Unprofessional professor - more info post 31, 144.

[LadyL]

In one of my courses we had to do a group project that included a presentation. One of my group members Deena is a nontraditional student in that she was a practicing counselor for about 25 years before coming to graduate school for a second time. The professor of the course also has training as a clinician but is younger than Deena by about 10-15 years, and never actually practiced as a clinician (this may or may not be relevant to the situation).

During our presentation Deena made what was intended as a lighthearted aside where she used a non-PC term for psychiatric patients*. The professor stopped Deena and told her that it was not an appropriate term to use. She apologized and continued the presentation.

Deena told me afterwards that she felt that since presentations in the class are typically very informal/conversational, and her joke was meant to be lighthearted, that she wished the professor had waited until after class to talk to her about using the term instead of interrupting her and correcting her in front of the entire class. Also, Deena's attitude towards talking about mental health is "you have to laugh, or you'll cry" and that humor is healing - but that of course you have to also be sensitive about terminology, and she may have misstepped during her presentation.

The class meets twice a week, and Deena wasn't feeling well the day before the next class. She had gone to the doctor and they had ran some tests and confirmed she had an infection, and additionally there was some concern she might have a cancerous growth. She wrote the professor an email to tell him she wouldn't be able to attend class because she was receiving medical treatment and going for some tests (she didn't specify why). She also apologized again for offending him with her use of inappropriate terminology in her talk.

The professor did not say anything in regards to her health, i.e. "hope you feel better soon," nor did he acknowledge or accept her apology - but he did apparently write her a fairly chastising email where he said that she was "not acting as a good role model for clinicians" by using such language.

Deena is extremely upset because she feels she has really tried to communicate her regret at her poor language choice and in return the professor has continued to lecture her and portray her as a bad clinician who uses insensitive language - while himself acting insensitive towards her in regards to her medical issues. As she put it, "If I had mentioned 'the big C' do you think he would have been nicer about it, and isn't it sad that I'm wondering about that in the first place?"

Additionally, the professor himself has made a few off-color jokes throughout the semester that could easily be construed as offensive if one were to be uncharitable. For him to not give Deena the benefit of the doubt, when we have extended it to him when he has made jokes for example about certain demographics or political affiliations, seems like quite a double standard.

After grades are in, Deena plans on meeting with the chair of the department and the professor to discuss his handling of the situation. What are some polite phrases she can use to convey her upset? I have already suggested she forward his email to the chair, which she plans on doing.

Also, was he actually rude? Is it rude to not acknowledge someone's health issues or apology, or is it just poor social skills?

*I'd rather not say what the term was other than, it was not anything overly pejorative and in the context it was more a jab at this one particularly poorly designed scale of measurement than at any patients themselves (PM me for details), because the debate over terminology in this realm can get rather fraught.

[Yvaine]

Is there any possibility that he sent her the chastising email before reading the illness email? That happens in my office all the time--people will be plowing through their emails, respond to something, and then 20 or 50 or 100 emails later, realize that it's obsolete now or something more urgent has happened. My guess is some people start with their oldest email and others start with their newest; I do the latter and have the opposite problem, where I'll read an email and only 20 emails later see the earlier one that provided the context!

I think that if he had seen the illness email when he emailed Deena, a comment on her health would have been nice. I also think that if she's using bigoted terminology in a psychology class, that's inappropriate. And if the professor is also using bigoted terminology in a psychology class, that's inappropriate too.

[Steve]

I do not feel that the professor did anything really wrong here. If she had sent a mail that only stated she would not be coming to class, I doubt he would have responded at all. These things are mere "notices" to a professor. He is not her friend or her family or someone she has a social type relationship with. He is her teacher. She alerts him to her abscence, and that is enough. The reason is stated as a precaution that students do not stay away from classes for frivolous reasons, not so the faculty can concern themselves with their well-being.

She opened up the topic of conversation on her inapropriate use of terms. He must have seen that as a reason to get back to it. He explained further why he chastitzed her in class (her being an example to the rest).

I feel she is mistaking her professor for a friend, relative or co-worker.

[zoidberg]

I don't believe there's any need for the professor to acknowledge her well-being or lack thereof. Would it be nice of him to do so? Maybe. Or it could be construed as being over familiar.

As for the chastizing, yes, it would have been nice of him to acknowledge her apology. But since we have no way of knowing how inappropriate the term used actually was, I'm giving him the benefit of the doubt. He seems to feel very strongly about this. In the grand scheme of things, this is a blip and I'm not sure what could be gained by involving the head of department.

Neither non-aknowledgement of an apology nor non-interest in the health issues of students is criteria for being a good professor, IMO.

[Fleur-de-Lis]

I agree with Steve.

I also think that forwarding the Professor's email to the chair would be a big mistake.

Deena was patently unprofessional in a classroom, mentoring environment, and was called on it. What does she want the chair to do? Scold the professor for not being more friendly about Deena's medical condition? Professor is Deena's mentor/supervisor, not her friend.

And in a circumstance where a mentor has just had demonstrated to him that an advanced student apparently  *does not get* the standard of professionalism required for the field job, the Professor is probably feeling a little sting, too. 

[Zilla]

Being that she is experienced in the field and came back, I can see the professor having high standards for her and disappointed at her lack of professionalism to a class of students about to enter the field.


And while she may have "earned" the right since she was exposed to it doesn't shield her from it.


I think the professor did exactly what she wanted, spoke to her in private about why. 


You also mentioned that the professor also made some derogatory comments, did he use the exact same words as the student did? 

[Moray]

I do not think the professor did anything wrong. If she used an inappropriate and non-standard term in her presentation, that's a bit different than the professor making a joke during the course. I would guess that the prof was hard on her in the follow up email because she is already a practicing counselor and the time for learning that that's not an appropriate thing to say has come and gone.

Going higher up with this (especially with her complaint that he is somehow insensitive for not commenting on her medical issues; something I would see as a big "no no") would only make her look argumentative and definitely wouldn't increase her standing in the eyes of anyone involved.

[LadyL]

Very interesting replies. Our department prides itself on the collegial environment, and when i have had to miss class due to illness i have always gotten well wishes from the professor. Likewise when one of my students is ill I always tell them i hope they feel better. I thought this was basic professional courtesy and not that unusual or "above and beyond."

I can see that this may be his "hill to die on" and that is his right, but in some ways this student has more stature in her subfield than he has in his, and she may end up outranking him in the department once she graduates (she's angling for a directorship), so the interpersonal dyna,ics are kind of tricky.

I appreciate seeing it from other perspectives though, and she isn't going to do anything for another 2 weeks so there is time for me to give her feedback. I am also worried for her health so that may admittedly be making me more protective.

[Zilla]

So there are more details, now she might outrank him if she gets hired on.


I really feel bad for the professor now.

[Perfect Circle]

She was unprofessional for using the term in class. The professor was well within his rights to intervene. I do not believe the professor did anything wrong and I also do not believe he should have extended any well wishes to her however nice that would be.

And she did bring it up in the email again, so it's not surprising he talked about it more.

[Bibliophile]

If she's looking for a directorship, taking this issue to the chair seems like a really bad idea.  It is going to establish her as high maintenance and as a SS.  I wouldn't hire someone who caused issues before even applying for the position.

[Perfect Circle]

If she's looking for a directorship, taking this issue to the chair seems like a really bad idea.  It is going to establish her as high maintenance and as a SS.  I wouldn't hire someone who caused issues before even applying for the position.

That is very true too. Not very professional either to complain about this, really a relatively minor issue, to the department head.

[thedudeabides]

Very interesting replies. Our department prides itself on the collegial environment, and when i have had to miss class due to illness i have always gotten well wishes from the professor. Likewise when one of my students is ill I always tell them i hope they feel better. I thought this was basic professional courtesy and not that unusual or "above and beyond."

I can see that this may be his "hill to die on" and that is his right, but in some ways this student has more stature in her subfield than he has in his, and she may end up outranking him in the department once she graduates (she's angling for a directorship), so the interpersonal dyna,ics are kind of tricky.

I appreciate seeing it from other perspectives though, and she isn't going to do anything for another 2 weeks so there is time for me to give her feedback. I am also worried for her health so that may admittedly be making me more protective.

I don't get her issue.  She was unprofessional, he called her on it, she brought it up again, he followed up privately, and she demonstrated further unprofessionalism by spreading his follow up among other students.  Yet she's the one who wants to move this up the chain in a place where she hopes to have a directorship after graduation?  I would want to bury this example of my inability to behave in a professional manner so deeply no one would remember it happened if I were her, not trumpet it from the rooftops.

[Clair Seulement]

The professor wasn't rude--Deena is out of hand. Granted, the professor wasn't all that pro-actively gracious, but I automatically assumed he read the e-mail quickly--profs are busy, and going into a lot of personal detail really isn't necessary in correspondence about class; everyone's an adult. It reads to me like Deena felt bad about her "joke" and was trying to elicit sympathy from the professor. The "if I invoked the C word..." comment was distasteful to me and led me to this conclusion. What exactly does she want from him?

I know Deena is a working professional but I just got a degree in this field as well, and a professor of clinical psychology simply *cannot* allow a student to apply denigrating or inaccurate terminology to patients in class; jokes aside, this is *all about* one's attitude toward the therapeutic relationship, and it comments like these betray a basic condescension and lack of empathy. I believe that Deena is serious and concerned, but she needs to display more professionalism than that, and the professor has a duty to demand this for the good of her current and future patients and as well as the other students.

[Outdoor Girl]

During the class presentation, I don't think the professor did anything wrong.  However, sending a chastising email in response to her email was rude, in my mind.  He could have just acknowledged her apology and/or her illness, he could have not responded at all but to send more chastisement was unecessary.

ETA:  However, I think Deena's behaviour after receiving the additional chastisement is way over the top.