A wildfire of criticism brought the University’s academic sanctity into question following the removal of Dominique Homberger from teaching an introductory biology course because of students’ low grades. Those advocating the University’s position say it was a necessary removal to protect students. On the other side, there are faculty who believe “the University has defecated on the Holy Grail of academic freedom,” as one faculty member bluntly described the situation.Homberger received a message while administering the course’s second exam saying she had been relieved of her teaching duties because of “a developing situation concerning student grades.”Bill Wischusen — Homberger’s replacement — raised grades for the first exam by 25 percent.Homberger, a long-tenured senior professor and distinguished researcher, was soft-spoken about the situation but has demanded an apology.”Being taken out of the course is unheard of,” Homberger said. “You do this to someone who comes into class drunk, or if someone brings a gun into class. There are cases where you are justified to do that, but not about grades.”INSTRUCTORS’ GRADESThe faculty handbook states it is the instructor’s right to determine and assign grades, and such grades cannot be changed except through academic appeals.Brooks Ellwood, president of the University chapter of American Association of University Professors, said it’s clear the removal and changing of the grades is a violation of such rules.Department of Biological Sciences Dean Kevin Carman said Homberger was removed because the distribution of grades was lower than he’d ever seen for the course.”The number of students failing the course was out of line with that class in any history,” Carman told The Daily Reveille on April 13. “Therefore, I took action because I felt it was in the best interest of the students.” Seventy-five percent of students were failing at midterm, and 27 percent of the original enrollment had dropped out, Carman said.Students agree Homburger’s class was difficult.”It’s one of the most difficult courses I have ever taken,” said Morgan McGlone, mechanical engineering senior. “She kept saying you need to learn how to learn. I am a senior — I think by now I know how to learn.”Many students took issue with Homberger’s test format, which required students to choose a combination of multiple correct answers.”You may know 90 percent of the info but still get a zero,” said Justin Jones, political science freshman.Other students had problems with the material.”What Wischusen is teaching is more freshman biology [than Homberger’s lectures],” Jones said. “She basically said, ‘I can ask you any question on all the material. If you don’t memorize it all, you are going to miss out.'”Homberger admits being rigorous but said she’s always fair.”I’m not simply demanding, and if they fail, I wash my hands of them,” Homberger said. “I give the grades, and then I help them get where they should be. This is the way it should be.”Ellwood and other faculty said the number of low grades in the course should’ve been addressed through academic appeals.”Students can appeal grades,” Ellwood said. “If the grades are unfair, they can protest those grades. There are due processes for that.”TEACHING DEFICIENCIESThe administration hasn’t specified any deficiencies in Homberger’s teaching method.”If I am confronted with specifics, then I will take care of it,” Homberger said. “But if it is just for grades, we have a problem.”Homberger has taught for more than 30 years. This was the first time she had ever taught Biology 1001, but she said she’d taught 1002 and many other courses without any issues.She said she feels young instructors will fear being yanked from a classroom if they’re not passing enough students or giving enough A’s for a course.Faculty Senate President Kevin Cope said he couldn’t judge this case specifically, but said there’s a growing concern that the University may artificially raise performance in a time when funding is more dependent on performance.DUE PROCESSHomberger admits the first test was “terrible” but said the attitude after that test had changed, and if due process were allowed, the grades would have been on par with a University standard that isn’t supposed to exist.She requested Carman postpone his decision until grades for the second exam were tallied, but he refusued.Carman said he couldn’t comment on personnel issues.Homberger said the average from the first exam increased by about 20 percentage points, and the midterm grades were based on 128 points of 480 total for the class.Homberger and Ellwood are both complaining the decision was a violation of Homberger’s due process.”[Carman] has no clue what the end product would have been,” Ellwood said. “He has an assumption.”Homberger used the final question of her second exam as evidence for where the class was going. The question asked students what their biggest “aha! reaction” was in the class.”To make a good grade, I must also attend class, take good notes and have study sessions with others,” Homberger read from a list of answers. “Usually a little studying can get me by, but not with this class, which is why its my biggest ‘aha! reaction.'”The national chapter of the AAUP is also investigating the case of Ivor van Heerden — a former University professor and administrator — who claims he was axed for his criticisms of the Army Corps of Engineers following the levee failures during Katrina.Robert Kreiser, associate secretary of the national AAUP, said the national AAUP may investigate Homberger’s case depending on the results of a grievance filed by Homberger with the Faculty Grievance Committee.Chancellor Michael Martin said he couldn’t comment on the specific situation but suggested people read the AAUP guidelines on faculty ethics and the AAUP’s definition of academic freedom when considering the issue.
—-Contact Xerxes A. Wilson at [email protected]
University biology professor demanding apology
April 19, 2010