The expected norm when signing up for a college course is that you’re Professor has their doctorate, and many years of knowledgeable field work. A student should be able to rely consistently on the ability of a professor to show up to class, present the needed information, and instruction that is needed in order to succeed. However how is the student affected when a professor isn’t able to hold up to these expectations?
Recently at Central Michigan University, a Journalism Professor was asked to take leave of work for an extended time after an intoxicated altercation on March 1, between a fellow staff member. Professor Sean Baker who taught Journalism 302 Introduction to Graphics was asked to take leave for the remainder of the semester after a heated confrontation with former journalism department chairwomen, Maria Marron.
Baker having a history with alcohol abuse apologized and took leave in order to sort out his personal issues. How does this leave of absence affect the students enrolled in the course? This brings to question the responsibility, and integrity of a teaching professional and the ethics of classroom behavior. We all have our own demons we suffer from in our lives; however there is a time and place for dealing with such difficulties. This is especially true when at the level of a college course, where it is expected from the Professor to be at the top of their game and to provide guidance for procuring the skills needed in order to pursue a future career and degree.
Being so far into the semester really put the Journalism administrators in a bind with figuring out how to continue forward in the most efficient way possible. Luckily Professor Tim Fitzgerald who also teaches the course graciously picked up the sections that Baker had been teaching. According to students who were enrolled in Baker’s course the transition at first had been rocky, but as Fitzgerald integrated his own course work into the lesson plans where Baker had left off the situation seems to be progressively moving forward.
The obvious difficulty for students in the course was having to transition between two varied teaching styles. When Fitzgerald took over, Baker’s classes were luckily up to speed with the course work of which he had been teaching within his own sections of the class. Therefore no additional catching up had to be done and the transition of the material being taught went smoothly, according to students. The biggest concern and question that remained for most of the students was how their grades would be affected. Half the course was taught under Baker’s material while Fitzgerald’s work will make up the second half of the semesters grade for the class.
Fitzgerald ensured students that the best will come out of the unfortunate situation and that the grades will be factored in between the course work that he and Baker have taught. He ensured students that as long as they show up to class, make the best attempt at the projects, and are involved in classroom activities that they will do just fine. People make mistakes, and professors are just as human and flawed as we are.
When it comes to the work place there is expected to be a certain level of professionalism, no matter what field of work you are involved in. At least for the students sake thanks to the administration and facility members of the Journalism Department’s handling of the situation, the course should finish out smoothly and students should still gain the benefited knowledge they needed from the course.