UA faculty upset over classes canceled for national championship
Published: December 9, 2009
Updated: December 9, 2009
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) - The University of Alabama faculty senate is upset over the campus canceling three days of classes for the national championship game.
The group passed a motion Tuesday stating that members were “profoundly disappointed” in the university’s decision to cancel classes for a football game. Professor John Vincent said the situation is a “true embarrassment” for the university because it sacrifices 95 percent of students for the 5 percent who will be at the game.
But other members were supportive. Senate Vice President Clark Midkiff said he and the senate president told administrators they supported the move to cancel classes.
An e-mail was sent to campus Tuesday announcing that classes would be canceled Jan. 6-8 so that students, faculty and staff can attend the Jan. 7 game in Pasadena, Calif.
Advertisement
Reader Reactions
The most intelligent and fact based argument stated on this story is the by
“values edu” - UA is an ACADEMIC institution with one goal and function: To educate and further academia. NOT athletics and football games.
One has to remember though, this is Alabama where sports hold a priority over everything else. You can’t argue with ignorance against those who feel that closing down a university for a football game is the right thing to do.
Wouldn’t it be better that the school be recognized on the national stage for academic purposes instead of that of playing a game?
I too work at UA as a teacher. Could I point out how lucky we are that this is the biggest issue we have to debate? At my alma mater, only one state away, university staff and faculty have been forced by mandatory furloughs to “take days off” this year: six work days for which they are not paid. Hiring searches for faculty have been almost universally suspended. From all indications, things will not get better anytime soon.
We at UA have the *luxury* of hotly debating whether or not our university’s biggest source of income is a reason to suspend three days of classes that - let’s face it - are not, in most cases, enormously productive anyway. Frankly, since the three days in question comprise almost the whole drop-add period, I feel sorrier for those students who won’t fully understand what they’re getting into with some of the classes they’ve signed up for - including mine 
Like it or not, the university in “the Noughties” is a place where students go to become well-rounded - and that includes learning how to manage recreational time as surely as it does learning how to handle academics. I’ll continue to insist on intellectual rigor in my classes, and they may hate me, but I can’t see begrudging them the chance to have a little fun and show their school spirit. Hey, as long as they expect to work hard when they come back…
Personally, I’ll be spending my three days relaxing at home, watching the game, and enjoying some bonus lesson planning time - while I’m being paid, I might add.
UA is a university. It’s mission is, “To advance the intellectual and social condition of the people of the State through quality programs of teaching, research, and service.“ There is no mention of football in that mission.
I suspect that Dr. Vincent is grossly underpaid, as are most of the faculty at UA. He probably can’t afford to fly to California to attend the game. Like many faculty, he likely works 50-60 hours a week, trying to teach students and make advancements in research.
This is typical of many UA faculty who take themselves WAY too seriously! There is more to life than going to Chemistry class! The National Championship game brings untold fortunes and positive publicity for our great university. Adjusting your syllabus is a small trade-off for participating in this event. The good students will still succeed. The bad students will still fail. Cancelling three days of classes isn’t going to ruin the semester. Long live big time college athletics!
Surprise! Surprise! I am a professional working on the UA campus and feel that it’s only fair to give the students a few extra days since they were only alotted 2280 tickets, or about 12 percent. The students, including student athletes, are the reason I am employed. UA will still have “academic credibility” and even more so since we will be on a national stage on January 7th. By the way, I’ll be in Pasadena on January 7th and taking my vacation days. Where will you be Professor Vincent?
Advertisement