Like this professor https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/ball-state-professor-called-police-class-because-student-would-not-n1121201
Class had assigned seats.
Student found someone in his seat and sat elsewhere as directed by instructor.
Instructor later wanted the student to move to a different seat.
Escalation to instructor calling the police.
Why didn’t the instructor tell the seat squatter to move to the correct seat at the beginning of class, so that the student who was assigned to that seat could sit there?
Why is a professor at a UNIVERSITY telling students (purportedly adults) where to sit? Why would the police even respond to a call like this? Only in America.
“Why didn’t the instructor tell the seat squatter to move to the correct seat at the beginning of class, so that the student who was assigned to that seat could sit there?”
Not only did he not do that, the student asked at the beginning of class if it was ok if he sat in the back because another student was in his seat. Prof said yes. Student didn’t want to move in the middle of class because had already set up charging cords for lap top and unpacked book and notebook. But sure call the police. Totally not insane.
Agree with above comments. Assigned seats in college??? Wow.
Addenda- can see assigned lab space but not for lecture or discussion.
I bet this prof, who specializes in business ethics, will be retiring soon. Not a good look for Ball State.
I’ve never heard of a college/university professor or instructor telling students where to sit. You just sit.
It was pretty much standard in my day for law schools to use assigned seating as part of the Socratic method, so after the last few years of my education having experienced that I didn’t even think about how unusual that is in undergrad. But good point!
I don’t know what this professor’s reasons were, but in one of my classes this semester (which starts next week, awk) I am dividing the class into small 3-person groups and want the groups to sit together. Since I am making the groups, it will more or less require me to tell them where to sit.
Assigned seating is used sometimes at college - maybe it helps the faculty member remember names or help record attendance, which might be part of the grade. Surprised that some think this is the issue - do you think the U will just tell this prof, “don’t use assigned seating next time?” Deeper issue here about policing and minorities.
Police get a call from a University about a disturbance on campus. Are you suggesting they should respond with “no, doesn’t sound important, we’re not coming”?
How do police in other countries mindread to decide whether to respond to a call for assistance?
I didn’t assign seats in my current Pre-Calc (high level - heading to college) classes in high school. I didn’t assign them when I was teaching Animal and Plant Science or plain ole Biology either. Ok, I’ve never assigned seats except for tests where it was required (PSAT/SAT/Keystones, etc).
If there had been a behavior problem, I’d have dealt with it. There never was.
Add me to those who are boggled about a college prof assigning seats.
Someone might want to tell him he can make a seating chart from where the kids sit and learn names that way. The vast majority will get a seat and stay there. If you notice someone changes, you figure out that creating them in pencil allows you to easily modify the chart.
Once you tell an adult to sit in the back of the classroom, and they comply, that should conclude the game of musical chairs.
My guess is, people don’t call the police for stupid reasons in other countries, but that aside… When the professor called the police, he should have been asked what the issue was. A knifing? A fight? And the answer of “a student won’t change seats when I tell him to”, should have been referred to university administration.
Wouldn’t the professor have been required by the school to call campus police first? Was this the real police? If so, he should be fired. We need our police force focused on real issues. Pathetic.
Ball State has a campus police department which is a real police department.
That does not mean that the call was a good use of police resources. But then police probably get lots of stupid calls for service.
Oh my, this is my son’s Alma Mater. He was a business major. I just sent him this article and asked if he knew this prof. I’ll let you know if he did.
‘When the professor called the police, he should have been asked what the issue was. A knifing? A fight? And the answer of “a student won’t change seats when I tell him to”, should have been referred to university administration.”
From what I read he said the student was creating “ a disturbance” and that he needed to get back to the class. The police come when called. Period. If you call 911 and say nothing they come. For many reasons that’s a good idea. And the police here did a good job dealing with the non-real problem. The university should and appears did discipline the prof for his horrible judgment in making the call.
Can you imagine what might have happened if, in addition to remaining in the back row seat, this student wrote with his left hand ?
I agree this is weird. However, somehow blaming the police and then saying you don’t think people in “ other countries “ call police for stupid reasons is just strange.
Hmm… the student was black. I could be wrong. Totally. Or right in my hunch is that race played a role here. Because it often does, and far more often than we, the white privileged, can even imagine.