Professor fired over class discussion of shootings

[TigerEyes]

I disagree, and I disagree strongly with most of what you all have said.

Institutions of higher learning are for developing young minds and encouraging individual thinking, not for establishing conformity. If you can't talk about hard, heavy topics on a college campus, where CAN you? If you can't explore the outside of any given box in a college classroom, I can guarantee you won't learn how to do it in a workplace environment. The most important things I learned in my graduate work had little to do with the subject material I was studying. A vast majority of individuals I know and have talked to that have earned masters or doctoral degrees agree with that statement.

Was an economics classroom the right place to talk about what happened at VT? If it was a COLLEGE classroom, the answer is an overwhelming YES. The people having to deal with the massacre at VT aren't just the other students at VT. Students on every college campus across the continent are having to deal with what happened. And where do you deal with it? In the places they're comfortable. Furthermore, if you read the blurb, you'll find that the administration asked the teachers to engage the students in a conversation about VT. Guess what? The finance prof did just that.

Will controversial conversations take place? ABSOLUTELY. Guess what? THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO.

Also, TexKan, the prof didn't advocate guns in the classroom. A STUDENT did. Do read all the words next time.

The prof should not have been fired.

[Highwayman]

Originally Posted by TigerEyes

....Also, TexKan, the prof didn't advocate guns in the classroom. A STUDENT did. Do read all the words next time.

The prof should not have been fired.

Tiger, I read that sentence several times and thought it was poorly worded and could be interpreted both ways. Just which “his point” did the writer mean? See if this makes sense.

Then one student pretended to shoot Winset to illustrate his point that the gunman might have been stopped had another student or faculty member been armed.

Then one student pretended to shoot Winset to illustrate (the student’s) point that the gunman might have been stopped had another student or faculty member been armed.

Then one student pretended to shoot Winset to illustrate (Winset’s) point that the gunman might have been stopped had another student or faculty member been armed.

I do agree that based on what is in the report that the instructor should not have been fired. I’m also aware that there may be more to this than what was reported.

[wordsmythe]

Originally Posted by Highwayman

I do agree that based on what is in the report that the instructor should not have been fired. I’m also aware that there may be more to this than what was reported.

There always is in something this short.

The video interview was a bit more telling than the text version but not much.

[notyoubob]

Sniffing the air (apologies to Lurker) I smell a book deal in the air.

[TexKan]

Originally Posted by TigerEyes

Also, TexKan, the prof didn't advocate guns in the classroom. A STUDENT did. Do read all the words next time.

The prof should not have been fired.

Excuse me............. whaaaaaaa................ I disagree - the professor is in control of his classroom and should be the one to teach finance............. truth is............. the school - his boss - disagreed with him too............

It's ALL really a mute point....... this is a friggin discussion not a contest of who is right. I'm vocal - I don't deny that but just cause I disagree doesn't mean ya need to get personal - unless of course that's what floats yer boat.

I just have a problem with whinners............ like the U tube thing....... a grown man should know better. Honestly how many of us are going to go to U tube if we get fired????

Like I said - I'm sure his attorney will help him - course that's what differences is about - I'm glad he's got some in his corner - I'm just wonderin where his students are on this - they are strangely quite so far.

[TigerEyes]

Originally Posted by TexKan

I'm just wonderin where his students are on this - they are strangely quite so far.

The article mentions one of his students, who stated that most of the students in the class were NOT offended by what he did or said.

You're right. The teacher is in control of his classroom. The administrators of the college asked the teachers to address the Virginia Tech incident with their students. The teacher did this. Does it fall under the heading of economics? No. If you take an economics class, does that mean the ONLY thing you'll talk about in class is econ? No. Did the teacher stray outside his duty as a teacher? No. He did what he was supposed to do.

[K C Muffin]

I gotta weigh in. The news report I saw said that the college told their professors to discuss the incident if the students indicated they needed to talk. That means something different to me than the school telling the professors they were supposed to discuss it with the students. I stand by my initial response. The guy had no business going into this kind of detail with his class - he was an econ professor, for God's sake! If the students needed to talk about it in class to make themselves feel better, I don't think this guy would have fit the bill. I saw him on TV, too. Not the warm, fuzzy kinda guy.

Let's see....I believe this was a private school. So, no matter what we think, they will do as they see fit to protect their school's reputation. After all, if the reputation suffers, student enrollment goes down - ain't no tax support for 'em. We don't get a vote.

[TexKan]

Diversity............. what a fabulous thing! It's all good to me - room for all!