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Standing up to Bully Professors...Justified or not?
- Thread starter jdc0055
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My 2 cents in accordance to the context you've provided: You handled the situation well. Asking to speak to the professor away from your lab partner was a nice strategy. Otherwise it might have come across as patronizing to your lab partner, and made him feel even worse. Plus, consulting the professor outside the classroom seems like the more professional approach, versus firing back at him in front of his other students. So, nice touch overall; and very brave of you.
Bad people win when good people decide to do nothing.
Although, who's who is... subjective. Do you know whether or not your professor is going through difficult issues of his own, and has absolutely no one to help him? Or is he just inherently a jerk?
Disclaimer: By no means am I encouraging a confrontational attitude towards faculty. It's an issue that requires merit. Strive to reach mutual respect and understanding.
Bad people win when good people decide to do nothing.
Although, who's who is... subjective. Do you know whether or not your professor is going through difficult issues of his own, and has absolutely no one to help him? Or is he just inherently a jerk?
Disclaimer: By no means am I encouraging a confrontational attitude towards faculty. It's an issue that requires merit. Strive to reach mutual respect and understanding.
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I didn't reply before you deleted your post, but you really shouldn't have pulled the professor aside to speak on behalf of your lab partner. In all fairness, I understand that your lab partner was having a tough time and you felt like you needed to be an advocate on their behalf, but they're an adult. They can and should bring it up to the professor if their personal life was severely interfering with their academics.
I probably would have comforted my lab partner and did what I could to help him out with the experiment. I probably would have also suggested s/he talk to the professor if his/her personal situation was that bad.
We've all had bad professors. A good handful of us have also had our own hardships, but I wouldn't want anybody else to speak on my behalf. The worst, (arguably) acceptable scenario would be me asking you to talk to the professor for me.
I probably would have comforted my lab partner and did what I could to help him out with the experiment. I probably would have also suggested s/he talk to the professor if his/her personal situation was that bad.
We've all had bad professors. A good handful of us have also had our own hardships, but I wouldn't want anybody else to speak on my behalf. The worst, (arguably) acceptable scenario would be me asking you to talk to the professor for me.
