The Follies of Graduate Studies Reminded Me of This Story…

A few years ago, a UCF professor taught a graduate level class in social science statistics. As an instructor, he wasn’t without flaws, but among UCF teachers, he was above average. A whole bunch of students failed his midterm. They banded together and started complaining to the department chair.

Because the department chair was siding with the students, the professor got the analytical GRE scores of the passing and failing students. The scores ranged from below average to moderately above average. There was a positive correlation between the student’s midterm score and their analytical GRE score. Essentially, the professor argued that the students who failed the midterm were too stupid to be taught statistics.

In the end, there was no formal intervention by the department chair, but the professor got the message that he needed to lighten up. After the term ended, the professor was never assigned to teach statistics again. This story epitomizes a dangerous mentality at UCF – that the student is always right.