped or anything when the prof destroyed the guys phone?

I'm :applause: for the prof., but I question the :boring: filming/watching the incident.

[evirus]

14. ive seen some fellow students record the lectures...

in my college mind you those where only audio recording devises to each his own, and it didn't seem like the professor had a problem with it.

[Debi]

15. it's just weird that nobody reacted - even the guy who just had his phone

destroyed - not even an audible gasp or nervous giggle (yeah, the student was being way rude - but his phone just got smashed and not even a 'damn' or 'jeez' out of him). :shrug: Maybe I just don't 'get' college.

[smoogatz]

20. I thought the same thing.

I'll bet it was a gag.

[Ellen Forradalom]

16. My dad would've done that.

Oh hell yeah. Thank God he retired long before cell phones reached the masses.

[BelleCarolinaPeridot]

17. Ok i would put the CP Smackdown on him.

What if the student just forget to put the phone on vibrate or silent mode. I forget to do at work sometimes and my phone rings - I just put it on vibrate but I don't answer. I would not have given him my phone.

[qnr]

18. Yeah, but the phone didn't just ring, from the video, it appears that he

was talking to the person on the "line" for quite a while.

[Maddy McCall]

23. In that case, the student should have...

taken the phone out of his pocket/bookbag and silenced it. He should NOT have answered it.

[BelleCarolinaPeridot]

29. Exactly.

[smoogatz]

19. I just ask to talk to whoever's calling.

I tell them Samantha or Jordan can't talk right now because they're in the middle of creative writing class, and their professor's getting kind of annoyed. I started doing this after a student of mine at a fancy private college down south took a call from her BMW mechanic in the middle of workshop.

[FILAM23]

21. Good for the prof

and if a no cell phone rule was in force then the student should
automatically fail the course.

[merh]

24. I have had to post a sign at the office and in our conference room

that asks that cell phones be turned off and if a conversation must be had, to please do it outside.

I consider most folks use of cell phones to be rude these days.

[tjwmason]

25. What a terrible under-reaction

He should have had the student flogged in front of the others.

Yes we all sometimes forget to turn out 'phones off, so by the balance of probabilities we're going to get a call at an inopportune moment...but those with half a modicum of respect wouldn't take the call.

However, as has already been said...I'm not entirely sure it wasn't staged, some folk will do odd things to gain "fame".

[trof]

26. Now...if he could just reach into people's cars...

:evilgrin:

[Arugula Latte]

27. Heh heh. I like that professor.

:thumbsup:

And then the way he just keeps on teaching ... :rofl:

[Scooter24]

28. inexcusable...

When I was in school, I always put my cell phone on vibrate. Whenever I got a call that I thought was important, I would excuse myself. Most of my prof's never had a problem with us excusing ourselves to take a phone call. They weren't going to suspend the lesson for anyone. Today, almost every student here has a laptop with WiFi access, so we just surf the net and pass IM's.

The majority of students at my school are of the "elite" wealthy set. Parents, students, and alumni have a lot of power here, it's scary. If a prof here was to ever do what this guy did, he'd probably face some sort of discipline hearing not to mention the school picking up the tab for a replacement and probably pay more just to prevent the parents from making a scene.

The prof should have asked the student to hang up the phone or leave. Purposely damaging others property is inexcusable. If that was my phone, I'd have an attorney forward a bill to the school just for the sheer joy of it.

[LSdemocrat]

30. Exactly. Rudeness does not justify destruction of property.

[u4ic]

31. Agreed

I detest cell phones as much as the next person - but that was a complete over reaction. :hi:

[philosophie_en_rose]

35. Agreed. The Professor had other options.

Lower grades
Ask students to leave
Answer the cell phone and take a message :)


A position of authority never entitles a person to behave like a child. (See GWB). And, though the professor should have some discretion in handling disruptions, destroying property is an abuse of authority.

[nini]

39. Students take calls during class????

I'm sorry but if a student cannot turn off the phone for the duration of the class then they better be a heart surgeon on call for a transplant!

What is so important that students cannot retrieve a message after class and return the call?

[MissMillie]

34. One of my son's professors told him that if the phone even RINGS

that he'll deduct 3 points off their final grade.

I'd make it 10.

[ComerPerro]

37. Typical. A lot of people think the professor is the asshole

that's today's society.

The STUDENT who answered the phone is the asshole, not the prof

[Coventina]

38. This college instructor thanks you.

If some of these people knew what it was like to spend the time and effort preparing these lectures, and how distracting it is to have a cell phone ring while delivering your carefully prepared lecture.......

And then the offender has the gall to answer?!?!?

Anyone who does that should NOT be in college.

[nini]

40. Thank You

I'm so sick of the damned dependence people have on their cell phones.

Turn the damned thing off when you're in a spot where you should not be taking calls and return calls later. If you absolutely need to be by the phone then don't go into a situation where taking that call is disruptive to others. It's quite simple.


How the hell did we ever survive before cell phones and email?????????????????????????

[Deja Q]

43. Agreed.

[JVS]

44. You speak the truth

[RedCappedBandit]

47. They're both assholes.

Student shouldn't have taken a call in class, prof does not have the right to destroy said student's property.

[MiniMandaRuth]

41. I have a much fbetter solution.

And it's one I learned from our band teacher this year.

A kids cellphone rang. She answered it. He took it from her hands and closed it and gave it back to her and the end of the day.

Much better. And he didn't have to pay for the phone.

[ganeshji]

42. Good for him

I have a professor that will involve himself in your call if you get up to answer it. He knows about everyone's personal business, but people are less willing to take a call during class. Actually it has turned out to be a pretty effective policy as no one really wants to tell their prof. about their baby's daddy and so on.

[RFKHumphreyObama]

45. While I don't necessarily condone the destruction of other's property

I am VERY sympathetic to the professor and would be VERY tempted to do the same in those circumstances. Even as a university student it used to annoy me when fellow students answered their phones during the middle of lectures -one student actually insisted on having a loud conversation laughing and joking with the person on the other line while the professor was in the middle of his lecture. The professor, a middle aged and soft spoken Scottish gentleman, was too nice to do anything and he just stopped the lecture and waited till she'd finished. It was actually some of the students who expressed hostility toward her actions and she gave herself a bad name in the class

My American History lecturer wasn't so understanding. Someone's mobile phone went off in the class and they started talking and he fixed them with an icy stare that could have frozen the sun -I have never seen so much anger and hostility in one look. The student took notice, got frightened, ended the call and apologized. No one ever tried that in his class again

[Xipe Totec]

49. Well, my professor's policy is...

The whole class gets their grade lowered by 1%, and the owner of the ringing phone gets grade lowered by 2%.

We call it the dead ringer clause because, if your phone rings, your classmates will beat the crap out of you after class....

[BlackVelvetElvis]

51. I once saw a student walk into class late...

during a lecture while talking on her phone (a class of 15 students too!)
Not only disrespectful of the professor but to the class.
The professor stopped the lecture and told her to leave.

[last_texas_dem]

54. That was awesome

Extreme, I guess, but funny all the same. I'm surprised at how many people seem to have such a problem with what the professor did. To me, there's a major difference between a student's phone accidentally ringing in class and the student quickly turning it off, and a student actually picking up the phone and carrying on a conversation. I have no sympathy for the student, although I'm sure he will whine to his parents and they will immediately respond to the needs of their poor baby and have the professor foot the bill for the phone. I had some professors who said at the beginning of the year that if a student's phone rang in class, the student had to let them (the prof) talk to the person on the other end, which led to some pretty funny conversations taking place. That's probably a less costly way to handle students' ringing cell phones in class, but I think this prof's method may make the point more effectively!