Out of the Mouths of Babes

On the wall of our department's reading room (faculty lounge) is the photocopy of a professor's letter written to an advice columnist. In short, course evaluations left the professor questioning her career path; the columnist reassures her by saying that "to allow students to say what they like anonymously about their teachers strikes me as democracy gone mad."

The columnist has a point about professors being the ones responsible for passing judgment, and that the distressed professor should be less concerned about being liked and more concerned about being an effective teacher. However. Just like students, professors should also be held accountable—perhaps even more so. These students are, after all, paying a hefty sum for the privilege of higher education; it is therefore our responsibility to provide that education.

This college professor should know her classes—and herself—well enough to discern immature ranting from constructive criticism; if she cannot, then perhaps she should consider a change of vocation.