Exception or Rule?

Dear Colleagues,

This is a painful performance to view — not because it is rare, but because it points out how ridiculous our academy actually is. There is no oversight, no evaluation, no criteria on which to determine whom should and whom should not be teaching, and what that subject matter should or should not be.

Until some criteria for evaluation in the classroom is implemented (and not “voluntarily"), the worst of it will be youtubed for the general embarassment of all.

Of course, on the one hand, pundits, parents, and legislators belive this is common. On the other hand, indignant faculty pretend it is very rare, or that it has been taken out of context.

But please, who is getting burned here? The students are the dupes in this learning charade.

The academy should be duly embarassed, ashamed, and should reform. Of course it won’t. This is academic fraud.

Sincerely,PhD student and Instructor

Student and Instructor, Instructor and PhD Student at Land Grant U, at 7:10 am EDT on October 4, 2006

Student, I don’t think the students are getting burned.

Most of them really like the fact that they don’t have to work hard. Perhaps when it is too late do they realize that their time was wasted. But, in many circumstances they will never tell. In other situations, students don’t bother coming to class in the first place and still get good grades, either because 1) they realize the reading is all they need to do; or 2) grade inflation is so rampant, it doesn’t matter anyway.

Quite frankly, I think the “stoned professor” scenario is rare. So is the “Drunk professor.” A few more Youtubes of such incidents, and it will probably be nonexistent.

I would not go so far as to call it “academic fraud.” There is no indication that his employers deliberately set out to harm the students. (In fact, there is no indication they behaved negligently.) There is no indication that even the professor set out to harm the students. This simply doesn’t rise to the level of “fraud” in the legal sense.

On the other hand, it seems strange that I don’t see anyone complaining that this professors “IP rights” (a term too often used by non-lawyers) were infringed by these videos? Does this concern about professors intellectual property only apply when some politically-motivated group is doing the taping?

Larry, at 8:00 am EDT on October 4, 2006

Three topics

It seems that there are two issues people will latch onto out of this incident: 1) accountability of professors, and 2) students unofficially videotaping lectures.

It’s unfortunate that it takes public embarrassment for things to change, but I am glad that this has come to light. It would be interesting if a survey group has or will find out how many students have had this kind of experience in class.

As for the fact that a lecture has been distrubuted without the professor’s permission, well, that’s a whole other topic! If they haven’t already, universities should start thinking about how to protect professors’ lectures. This would be especially important for classes such as the one mentioned here which is recorded by the university for use in distance learning. I would have no problem if my college didn’t allow videotaping of lectures but still allowed audio recordings for taking notes.

I’m glad to read that the university is taking a fairly calm approach to the situation.

P.S. Topic 3, Bob Schenck: the issue is not his style of teaching, but the fact that he was stoned or drunk and completely ran off topic and essentially did not teach the class. Even if his teaching style is always more personal than traditional lectures, in this class he fails to perform as a professor altogether.

Tolana, University Relations Staff, at 9:16 am EDT on October 4, 2006

Student Unauthorized Film

The University of Florida student should be commended for the film. Praise for whistleblowers is needed.

The upshot is that those in control can no longer cover-up incompetence. Tech methods have taken the ability to distort the event away from them.

The ACLU will be conflicted with this one, what right does a professor who is doing his job have to be free from film? Must they come defend this bozo to protect the rights of others?

The students proved they are slaves to authority — they should have walked out on him.

William Sumner Scott, J.D.wss@jefound.org

William Sumner Scott, J.D., at 9:45 am EDT on October 4, 2006

Guilty until provent innocent?

Actually it seems to me that he is following a lesson plan. Teachers are encouraged to be entertaining in order to retain mediocre students who need to be entertained rather than taught. Is it proven that this teacher was using drugs or alcohol? Am I missing something? Maybe he was up all night the night before trying to meet a deadline on his dissertation or attending to a sick family member. Maybe he has a night class the night before and the class you’re viewing is at 8am and he didn’t get enough sleep. Is there any proof that he was using drugs or alcohol?

Jerry, at 10:01 am EDT on October 4, 2006

Mr. Schenck’s point is a good one: some speakers are just not accountable, because the results of their performance won’t be known until years later.

Jerry, kgotthardt, Quite frankly, it doesn’t matter whether he actually was drunk or stoned. Even if he was just distracted, his performance was deficient (he strayed off topic and didn’t actually do anything apart from holding up books), and he wasn’t really teaching anything. (And, as a legal matter, possession, rather than “being stoned” is generally criminalized.)

Mr. Scott, First of all, before stating the position of the ACLU, and least make sure you know that their position is. (Or whether they have one.) As a lawyer and an academic, I am sure that you can appreciate the importance of doing your research on this.

Larry, at 10:35 am EDT on October 4, 2006

It’s silly to say that there’s no accountability. Of course there is. The guy’s been fired. Are you suggesting that no one ever comes to work drunk in places where people have time clocks? Unfortunately, people do, and they are disciplined, just like this guy was.Some of you seem to think that instructors stroll into classes off the street and do whatever they feel like and no one ever checks on them. Come on! Try visiting a college going through self-assessment for re-certification some time!

Jane, at 10:55 am EDT on October 4, 2006

What was he doing?

He was introducing Hammurabi, Machiavelli, and Sun Tsu as influences for modern business managment. Why didn’t the students walk out? The answer is that students walk out on teachers who are boring, not ones who are entertaining. Many students are hard to connect with, but this is what we get when colleges keep saying the customer is always right. This may be an extreme case, but what we get is more entertainment value and less education value.

Jerry, at 11:00 am EDT on October 4, 2006

More Videotaping Needed

Mental midgets and academic clowns like the pathetic fellow from U. of Florida are actually not that common, but they do exist.

To really capture the essence of intellectual sloth and numbing sophistry, someone should take undercover videotapes of college Deans and other university administrative types as they wax eloquent in their vaunted, endless meetings.

Their use of arcane terms, reliance on cliches, and dependence on stupefying illogic would have the public demanding their dismissal from their $100,000+ positions.

The fact that so many academic administrators are failed teachers, non-descript researchers, and/or third-rate hacks exerts a far more corrosive and debilitating effect on university life than the mindless antics of a few errant profs.

Chuck, at 11:30 am EDT on October 4, 2006

Frankly, none of you know exactly what Dr. Hall’s “condition” was or is, yet most of you seem ready to have him drawn and quartered. He has been a well respected member of the University of Florida’s Business school for 18 years, but apparently that doesn’t count for squat in the eyes of many. By the way, before anyone describes the man as a “mental midget” perhaps they should check out his academic resume.

Mark, at 11:55 am EDT on October 4, 2006

Facts, people...

This professor has not been fired, he has been put on leave. There is no proof that he was stoned or drunk. This video was not taken illegally, but how it got on the internet is in question.

He may have been impared, but I have known people that were just this weird. As some have pointed out, this may be his usual way of teaching. Should this be looked into — yes. Even if he wasn’t “impared” I think that most could agree that he could probably brush up his teaching skills.

kh, at 12:00 pm EDT on October 4, 2006

A lecture for 1,000 students!

I notice that in the article and all the commentary about it, no one mentions that this was a regularly scheduled class for 1,000 students. What is that all about? No wonder the students seem totally turned off and amuse themselvbes with cellphone cameras etc. No wonder the prof seems to feel that he has to go to extremes to catch their attention. The system stinks but no one seems to care and takes the 1,000 student class as normal. Better think about that instead of worrying about whether he was actually drunk or stoned or whatever.

Murray Sperber, Professor Emeritus at Indiana University, at 12:55 pm EDT on October 4, 2006

Goofy Professors

It is pretty sad the way people are judging this professor just based on the video clip. I asked the question of whether or not he was really stoned because most campuses can take punitive action if an employee (any employee) comes to work while under the influence. While I can understand the professor being questioned or even asked to take a short, paid break, it would be entirely unfair to dismiss him based on evidence of unconventional and goofy behavior. This professor, after all, won an academic award prior to this filming. And he makes some interesting connections to the management topics. Who knows why he was laughing. Maybe he was just having a GOOFY day! Is that illegal in academia???

kgotthardt, at 1:00 pm EDT on October 4, 2006

why politics has nothing to do with it

Stan, I am curious as to how you can bring politics into this, and why you substitute the words “I feel confident” for an argument. Perhaps you can flesh out your argument in more detail, as I am anxious to see a cause-an-effect relationship articulated.

As a practical matter, I doubt too many people really want to hold professors accountable, because if professors were forced to justify a students’ nonperformance, the student might have to explain how he goofed off, and professors could rightly blame most students for drinking and/or watching TV or sports (two activities that have no place in academe, as far as I am concerned.). Instead, students that are kept happy, and given the “opportunity” to learn seems to be the point of equilibria.

Indeed, as Jerry points out, this guy is well educated, but the only way that he can keep his students (who might vote Republican) happy is to make things zippy and entertaining. After all, this was an undergrad Business course. Those are considered fluff.

Finally, since all people in elected or appointed positions (Republicans or Democrats) have at least some ties to academe (as it is unacceptable to not obtain an education), it is doubtful that anyone wants to risk seriously changing the way we view college – as an opportunity.

kgotthardt, Not all colleges have explicit rules preventing people from coming to work “under the influence” of any drug. Indeed, many do not.

Larry, at 1:25 pm EDT on October 4, 2006

As someone who has taken this course and all of the undergraduate core business courses at the University of Florida, I know that humor and drama is often used to maintain the attention of the video lecture viewers. Professors Emerson, Rush, and Denslow are known for this. It’s not really that unusual at UF, where the business professors often play comedian to a slight degree while teaching otherwise-boring material. He has been named Instructor of the Year in the past, as have the other instructors I mentioned (Rush, Denslow, and Emerson.) Some days/lectures tend to be ‘lighter’ than others, and this was obviously a day when he didn’t have to cover the material at too rapidly a pace.

I can see that he is following a lesson plan, which is linking the practices of the past to those of the present. Part 2 of the lecture covers Taylor, the Gilbreths, standards of performance, etc. There is no way anyone can watch it and say that he is rambling and not teaching anything. Most everything he mentions has some point.

The new President of UF is very concerned with sobriety, and I suspect this might not have received as much attention under John Lombardi, Young, Criser, or most of the other former Presidents. I don’t know for sure whether he is really intoxicated or maybe just stayed up all night working on his next book or something. To me, given his overall performance record and the fact that he still managed to teach the material for that lecture, it seems like much ado about nothing. You have to look at it in the context of many of the business professors using theatrics and humor to get their points across. They are some of the most highly paid professors at UF, by the way.

Larry G., at 3:30 pm EDT on October 4, 2006

Whoa, Dude!

The article and the comments on the professor didn’t ring right with me so I viewed the clip of his teaching. What I saw was a man who was citing interesting and relevant classic works (The Art of War; The Prince), and employing an informal, light-hearted, but engaging manner of speaking to students. I saw no evidence of drug use or alcohol consumption.

There are numerous professors around the country famous for dressing in costumes, acting out characters, using slang, humor and, sometimes, off-the-wall gestures to keep students engaged and learning. I had and was grateful for some of them. I am one of them myself; this professor appears to be another.

Teaching is a performance art, and when one forgets that, one loses one’s audience—especially one of over 1000! The sole relevant measure is: are the students learning the course material. If they are, then it shouldn’t matter if a teacher does hand-stands to get the information, concepts and ideas across. In fact, if the teacher has the proper balance, hand-stands may be just the thing. It is disappointing to see the judgmental comments of so many stuffed-shirts on an award-winning instructor and is is disgraceful that his timorous university would suspend his teaching of his classes. I see Puritanism and persecution still thrive in the land of the once-free and the home of the once-brave.

M. D. Mazzarella, at 4:15 pm EDT on October 4, 2006

Whatever issue Dr. Hall may have been dealing with during that lecture (and although I do think there was an “issue,” I’m not at all sure it was related to any kind of illegal activity or even lack of judgment) is at this point up to the university to handle. I am more concerned that the video made it on to the unregulated Internet. The fact that it was taped in the first place had nothing to do with one of the 1000 students using a cell-phone camera, Professor Sperber; it had to do with the fact that someone effectively pirated the property of the University of Florida for an unsanctioned purpose, however amusing it may have been. Given, though, that this discussion has already devolved in a number of instances to near-personal attacks based on assumptions, I would like to offer a few comments from the perspective of a school — not university — teacher: 1) he obviously planned SOMETHING, and remembered what it was, unless he carries copies of The Prince and The Art of War around in his back pocket for fun; 2) thinking that you’re boring young people to death gets old, and there are times when you’ll be as goofy as you have to be in order to catch their interest; and 3)if he DOES always have those books with him just for GP, he’s a useful role model in at least one way regardless of what was going on that morning...

Regine, Florida grad, NYU doc student, at 10:10 pm EDT on October 4, 2006

I completely agree with RWH, especially the points given about students. Some studies reveal that most U.S. college graduates lack reading, writing, and math skills. For example, the average graduate cannot calculate the amount of supplies needed given inventory levels and depletion rate. It is very likely that this professor, together with many other teachers, are coping with decreasing quality of knowledge among students.

An ideal, long term solution might involve the following:

1. Remove business and vocational training from universities, together with sports and extracurricular activities. Any form of entertainment that students want to engage in they should do outside their work.

2. Let industries or associations run their own business schools and training centers. That way, there will be no college students who will skip class, complain to administrators or parents, etc. Instead, businesses will take from their pool of employees potential managers and put their in management training programs. These programs will take place in these business schools.

Since businesses are partnered with the schools, then these future employers can impose dress codes (e.g., business attire), schedules (classes after full-time work), and practicum (e.g., the “student’s” performance will be gauged by his ability to apply what he learned from the program to his work). Trainees who do not comply will be demoted and will be required to return to the work force pool.

Companies will hire “teachers” based on their expertise and what they can bring to the enterprise.

There may be several advantages to this ideal solution:

Employees who lack various competencies or are not interested in studying will not be chosen for management training programs. Those who are and who accept will be answerable to their companies. In return, they pay no tuition (in exchange for a service requirement).

Employers receive more assurance about the quality, selection, and training of their managers.

Professors can see the direct benefits of their expertise as they train employees of their clients and receive compensation in turn.

There will be no need for fund-raising activities and sports events because schools will become R&D and training centers of professional organizations.

Finally, those who are more interested in extracurricular activities, etc., can find other work or schools. For example, those who love to drink and party can work as bartenders and club employees. Those who want to play sports can go to sports programs. Those who want to act can join theater groups, etc.

Ralfy, at 12:46 pm EDT on October 9, 2006

Standing in front of uni students myself, I feel sympathy for what he is doing. It might be overdone on that specific day, but he has — so it seems — gone through a school similar to mine:

Students these days are not so much into knowledge, but entertainment and fun. Sorry to say, but that’s true. When I get my evaluation results, the more I entertain, the better the results. The more I teach, the lower the results. Students these days watch TV, Internet, you name it. Their interest in average is zero. They perceive the courses as ‘necessary to graduate’.

I despise the hypocrazy of those in here who pretend that their lectures or institutions would never ever see similar performances. What a boring courses and self-rightenous approach they offer !

NotSoMuch, at 11:05 am EDT on October 15, 2006

I’ve seen the complete video and the professor is neither drunk nor stoned. He’s pretty eccentric, but that’s about it.

His lecture is framing management in the context of history and he’s providing examples of how management was historically viewed, hence Sun Tzu and Machiavelli.

His lecture presents a cohesive argument. He does laugh at times, but if someone said the French invaded England about the time of Napoleon (about 1000 years off...) I’d probably laugh my ass off at them too.

It’s sad this guy was put on leave because of this. He seems like a very insightful professor that most students rarely get a chance to learn from. Most of the “stoned” and “drunk” image is just crap. It’s 2 or 3 minutes of video culled from over an hour of original source video from the lecture.

Bret, at 5:35 am EDT on October 20, 2006

Professor PS

PS — Thank goodness somebody still wants to educate our youth after this! Between YouTube and RMP I was wondering who would be crazy enough to enter this profession for a mere $80,000 a year! Movie stars get paid millions before they have their mug and reputation dissected by the public!

Rosie, at 4:55 pm EST on November 4, 2006