Crappy college professors (doctorate, degrees, schools, credits)

[robertpolyglot]

I've had mostly very good to excellent college level teachers across various schools/degrees. I've had a few bad ones but, most of the time, they couldn't help it because they were better researchers than teachers. But they were deep down good people, so I cut them slack.

I just had the crappiest college prof recently as an adult. He was actually a decent teacher in terms of knowledge and presentation. I did an evening Masters while working at a public university. He was less than 10 years older than me, but he always had a chip toward me. None of the other profs in this curriculum, whether older/same age/younger had any issues with me...in fact, most of them liked me. I noticed he was a lot nicer toward younger females, particularly "mousier" ones who hadn't mastered English. I think that, since he got his doctorate later, which I'm sure is quite uncomfortable for a person along in years, I held up some kind of a mirror for him. Whatever. But I worked full time, so I wasn't hanging around some college campus working on a PhD.

He would not respond to half my e-mails for any kind of guidance and clarification (there weren't that many) and, one time when I went to his office hours, he almost chased me out, not even knowing what I was going to ask.

It's too bad that academia has people like this when you think they would enjoy the altruism that is supposed to be part of the job.

Your stories of the same variety?

[gardener34]

Yes, I had one prof. He was supposedly a well respected authority in sociology - tenured of course - wrote some famous book on sociology/war or something.

Our "text books" for a class of about 50-60 (can't remember) people were mimeographed (this was 20+ years ago) and put into binders. There were only about a dozen copies of it available in the library to study from. So as you can surmise, when midterms or finals were around, these copies were impossible to access. And there were many people who would rip pages out of them for their own personal use.

So you had to use your notes only to study from. This sociology class dealt with equations and stuff and this was soc 101! This prof would hand out the tests and stand at the front of the class and laugh while were were taking the test.

And then there was the prof would roll his own tobacco cigarettes and class and smoke them (before no smoking laws obviously). Choked the whole time in that class.
Engl 200 - the only books we read were graham greene novels... (great author btw)

[Mike in TN]

I had a long time college History/Poly Sci professor tell me that Tennessee fought for the Union in the Civil War and was very upset that I didn't learn that in school.


I also had a professor in a class on disabilities make a wheelchair-bound student in the class come out to a bumpy, wet, muddy field with us for some activity. The kid couldn't even roll around out there and the professor would constantly say "Joe, walk over here, Joe!"

[Eastern Roamer]

I have been taking all my classes that are possible online, including Calculus... ughh. I don't get much from lectures, it seems professors tend to look for ways to remind us of their credentials, if it means straying off topic. I don't have time to hear someone's life story. Just give me the book, a schedule, the tests, and the credits towards my degree.

I hope grad school is different. I would like to have scholarly discussions, but working while I'm in school where I can apply what I learn is just as good... or better.

[Acuda]

Originally Posted by Mike in TN

I had a long time college History/Poly Sci professor tell me that Tennessee fought for the Union in the Civil War and was very upset that I didn't learn that in school.


I also had a professor in a class on disabilities make a wheelchair-bound student in the class come out to a bumpy, wet, muddy field with us for some activity. The kid couldn't even roll around out there and the professor would constantly say "Joe, walk over here, Joe!"

Was your professor referring to how East Tennessee voted against secession contrary to West Tennessee and thus leaving the final vote to Middle Tennesse where as we know they voted to secede?

East Tennessee had few plantations and folks owned far less slaves due to the geography of the region and the much more limited growing area. So, East Tennessee was very divided and actually supplied many troops for the Federals.

However, I wouldn't say Tennessee fought for the North. What university was this? I went to UT-Knoxville and have a degree in history, but I remember hearing a few random things from professors.

That's a shame about the student in the wheel chair.

[Hungry For Cheese]

I'm in the process for getting a "tenured" prof of PoliSci in trouble...hopefully fired.
The guy is a complete loser. He must of not been able to cut it in politics so he "teaches"(more like lectures about his life) and yells about how messed up politics in his own fashion that is very incoherent. SAD.

[Radek]

I've had good profs, except for the one who I swear just didn't bother to actually give a grade to anything.

Everything he handed back had an A- on it for EVERY STUDENT.

Except two kids who almost never showed. They got Ds.


I've heard stories though from my friends at UW, that they LOOK for grad students, because the 'tenured' profs, don't care.

And I'm sure that in the upper levels of engineering, chemistry, physics, etc we have a few around here. But for the most part, we're really geared towards developing ourselves as a research institution, and more particularly, as a top-notch Undergrad facility.

We're getting there with the research, now we need to figure out how to attract less ski-bums and more students.

Here is Montana State University

[Mike in TN]

Originally Posted by Acuda

Was your professor referring to how East Tennessee voted against secession contrary to West Tennessee and thus leaving the final vote to Middle Tennesse where as we know they voted to seceded

No, he was straight up saying TN fought for the North - as a whole.

What university was this?

He taught for the University of North Dakota.

[Acuda]

Originally Posted by Mike in TN

No, he was straight up saying TN fought for the North - as a whole.



He taught for the University of North Dakota.

Wow! That's sad.

[jessiegirl_98]

Feel free to go to RateMyProfessors.com and give your professor feedback :-)