Constructive Criticism
In my Online Accounting 107 class we were assigned a group project. Professor Diamond told us that if anyone in our group plagiarized their part that the entire group would get 0 on the assignment (12% of the grade). There were a number of people who complained in our online discussion (more participation than for anything else on the discussion boards).
I sent the following private email to Professor Diamond
Rob,
I’m afraid you are responsible for the negative comments about the group report by the way you framed the Plagiarism position.
You already made it clear at the beginning of the course what your position was.
By directing people to the idea that one member of the group could cause the entire group to fail you asked people to think these negative thoughts.
A positive statement of encouragement and trust would have gone a long way toward helping your students to do their best work instead of being focused on the worst outcome.
You are the leader. You set the tone at the top. I know you can and will do better.
Yours Truly
Jeff Bellamy
He responded with this
Jeff,
Your e-mail was diverted to my spam box since it did not have the subject line as requested in the course syllabus.
Without being clear of my expectations, some students will plagiarize. I’m sure you would not have wanted your grade to be reduced to zero because another student in your group did not clearly understand the consequences of plagiarism.
It may appropriate for you to give a reprimand such as this to faculty in the future when you are a dean, but not today. And you may one day be able to give advice, hopefully with a more collegial tone, when you have greater teaching experience than other faculty. You may one day become a peer to other professionals or possibly be in a position of authority, at which time it might be appropriate to use first names. Given our current faculty-student relationship, it would be appropriate to offer suggestions in a less reprimanding tone and address me as Professor Diamond.
Rob Diamond
To which I responded
You will note that I always address you as Professor Diamond in class forums. If you don’t want me to address you by your first name ever, then please extend me the same courtesy.
It really is not necessary to have an academic position to understand how an authority figure in a group sets the tone. The fact that you seemed to have missed that, and continue to miss it, speaks volumes.
Yours Truly
He Whose Name Must Never Be Spoken
To which he replied
Jeff,
Your suggestions are invited. Your tone and chastisement are not and must stop. If not, I will invoke campus policy to suspend you from the class.
Professor Diamond