Jun Xiao became so frustrated with his organic chemistry professor at St. Louis Community College at Meramec that he dropped the class — and sent e-mails inviting his classmates to do the same.
He never mentioned his current professor's name or directly criticized her in the e-mails, though several websites such as www.ratemyprofessors.com allow college students around the nation to comment on their professors by name.
So he was surprised when he received a letter from the college a couple of days later that said he had been placed on disciplinary probation for the 2007-08 academic year for violating the student handbook, including sections about hazing, obstruction or disruption of teaching, and disorderly conduct and defamation.
Now a national advocacy group that defends the legal, religious or free-speech rights of students is rallying behind Xiao's cause. The Foundation for Individual Rights in Education has written Paul Pai, president of the Meramec campus, saying that the college's actions ignore the constitutional guarantees of free speech and due process. The group has asked that the college rescind the probation and remove all mention of it from Xiao's record.
Pat Crowe, a college spokeswoman, said that there is another side to the story but that student privacy laws prevented her from commenting now. She said the school expects to review the case at a hearing next month.
What dastardly crime had Xiao committed?
Xiao, who has a doctorate from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, has done post-doctoral research in neuroscience at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Columbia University and Washington University.
He enrolled at the Meramec campus this fall to take pre-medical courses so he can apply to medical school.
He said he received A's in the four other science classes he took this semester. But he said he dropped his organic chemistry class because he did not like the professor, who could not be reached for comment.
Like him, that professor is a non-native English speaker and was sometimes difficult to understand in class, he said. He approached her a number of times to clarify the material, including during her office hours, but he said she was impatient.
On Oct. 10, he sent an e-mail to his classmates saying that he was dropping the class and hoped to get an "A" in the same class in the spring.
"P.S." he wrote, "Is there someone who wants to retake the class with me?"
In the second e-mail, sent Oct. 21, he told his classmates about other professors with good reputations who also teach organic chemistry.
He also pointed out that St. Charles Community College offers the same class for about the same price. He added that a friend of his said the professor there is nice, patient, a native English speaker, and has a good reputation. He noted the school's scholarship opportunities and suggested carpooling.
That constitutes "hazing, obstruction or disruption of teaching, and disorderly conduct and defamation"???? Ohmigod! A student has an opinion! Someone has very dangerously taught this fellow to think for himself. The horror.
The good folks at FIRE got on the case the other day. Today it is the ACLU coming in with guns ablazin' via this letter:
Dr. Xiao continues to be punished merely for speaking without any reasonable notice or opportunity to be heard. The harm to him is exacerbated as this matter drags on without final resolution. We reiterate the concerns expressed to you by FIRE regarding the serious civil liberties implications from your actions. We hope that you will give this matter the serious and immediate attention it deserves. On behalf of Dr. Xiao, we demand that you take immediate action to rescind the probation imposed upon him and expunge the disciplinary action from his records.
While it is our desire to resolve this matter in an amicable manner, we are willing to consider alternatives if you do not take immediate action to insure that Dr. Xiao’s constitutional rights are safeguarded and vindicated.
Finally. An ACLU threat I can get behind.
I just wish this wasn't such a "man bites dog" story.
No comments:
Post a Comment