As the World Gets Crazier and Crazier

So Does Higher Ed

Pam (my friend and ex-wife) is an extraordinary teacher. Brilliant. Original. Creative. Highly educated. She can teach just about any subject in the humanities. Literature, writing, art history, film, world religions, etc etc etc.

Since our Zoë went east to college and Pam ,wearied of getting treated rather disrespectfully as an adjunct (as adjuncts generally will) at San Diego State U, when she heard of an opening at Pepperdine, a “Christian” college up the coast in Malibu, she applied. The Dean of Humanities (hereafter referred to as dean 1, in honor of Doctor Seuss) appeared mighty grateful to have her there and indicated she would do all she could to keep Pam on the faculty forever. Pam was elated, especially since the Pepperdine was where she earned her BA.

So, she taught for Pepperdine online last spring (2021), and then on campus full-time during summer sessions, and was awarded a full-time contract (four classes per semester) for the 2021-2022 academic year.

In fall, while Pam was teaching a general education humanities survey class, dean 1 started changing her tune. The turnabout came after two students went to her and complained they had been graded B rather than A on a certain essay.

Dean 1 visited Pam’s class and then expressed her concern that Pam was using the internet to show paintings and such rather than using PowerPoint, even though no one had previously instructed Pam about how to construct her lessons. Dean 1 claimed Pam was googling. Pam explained that she was working off links she had prepared.  Dean 1 still argued she was googling and also demanded to see the rubric Pam used for grading essays. A rubric is a breakdown of the percentages of the grade awarded for factors such as cohesion, clarity, grammar, et al. Pam replied that she used a four-part holistic “rubric” that treats form 50% and content 50%. Though holistic grading of essays has long been considered a valid method,  dean 1 insisted she develop a ten point rubric and make it available to students via the internet.

Pam complied.

Some weeks later, in a lesson that touched on the history of racism in the arts, Pam used a 1970s song performed by a country western group, Kinky Friedman and the Texas Jewboys. The song was “They Ain’t Making Jews Like Jesus Anymore”.

According to the lyrics, Kinky (a Jew) gets offended by a “redneck nerd in a bowling shirt” who is “guzzling Lone Star beer and shouting religion and politics for all the world to hear.” When Kinky objects, the fellow exclaims, “They ought to send you back to Russia, boy, or New York City, one. You just want to diddle a Christian girl and you killed God’s only son.” He continues with a diatribe that includes “Them niggers, Jews, and Sigma Nus, all they ever do is breed.”

Kinky slugs the guy.

Now, please keep in mind that I rarely take a conservative stance. Still, I agree with a lot of “conservatives” that if a college student gets his, her or ? feelings hurt, he, she, or ? should , at least before running to a dean, consider attempting to get over it. But that must not be  the official Pepperdine sentiment.

A student from Africa went to dean 1 and objected to the word “nigger” being allowed in class.

Dean 1 went to dean 2. They called Pam in. And here’s where it gets weird.

They stripped Pam of her classes and all campus privileges, told her not to communicate with her students or anyone connected with the college, and rescinded her contract.

Now, when I have told people this story they ask if Pam in some other way offended these people. All I can do is shrug and reply that I have known Pam for twenty-seven years. Fourteen of those, we were married. We have a daughter who will turn twenty in July. During several of those years, Pam and I taught at the same small college, and since 2002 I have supervised her online teaching. And never have I know any action, comment, or lesson of hers to call for as much as a reprimand. Maybe a suggestion, but (shrug).

Pam is dedicated to her students. She respects and challenges them.  She may well be the overall best teacher I have known.

Right now, she is simply appealing the dean² decision and asking to at least get paid for spring semester, as the college unfairly broke a legitimate contract.

Please tune in to the next issue of Rats, when I will report on the outcome of Pam v Pepperdine.  

Meantime, all I can say is: “What the hell?”

And, I will add, if you think of any issues regarding higher education you would like me to address, I’m at ken@kenkuhlken.net.

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