Nice
      Professors
      Conduct
      Nice
      Panel
     
    
   
   
    
     
      by
      Joel
      MEGGS
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Dr.
      Shannon
      Murray,
      recent
     
     
      winner
      of
      The
      Cadre’s
      UPEI
      Faculty
     
     
      Colouring
      Contest,
      chaired
      a
      panel
     
     
      discussion
      on
      “Kindness
      in
      the
     
     
      Classroom”
      this
      past
      Friday,
      October
     
     
      26th.
      The
      panel
      was
      meant
      to
      tie
      in
     
     
      with
      ACT’s
      production
      of
      Wit,
      which
     
     
      wrapped
      up
      on
      Sunday.
      The
      play
      por-
     
     
      trays
      a
      professor,
      Vivian
      Bearing,
      who
     
     
      is
      cold
      and
      distant
      towards
      her
      stu-
     
     
      dents
      and
      later
      encounters
      that
      same
     
     
      cold
      indifference
      from
      the
      medical
     
     
      community
      when
      she
      is
      diagnosed
     
     
      with
      cancer.
      The
      panel’s
      purpose
      was
     
     
      to
      discuss
      the
      importance
      of
      the
      pro-
     
     
      fessor-student
      relationship
      and
      how
     
     
      kindness
      towards
      students
      affects
      their
     
     
      learning.
     
    

    
     
      In
      addition
      to
      Dr.
      Murray,
      the
     
     
      moderator,
      the
      discussion
      was
      attend-
     
     
      ed
      by
      Dr.
      Geoff
      Lindsay,
      Professor
     
     
      Marian
      MacKinnon,
      Dr.
      Anne
     
     
      Furlong,
      Professor
      Jeanne
      Henry
      (the
     
     
      director
      of
      Wit),
      Professor
      Ron
      Irving,
     
     
      Dr.
      Edward
      MacDonald,
      Professor
     
     
      Sharon
      Myers,
      Dr.
      Jane
      Magrath,
     
     
      Professor
      George
      Belliveau,
      and
      Dr.
     
     
      Barbara
      Horney.
      Take
      a
      good
      look
      at
     
     
      these
      names;
      you
      may
      want
      to
      take
     
     
      courses
      from
      them
      in
      the
      future,
      as
     
     
      they
      are
      professors
      that
      are
      mindful
     
     
      enough
      of
      these
      concerns
      to
      attend
      a
     
     
      one
      hour
      discussion
      surrounding
     
     
      them.
     
    

    
     
      In
      fact,
      the
      first
      exercise
      Dr.
     
     
      Murray
      had
      everyone
      do
      was
      to
      write
     
     
      about
      an
      experience
      with
      an
      unkind
     
     
      professor.
      I
      wrote
      about
      a
      time
      a
      pro-
     
     
      fessor
      administered
      a
      quiz
      that
      had
     
     
      trick
      questions
      on
      it,
      one
      of
      which
      I
     
     
      got
      wrong.
      Apparently
      in
      the
      three
     
     
      years
      he
      had
      been
      administering
      it,
      I
     
     
      was
      the
      only
      one
      who’d
      ever
      gotten
      it
     
     
      wrong
      and
      he
      told
      me
      as
      much.
     
    

    
     
      The
      example
      Dr.
      Murray
      gave
     
     
      us
      from
      the
      play
      was
      that
      of
      Dr.
     
     
      Bearing
      threatening
      to
      expel
      a
      student
     
     
      if
      he
      continued
      to
      arrive
      unprepared
     
     
      for
      class
      and
      then
      refusing
      to
      grant
      an
     
     
      extension
      to
      a
      student
      who
      claimed
      his
     
     
      grandmother
      had
      just
      died.
      Clearly
     
     
      some
      professors
      in
      the
      room
      were
      a
     
     
      little
      uneasy
      about
      the
      example,
      as
     
     
      they
      were
      unsure
      if
      this
      was
      really
      all
     
     
      that
      “unkind.”
      After
      all,
      this
      was
      a
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Jar
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Evil
      Sheriff
      of
      Nottingham
      Brent
      MacLaine
      unable
      to
      attend
      panel.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      room
      full
      of
      people
      who
      have
      proba-
     
     
      bly
      heard
      the
      “my
      grandmother
      has
     
     
      died”
      excuse
      a
      thousand
      times
      and
     
     
      know
      that
      it
      isn’t
      always
      true.
      As
      for
     
     
      threatening
      to
      expel
      an
      unprepared
     
    
   
   
    
     
      I
      think
      that
      a
     
     
      professor
      can
      be
     
     
      firm
      and
      kind
      at
      the
     
     
      same
      time.”
     
    

    
     
      -Jeremy
      Livingston
     
    
   
   
    
     
      student,
      many
      in
      the
      room
      gleaned
     
     
      some
      sort
      of
      vicarious
      satisfaction
      at
     
     
      seeing
      Dr.
      Bearing
      deliver
      a
      threat
      that
     
     
      they,
      on
      occasion,
      would
      like
      to
      have
     
    
   
   
    
     
      -
      given
      to
      some
      of
      their
      own
      students.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      To
      start
      the
      discussion
      off,
      Dr.
     
     
      Murray
      recalled
      a
      student
      evaluation
     
    
   
   
    
     
      she
      had
      received
      a
      few
      years
      back
      that
      -
     
    
   
   
    
     
      said
      that
      she
      was
      kind.
     
    

    
     
      “T
      wasn’t
      sure
      that
      was
      a
      good
     
     
      thing.
      In
      fact,
      my
      immediate
      response
     
     
      was,
      ‘I
      must
      be
      getting
      soft.’”
     
    

    
     
      This
      concern,
      of
      being
      mind-
     
     
      ful
      of
      students’
      needs
      without
      being
     
     
      over
      accommodating,
      was
      echoed
      by
     
     
      many
      in
      the
      room.
      Obviously
      profes-
     
    
   
   
    
     
      sors
      have
      to
      walk
      a
      fine
      line,
      between
      —
     
    
   
   
    
     
      being
      nice
      and
      becoming
      a
      doormat.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      “To
      quote
      Hamlet,
      sometimes
     
    
   
   
    
     
      it
      is
      necessary
      to
      be
      cruel
      to
      be
      kind,”
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Dr.
      Murray
      put
      it
      very
      succinctly.
      If:
     
    
   
   
    
     
      SPP
      PISO
      TASER
      EON
      I
      EES
      SEEMS
      AIMS
      SIRES
      EMPIRE
      ENR
      IHS
     
    
   
   
    
     
      professors
      were
      to
      allow
      students
      to
     
     
      get
      away
      without
      doing
      their
      readings,
     
     
      to
      offer
      extensions
      at
      the
      drop
      of
      a
      hat,
     
     
      to
      praise
      work
      that
      is
      far
      below
      a
      stu-
     
     
      dent’s
      potential,
      is
      a
      professor
      not
     
     
      doing
      more
      harm
      than
      good?
      Sure,
      the
     
     
      professor
      will
      win
      the
      popularity
      con-
     
     
      test,
      but
      what
      benefit
      is
      the
      student
     
     
      getting
      from
      the
      professor’s
      class
      as
      a
     
     
      result?
     
    

    
     
      Barb
      MacKinnon
      §astutely
     
     
      picked
      up
      on
      the
      theme
      running
     
    
   
   
    
     
      through
      the
      play
      Wit
      of
      the
      de-person-
      -
     
    
   
   
    
     
      alizing
      of
      patients
      and
      students.
      For
     
     
      Bearing,
      students
      were
      just
      bodies
      in
     
     
      chairs
      that
      were
      expected
      to
      submit
     
     
      work
      on
      time
      and
      conform
      to
      certain
     
     
      expectations
      and
      standards.
      When
      the
     
     
      tables
      are
      turned
      and
      she
      becomes
      the
     
     
      student,
      her
      doctors
      treat
      her
      in
      the
     
     
      same
      way
      —
      as
      a
      patient,
      an
      experi-
     
     
      ment,
      without
      ever
      being
      mindful
      of
     
     
      the
      fears
      and
      apprehensions
      the
      person
     
     
      might
      be
      suffering.
     
    

    
     
      Dr.
      Lindsay
      then
      chimed
      in
     
     
      with
      a
      very
      good
      point
      that
      speaks
      to
     
     
      the
      “us
      versus
      them”
      mentality
      that
      is
     
     
      common
      to
      both
      student-professor
     
     
      relationships
      and
      doctor-patient
      rela-
     
     
      tionships:
     
    

    
     
      -.
      “When
      I
      think
      about
      the
      expe-
     
     
      riences
      I’ve
      had
      with
      the
      medical
     
    
   
   
    
     
      4
      community,
      it
      would
      be
      very
      easy
      for
     
     
      “me
      to
      put
      them
      allin
      columns
      of
      either
     
    
   
   
    
     
      kind
      or
      unkind,
      and
      I
      don’t
      think
      that’s
     
     
      a
      reflection
      of
      the
      medical
      communi-
     
     
      ty;
      I
      think
      it’s
      a
      reflection
      of
      the
      fact
     
     
      that
      I’m
      distant
      from
      that
      profession.”
     
    

    
     
      Dr.
      Lindsay
      pointed
      out
      that
     
     
      when
      we
      go
      to
      the
      doctor
      or
      are
      admit-
     
     
      ted
      into
      the
      hospital,
      we
      are
      totally
     
     
      within
      the
      power
      of
      the
      doctors
      and
     
     
      nurses.
      We
      have
      certain
      needs
      and
     
     
      fears,
      and
      it
      is
      up
      to
      the
      doctors
      and
     
     
      nurses
      to
      allay
      those
      fears
      because
     
     
      they
      are
      privy
      to
      information
      that
      we
     
     
      are
      not.
      They
      are
      in
      a
      position
      of
     
     
      authority.
      Such
      is
      the
      case
      for
      stu-
     
     
      dents,
      whose
      aspirations
      are
      tied
      up
     
     
      with
      the
      professors
      who
      have
      the
      abil-
     
     
      ity
      to
      determine
      whether
      or
      not
      they
     
     
      will
      be
      a
      success,
      not
      just
      by
      the
      final
     
     
      grade,
      but
      by
      making
      the
      entire
     
     
      process
      more
      palatable.
     
    

    
     
      Jeremy
      Livingston,
      a
      philoso-
     
     
      phy
      student,
      then
      made
      the
      important
     
     
      distinction
      between
      being
      firm
      and
     
     
      being
      kind:
     
    

    
     
      “It
      is
      possible
      to
      be
      too
     
     
      extremely
      firm,
      but
      even
      if
      you
      say
      ‘I
     
     
      can’t
      give
      you
      an
      extension
      on
      this,
     
     
      but
      this
      is
      why
      and
      here
      are
      some
     
     
      other
      ways
      that
      you
      will
      be
      able
      to
     
     
      make
      [that
      mark]
      up’
      or
      ‘this
      particu-
     
     
      lar
      mark
      doesn’t
      matter
      this
      much;”
     
     
      you
      know,
      put
      perspective
      on
      it.
      I
     
     
      think
      that
      a
      professor
      can
      be
      firm
      and
     
     
      kind
      at
      the
      same
      time.”
     
    

    
     
      Dr.
      Magrath
      then
      pointed
      out
     
     
      that
      the
      student-professor
      relationship
     
     
      is
      a
      two-way
      street.
      Not
      only
      do
      pro-
     
     
      fessors
      wield
      a
      certain
      amount
      of
     
     
      power
      over
      students,
      but
      students,
      too,
     
     
      are
      empowered
      by
      student
      evalua-
     
     
      tions.
      Magrath
      recalled
      a
      time
      when
     
     
      she
      “totally
      trashed”
      a
      professor
      on
     
     
      her
      student
      evaluation,
      only
      to
      realize
     
     
      years
      later
      her
      experience
      with
      this
     
     
      professor
      would
      be
      of
      immense
      bene-
     
     
      fit
      to
      her
      in
      her
      future
      studies.
     
    

    
     
      Dr.
      Furlong
      further
      picked
      up
     
     
      on
      the
      reciprocal
      nature
      of
      the
      student-
     
     
      professor
      relationship
      by
      pointing
      out
     
     
      that
      students
      have
      ample
      opportunity.
     
     
      to
      make
      the
      professor’s
      life
      a
      living
     
     
      hell.
      She
      said
      the
      temptation
      is
      to
     
    

    
     
      "grade
      the
      student
      on
      his
      or
      her
      person-
     
    
   
   
    
     
      _
      ality,
      her
      kindness
      towards
      the
      profes-
     
     
      sor.
      ‘But
      in
      such
      instances,
      ‘true
      Kind
     
    
   
   
    
     
      a
      ee
      ee
      ee
      we
      ee
      ewe
      ee
      ee