Re: [math-fun] Cubic eqn w/3 real roots: trig soln
Harold writes: << I once got into very hot water (fired, in fact) for showing a similar derivation to a *college* trig class.
I once got into very hot water for teaching my college calculus students the definition of a limit (limit as x -> c of f(x)) in my supposedly autonomous class. At least with one influential colleague -- a prof who had successfully kept Complex Variables from being a required course for an undergrad math major, on the stated grounds that they had earned a Ph.D. without ever taking such a course. Oh, yeah -- a few months later this very same math dept. was (re-)accredited by the Western States Accreditation Commission, who managed this task without ever once visiting the math dept. or interviewing even one student. --Dan _____________________________________________________________________ "It don't mean a thing if it ain't got that certain je ne sais quoi." --Peter Schickele
From: Dan Asimov <dasimov@earthlink.net> To: math-fun <math-fun@mailman.xmission.com> Sent: Mon, December 7, 2009 10:44:01 AM Subject: Re: [math-fun] Cubic eqn w/3 real roots: trig soln Harold writes: << I once got into very hot water (fired, in fact) for showing a similar derivation to a *college* trig class.
I once got into very hot water for teaching my college calculus students the definition of a limit (limit as x -> c of f(x)) in my supposedly autonomous class. At least with one influential colleague -- a prof who had successfully kept Complex Variables from being a required course for an undergrad math major, on the stated grounds that they had earned a Ph.D. without ever taking such a course. Oh, yeah -- a few months later this very same math dept. was (re-)accredited by the Western States Accreditation Commission, who managed this task without ever once visiting the math dept. or interviewing even one student. --Dan _____________________________________________________________________ Which college was this? -- Gene
On 12/7/09, Eugene Salamin <gene_salamin@yahoo.com> wrote:
... Which college was this? -- Gene
I believe such institutions are known collectively as "Walden", are they not? Over time, I've encountered one or two myself ... still, this is in danger of becoming political! WFL
From: Fred lunnon <fred.lunnon@gmail.com> To: math-fun <math-fun@mailman.xmission.com> Sent: Mon, December 7, 2009 11:09:38 AM Subject: Re: [math-fun] Cubic eqn w/3 real roots: trig soln On 12/7/09, Eugene Salamin <gene_salamin@yahoo.com> wrote:
... Which college was this? -- Gene
I believe such institutions are known collectively as "Walden", are they not? Over time, I've encountered one or two myself ... still, this is in danger of becoming political! WFL _______________________________________________ I've never previously seen the term "Walden" applied to such institutions. Has anyone else? A Google search on "Walden" brings up Walden University, an online school based in Baltimore MD. I don't see this as political post. We would like to know which colleges these are so that students and job seekers can avoid them. If mathematicians don't police the integrity of their own profession, then some day the government will do it for them, as they are now doing over the issue of scientific misconduct and research fraud. -- Gene
See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doonesbury I wonder how well Gary Trudeau's cartoon goes down at the august Baltimore institution! On the other hand, perhaps they chose the name deliberately ... WFL On 12/7/09, Eugene Salamin <gene_salamin@yahoo.com> wrote:
From: Fred lunnon <fred.lunnon@gmail.com>
To: math-fun <math-fun@mailman.xmission.com>
Sent: Mon, December 7, 2009 11:09:38 AM
Subject: Re: [math-fun] Cubic eqn w/3 real roots: trig soln
On 12/7/09, Eugene Salamin <gene_salamin@yahoo.com> wrote:
... Which college was this? -- Gene
I believe such institutions are known collectively as "Walden", are they not? Over time, I've encountered one or two myself ... still, this is in danger of becoming political! WFL
_______________________________________________ I've never previously seen the term "Walden" applied to such institutions. Has anyone else? A Google search on "Walden" brings up Walden University, an online school based in Baltimore MD.
I don't see this as political post. We would like to know which colleges these are so that students and job seekers can avoid them. If mathematicians don't police the integrity of their own profession, then some day the government will do it for them, as they are now doing over the issue of scientific misconduct and research fraud.
-- Gene
_______________________________________________ math-fun mailing list math-fun@mailman.xmission.com http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/math-fun
Dan, Harold, Perhaps for those of us not in academia, these stories of getting fired or in "very hot water" for teaching seemingly innocent topics appear to be exaggerated and/or missing critical facts. Otherwise, on the surface, there seems to be no reasonable cause. But you've got me curious! Since there is clearly other interest in this thread, could you give a little bit more detail on how someone might get in trouble for such seemingly innocent transgressions. For example, Dan, you did a nice job of attacking the credibility of this one colleague, but didn't say what his specific objection was to teaching limits in calculus or how that got you in hot water. Sorry, but I fail to see how anyone could object to what you did. Nick Dan Asimov wrote:
Harold writes:
<< I once got into very hot water (fired, in fact) for showing a similar derivation to a *college* trig class.
I once got into very hot water for teaching my college calculus students the definition of a limit (limit as x -> c of f(x)) in my supposedly autonomous class. At least with one influential colleague -- a prof who had successfully kept Complex Variables from being a required course for an undergrad math major, on the stated grounds that they had earned a Ph.D. without ever taking such a course.
Oh, yeah -- a few months later this very same math dept. was (re-)accredited by the Western States Accreditation Commission, who managed this task without ever once visiting the math dept. or interviewing even one student.
--Dan
_____________________________________________________________________ "It don't mean a thing if it ain't got that certain je ne sais quoi." --Peter Schickele
_______________________________________________ math-fun mailing list math-fun@mailman.xmission.com http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/math-fun
Everyone has their limits, and if they didn't someone could end up in L'Hopital.
Sorry, but I fail to see how anyone could object to what you did.
-- Thane Plambeck tplambeck@gmail.com http://thaneplambeck.typepad.com/
participants (5)
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Dan Asimov -
Eugene Salamin -
Fred lunnon -
Nick Baxter -
Thane Plambeck