Abrasive professor faces potential consequences

Last week Associated Students Incorporated discussed the issue of a reported unpleasant teacher who has had multiple complaints and filed grade appeals. The professor has tenure here at California State University, Stanislaus and has been part of the faculty since 1982. ASI is working on writing a resolution to the department of the professor. Since this is an ongoing process and the professor has not received any contact from ASI, their name will remain anonymous. The resolution will ask the department of this professor to take action on him/her for their behavior in and out of the classroom with students. Complaints received by ASI from students who haven taken his course described the professor as extremely demeaning and unprofessional.

For many students in this major, the course taught by this professor is a core course, therefore required by everyone to take.

"I wish I had never taken the class with that instructor. It was a waste of money and time"." said Tanya Mucllin, a Junior at CSU Stanislaus majoring in Accounting. The course she took is a required course for Mucllin and although she was warned by a student who took the course a year and half ago, she still thought she could manage.

After receiving complaints from students appeals at such an alarming number, ASI approved the discussion of this teacher on the ASI agenda for March 4, 2008. At this meeting four students who were enrolled in his/her winter term course were given time to speak openly about their grievances against the professor.

Leah Codoni initiated the meeting with ASI due to her lack of communication and progress with the department the professor is in.

Codoni took the course with the professor during winter term 2008, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday from 6- 9 p.m. for 3 units. Codnoni is a single mother who has commuted to CSU Stanislaus from Modesto for the last four semesters. Prior to taking the course, Codoni's GPA was 3.93 but after receiving a D in the course it has dropped significantly. Codoni would have taken an Incomplete in the course but that would have required her to retake the course with the same professor. This is why she chose to receive a non-passing grade, such as D or lower, which allows Codoni to retake the course with different professor at CSU Stanislaus or another college altogether.

Codoni wrote a letter to the Dean of the this professor's department as well as the department chair in the beginning of January 2008 and has yet to receive a response. This is when she decided to take further action and contact ASI Student Advocate Thomas Janz about a grade appeal and further action.

The department chair explained that although he never responded directly to Codoni, he took her email seriously. "I forwarded her email to the Dean, Vice President, President and Union representative of academic affairs. This is a matter of personnel and we are working on resolving the issues," said the chair of the department.

"He was very degrading. He called us dumb Americans that belonged on welfare and laughed when people asked for help," said Codoni, " He never singled me out though. He criticized the entire classroom and Stan State. He said if other CSU's had read our letters of application aloud they would have laughed and the only reason we were accepted was because this is such a small CSU."

ASI president, along with other ASI senators were shocked by the derogatory terms the professor has ben accused of using. Janz said he had heard that the professor's teaching style is comparable to that of a three year olds but never had it supported by so many students. This is why Janz felt the resolution was such a important item to add to the ASI agenda.