Duke professor warned Chinese students to speak English

[brickandiron]

Duke is pretty savvy, and their response indicates they understand it was discrimination. Neely is essentially a supervisor and she screwed up. Her response to the professors’ complaint opened the university up to a potential lawsuit.

[CardinalRed]

Need to be a little smarter honestly....big business for US University’s in terms of having foreign $$$ in their programs. Also adds a bit of drama to the Trump trade war so this can be taken as an insult to a Super Power that can get ugly.

[likealady]

Originally Posted by BullCity75

These are quasi-professional areas. Academic and professional decorum certainly extends into those areas.

I read somewhere that they were using the department kitchen instead of the student area, which would be shared with faculty. If they are talking loudly in the halls or in a reception-like area with chairs, that is also a shared space and would be considered disruptive.

I can understand faculty frustration because I personally know a number of immigrants whose English is so poor and/or their accents are still so strong that I can hardly understand them. These are not people who just arrived a couple years ago but rather immigrants who've been here for decades. I also have had coworkers at my current and past workplace communicate in their native tongue right next to my desk and I do find it rude.

If they want to do it in their dorm or outside the building, sure go wild.