Serious question

ok, a prof checking in here. first, I am so sorry. I am trying to decide the best advice I have but I know how higher ed is, and I would almost advise just somehow getting through the quarter. as some folks said earlier, if he is young he is probably a grad student or an adjunct faculty, which is good, because if he was tenured then there is little you can do. I would recommend that you file a complaint with disability and the dept chair. However, a complaint probably won't make much happen. Deans and dept chairs are busy. they might make him apologize, but if he is watching his back and getting his work done, then it will just slide into the abiss. please please don't take this the wrong way. I feel awful that someone in my field did this to you. we know that people can be idiots, and they say rude, awful things. they often learn their lesson sometime WAY down the road, but I doubt anyone at the school will make this much better for you. most of us are caring, careful people...some are jerks. big hug, yp

OOOOOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH, WHAT AN ARSE! People like that make my blood boil. I know you are concerned about your grade, but I would ABSOLUTELY bring it to the attention of the disability department and whomever is directly above your idiot teacher. No, it might not make a huge difference, but YOU will feel better knowing that you stood up for yourself and that you didn't just lay down and take it. I would bite my tongue for the rest of the semester (if you think you can) and then at the end, face-to-face rip him a new one in the most polite way possible. Regardless of whether or not he thinks it's "all in your head" he had NO RIGHT to blab your private business to the entire room by calling out to you like that. He is so unprofessional and outright ignorant. I'm so mad right now just thinking about it that I wish I could tell him off for you. Isn't it fabulous all of the ignorance that abounds in academia???? ((((HUGS)))) to you.

I want to throw a differnt spin on this converation-although I stick to my earlier opinion that you go to the dean of students-you pay for your education and its important you should not have to put up with harrassment.

When I was in graduate school I had a proffessor with parkinson's disease. He taught statitcs for psychology majors. This class was the hardest class in the curricullum for most of us (social science majors are not generally in love with math). The proffessor told us about his condition on the first day of class and generally we were all supportive.
During the semester this teacher was never on time for class-he was at least half an hour late each meeting. He missed 4 classes (out of 15) (university policy was that a student missing 3 classess automaticaly failed). He failed to return any written assignments-some students did get one or two back but for the most part none were returned-we had no idea of our grades or what they would be based on as no work or tests were ever returned.
When he was in class his difficulty speaking often made him almost incomprehensible.

As a graduate student you must get at least a C to pass any cource-You must get an A in every class if you plan to go on for a PhD.
You must pass competency exams and state liscensing exams and statics are part of that.

I went to the head of the Department who was also one of my professors and privately told her about my concerns-I was afraid that I would be unable to pass those later exams if I continued with this professor but he was the only on to teach the class.

The department head asked another very qualified instructor to fill in for any additonal classes missed by this professor and to offer several tutoring sessions to any student who wanted them.

She then asked the proffessor to resign at the end of the semester and take his well earned state pension (this was a state university system and the pension was generous). I feel like I did the right thing for myself and future students-I want your opinions-what would you have done as the student, the proffessor, the department chair?
Sj

I'm with Mike. I'd of told him what a moronic donkey he was & not fit to teach rodents, let alone college students! And then marched my own but to the Dean's office & dropped that course explaining in FULL why..
Some people..

Matthew

Thanks for all the amazing advice! I really appreciate it all! I'm on spring break for the rest of the week so all the university offices are closed so I won't be able to talk to anyone til atleast next monday. At this point, I think i've decided to go talk to the Dean of student life. I may tell him to wait til after the semester is over to talk to the guy because at that point I will be done with him forever. I can handle his rude comments but the next student with a disability may not be able to. I just want him to know the correct way to handle these situations.

Malibu, do keep in mind that although going to the department chair or the teachers direct supervisor may result in a slap on the hand for the prof but will not neccessarily protect you. They may be best buddies and you could face additional reprocussions. The disabilities office and the dean of students or dean of student life what ever he is called on your campus are the ones who's job it is to protect you. Please do make sure they are aware of the situation and watching your back.
Sj