Democratic Underground Latest Greatest Lobby Journals Search Options Help Login
Google

Davis Professor Polled Students For Pregnant Woman's Grade (update)

Printer-friendly format Printer-friendly format
Printer-friendly format Email this thread to a friend
Printer-friendly format Bookmark this thread
This topic is archived.
Home » Discuss » General Discussion Donate to DU
 
The Straight Story Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat Jan-15-11 10:15 AM
Original message
Davis Professor Polled Students For Pregnant Woman's Grade (update)
Edited on Sat Jan-15-11 10:15 AM by The Straight Story
UC Davis officials probe professor, grading email


DAVIS, CA - A UC-Davis veterinary professor is under investigation in connection with an email about grading students.

Dr. Edward Feldman, who chairs the Medicine and Epidemiology Department at the School of Veterinary Medicine, is accused of telling student leaders to email members of the third-year class about a female student who was pregnant.

A student claimed the correspondence said, "One of our classmates recently gave birth and will be out of class for an unknown period of time. This means she will undoubtedly miss one, or more, or all quizzes in VMD 444. Dr. Feldman is not sure how to handle this and has requested the class give input and vote. He has provided us with six options on which to vote and is open to any other ideas you may have."

The query prompted questions for Linda Jordan, who was taking her dog to the small animal clinic for treatment.

"Why would he have to ask the entire class?" Jordan said. "Why would a student's grade be at the whim of other students?"

http://www.news10.net/news/story.aspx?storyid=117660&catid=2

Here is the letter:

Dear Colleagues,

One of our classmates recently gave birth and will be out of class for an unknown period of time...Below are listed the options that Dr. Feldman has suggested. Please reserve comment on these options and provide us your opinion on them by voting when the time comes. Thank you for your understanding in this matter.

a) automatic A final grade
b) automatic B final grade
c) automatic C final grade
d) graded the same as everyone else: best 6 quiz scores out of a possible 7 quiz scores (each quiz only given only once in class with no repeats)
e) just take a % of quiz scores (for example: your classmate takes 4 quizzes, averages 9/10 points = 90% = A)
f) give that student a single final exam at the end of the quarter (however this option is only available to this one student, all others are graded on the best 6 quiz scores and the % that results)

Please let us know if you have other thoughts on how to handle this situation and please keep your eye out for the upcoming vote.

Thank you for your time and consideration,

Your Presidents
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
NV Whino Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat Jan-15-11 10:29 AM
Response to Original message
1. If he can't figure out a solution to this on his own
he shouldn't be teaching. And, just for the record, I don't think any of those options are viable. He should give two make-up exams. And she should have arranged this in advance.
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
blondeatlast Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat Jan-15-11 11:14 AM
Response to Original message
2. Fire his sorry, incompetent ass. nt
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
MH1 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat Jan-15-11 11:39 AM
Response to Original message
3. I don't see where it says he mentioned her name
so it could have been a hypothetical question.

If it was a class in education or ethics or philosophy or something I can even see where it might be ok, if it was couched as a hypothetical, even if a real event had made him think of it.

But in this guy's role I really wonder why he thought this would be a good idea. Maybe he was concerned that if she was allowed to pass the class, then other students would feel he'd treated the situation unfairly?
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
cynatnite Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat Jan-15-11 12:01 PM
Response to Reply #3
5. You don't think the pregnant girl was obvious enough? n/t
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
petronius Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat Jan-15-11 01:05 PM
Response to Reply #3
9. Fairness is always a concern - when accommodating one student's needs
or requests you always have to ask whether it's giving an advantage that other students don't have. But this one just isn't that difficult...
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
Tsiyu Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat Jan-15-11 11:59 AM
Response to Original message
4. Invasion of her privacy


Asshole behavior on the part of Edward Feldman, whom i will not dignify with any title. Asses don't get titles.

I think we should poll all pregnant women in CA and ask them if Feldman should be pink-slipped....


Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
aikoaiko Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat Jan-15-11 12:05 PM
Response to Original message
6. That was a stupid way to handle his problem.

Do they not give incompletes at UC-Davis
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
Blecht Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat Jan-15-11 12:08 PM
Response to Original message
7. The guy is an idiot
Edited on Sat Jan-15-11 12:10 PM by Blecht
He should not be teaching.

It's not that hard -- there's a thing called a syllabus. He should have all the rules clearly laid out in the syllabus for situations like this. Women having babies is not unusual.

One of the worst things an instructor can do is to change or make the rules as the term goes along. Of course there are special circumstances where it might be necessary, but a woman having a baby is not one of them.

Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
LisaL Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat Jan-15-11 12:13 PM
Response to Reply #7
8. One would think this all should have defined before hand.
Not just for a pregnant student, but for students that have to miss these quizzes for whatever reason.
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
DU AdBot (1000+ posts) Click to send private message to this author Click to view 
this author's profile Click to add 
this author to your buddy list Click to add 
this author to your Ignore list Fri Dec 13th 2024, 02:07 PM
Response to Original message
Advertisements [?]
 Top

Home » Discuss » General Discussion Donate to DU

Powered by DCForum+ Version 1.1 Copyright 1997-2002 DCScripts.com
Software has been extensively modified by the DU administrators


Important Notices: By participating on this discussion board, visitors agree to abide by the rules outlined on our Rules page. Messages posted on the Democratic Underground Discussion Forums are the opinions of the individuals who post them, and do not necessarily represent the opinions of Democratic Underground, LLC.

Home  |  Discussion Forums  |  Journals |  Store  |  Donate

About DU  |  Contact Us  |  Privacy Policy

Got a message for Democratic Underground? Click here to send us a message.

© 2001 - 2011 Democratic Underground, LLC