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I've had my share of classes that seemed excessively hard but to fire the professor over it is ridiculous. A group of students who signed a petition against a professor at New York University claiming his course was too difficult caused him to lose his job.
82 of the 350 organic chemistry students taught by Maitland Jones Jr., 84, signed the petition blaming Jones' techniques and the structure of the course for their subpar grades.
According to a New York Times report, the petition stated, "We are very concerned about our scores and find that they are not an accurate reflection of the time and work put into this class."
'We urge you to realize that a class with such a high percentage of withdrawals and low grades has failed to make students' learning and well-being a priority and reflects poorly on the chemistry department as well as the institution as a whole.'
Jones has been accused of lowering the amount of midterm exams from three to two, not granting additional credit, denying students with COVID-19 access to lectures via Zoom, and lecturing in a "condescending and demanding" demeanor.
Jones responded to the petition's criticisms, stating that he had fewer exams because NYU scheduled his first test for after six classes.
Jones was unable to record what he wrote on the whiteboard due to technology in the lecture hall where he taught.
He claimed that the issue with students started about ten years ago, just a few years after he transferred from Princeton to NYU in 2007, when he observed his students losing focus.
Due to the pandemic, students started returning from virtual learning, which only made the issue worse. Jones claimed that students were not studying and that they appeared to lack the necessary skills.
Now, he continued, "we see single digit scores and even zeros."
Jones and two other professors taped 52 lectures in an effort to aid students, and Jones claims he spent $5,000 of his own money to get them published. They're still used.
Jones wasn't the only student professor to receive opposition after returning to in class learning.
Another organic chemistry professor, Kent Kirshenbaum, caught pupils plagiarizing on online exams. Students protested, alleging "they were not given grades that would allow them to get into medical school," citing the instructor's choice to lower grades due to poor conduct.
Jones expressed concern for other university instructors who might see the similar reaction from faculty.
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