<p>There is this beloved professor who just suddenly told us that he is leaving. He cites “policy changes” as his reason for leaving. He also says that the department chair did not like that “too many students were attending his classes.” Basically, the department chair is jealous because no one is taking her classes. So he is leaving. What should students do to try and keep him? Ive emailed the chair to ask what the changes in policy are and she basically said it was none of my business.</p>
<p>Oh yea, I forgot to mention that he has been teaching here for 22 years.</p>
<p>I’m sure the Board would hate bad publicity. Create a petition and gather a group of students together.</p>
<p>Hmmmm 22 years and no tenure? Also department heads are not looking over their shoulders at 22 year vets. It’s the young gun, publishing machines that they are afraid of. Anyway get the second side to the story. Go ask the department head.</p>
<p>All you have his this professor’s word. You don’t have the full story - you don’t have the department chair’s side, or the university’s or department’s side. It is very unusual that a good professor will get fired only because too many students attend his classes; departments usually try to attract students. And if the department chair was really just jealous, why only now after 22 years of teaching? I also like his very vague “policy changes” answer; that indicates that it’s not just the department chair’s “jealousy” but something else. I also agree it’s unusual for a professor to teach somewhere for 22 years and not have tenure, unless that teacher is actually a beloved contract lecturer (there’s a lecturer in my department who’s been here for at least 10-15 years. She cannot get tenure, because she is not a professor, but her job is pretty permanent because she teaches intro).</p>
<p>I don’t normally advocate going to the department head and asking why your favorite professor is leaving. But if you are thinking about launching a campaign to get him to stay, then I do advocate talking to the department chair first to get their side. You don’t want to have egg on your face - advocating for a professor that you find out later was sleeping with his students for grades, or who hasn’t published a scrap of anything since the dawn of time, or something like that.</p>
<p>I’ve emailed the department chair and she says its not appropriate to discuss these matters. He is an adjunct.</p>
<p>Well, that’s the nature of being an adjunct. Also, employers generally do not discuss individual employment matters with anyone other than the individual employee involved.</p>
<p>Perhaps the “policy change” is that the school wants the department to reduce its spending on adjuncts (which may require that tenure-track faculty accept higher teaching loads). Many schools are under financial pressure, so that they need to find ways to cut costs somewhere.</p>
<p>“Perhaps the “policy change” is that the school wants the department to reduce its spending on adjuncts” That seems like to totally legitimate reason. But why cant they tell us that? Students need to know stuff like that.</p>
<p>Because it looks bad for the school to cut faculty for fiscal reasons. It often hurts the quality of education</p>
<p>I dont really think its for fiscal reasons. He is on the schedule for next semester so you can tell this happened pretty quickly. This chair also has a reputation for going on “power trips.” For example, she made it so that she was the only professor teaching a class that is required for the major. Other professors used to teach this particular class, but once she became chair, she became the only one.</p>
<p>Some colleges a professor’s performance may not be tied to how well he teaches, but what kind of research he is putting out.</p>
<p>Re: #11</p>
<p>Probably not the case with an adjunct, who is a contract employee paid by the course.</p>