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US professor fails his entire class

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A professor at a US university has decided to fail his entire class.

That means a big, fat 'F' for all those taking his Strategic Management course at Texas A&M University.

Professor Irwin Horwitz made the announcement to his 30-plus students via a lengthy e-mail.

Some of the bad behaviour he listed:

  • Students cheating
  • Students telling him to "chill out" and "get out of my space" 
  • Students refusing to leave the classroom after being told to do so for behaving inappropriately
  • Students taking photos of exam questions and sharing them
  • Students approaching his colleagues with requests to change the grades he gave them for assignments
  • Students not attending classes but claiming that they did

He added that he, his wife and his colleagues were the subject of hurtful, untrue rumours and that at one point, he even felt the need for police protection in class.

Mr Horwitz, who has 20 years of experience teaching at the college-level, wrote: "None of you, in my opinion, given the behaviour in this class, deserve to pass, or graduate... It is thus for these reasons why I am officially walking away from this course. I am frankly and completely disgusted.

"You all lack the honour and maturity to live up to the standards that Texas A&M holds, and the competence and/or desire to do the quality work necessary to pass the course just on a grade level... I will no longer be teaching the course, and all are being awarded a failing grade."

Only a few good apples

Inside Higher Ed reported Mr Horwitz as saying that only a few students did not misbehave.

If given the choice, he would have continued to teach just those few, he reportedly said. Since that wasn't an option, he opted to fail the whole class.

Mr Horwitz told NBC affiliate KPRC he had "reached the breaking point".

"I was dealing with cheating, dealing with individuals swearing at me both in and out of class, it got to the point that the school had to put security guards at that class and another class."

He added: "This class is unique. I have never failed a class, it is very rare that I fail students, sometimes learning incorporates tough love."

Mail Online quoted a university spokesman as saying that the failing grades would be re-evaluated. 

"No student who passes the class academically will be failed. That is only the right thing to do," said the spokesman.

The head of the department will take over the course until the end of the semester.

 

 

Sources: NBC News, Washington Times, Mail Online, Inside Higher Ed

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