Blowing the Whistle on the UC Berkeley Mathematics Department • Hacker News Board

Re: Blowing the Whistle on the UC Berkeley Mathematics Department

#11

Post by archgoon » Mon, Oct 12, 2015, 3:22 AM UTC

wildboarcharlie wrote: post #5

As a UC Berkeley student who's never taken one of Coward's classes, I've heard great things from every single friend of mine whose taken his class ("I love Coward" is heard a lot). I know students are already rallying to keep him at Cal. However, I think that perhaps the Math Department at Cal doesn't deserve such a great professor if the system is as decrepit as described.

> I think that perhaps the Math Department at Cal doesn't deserve such a great professor if the system is as decrepit as described.

At the very least, Coward does not deserve them.

Re: Blowing the Whistle on the UC Berkeley Mathematics Department

#12

Post by mckiddy » Mon, Oct 12, 2015, 3:24 AM UTC

stonogo wrote: post #9

Keep in mind how you would handle this situation if you managed a large and well-established dev team with procedures and policies you worked hard on and are proud of. It is not enough for a team member to be fantastic in a solo role. I'd be more interested in hearing from other faculty than I would from the students, who don't much experience actually working with Coward.

His entire job was teaching students, so I don't give a rat's ass about what the rest of the faculty thinks if the students like him and perform well.

Re: Blowing the Whistle on the UC Berkeley Mathematics Department

#13

Post by fernly » Mon, Oct 12, 2015, 3:24 AM UTC

I'm a bit puzzled by the statement that he is asking "campus authorities" to "overrule" his firing. Why would he want to continue working there, or, how could he expect to be able to work in a department after indicting it in this fashion? With this document hasn't he pretty thoroughly burned his bridges?

Re: Blowing the Whistle on the UC Berkeley Mathematics Department

#14

Post by striking » Mon, Oct 12, 2015, 3:25 AM UTC

stonogo wrote: post #9

Keep in mind how you would handle this situation if you managed a large and well-established dev team with procedures and policies you worked hard on and are proud of. It is not enough for a team member to be fantastic in a solo role. I'd be more interested in hearing from other faculty than I would from the students, who don't much experience actually working with Coward.

A software dev team requires far more one-on-one interaction between "faculty members" than teaching does (where faculty are the ones producing the software and the students are the users).

And in any case, if someone on a dev team got significantly better numbers by bucking the trends, I would be obligated to try and understand their methods and help them gain greater acceptance. It doesn't make sense to remove someone who gets results. It makes sense to integrate them.

Re: Blowing the Whistle on the UC Berkeley Mathematics Department

#15

Post by anindyabd » Mon, Oct 12, 2015, 3:25 AM UTC

Instead of teaching at a large research school which cares more about professors obtaining grants, he should teach at a small liberal-artsy school where the professors are expected to spend more of their time actually teaching students.

Re: Blowing the Whistle on the UC Berkeley Mathematics Department

#16

Post by chris_wot » Mon, Oct 12, 2015, 3:26 AM UTC

stonogo wrote: post #9

Keep in mind how you would handle this situation if you managed a large and well-established dev team with procedures and policies you worked hard on and are proud of. It is not enough for a team member to be fantastic in a solo role. I'd be more interested in hearing from other faculty than I would from the students, who don't much experience actually working with Coward.

If your procedures and policies within a well established team cause poor performance, then I think your pride is probable unjustified.

Mathematics is actually fascinating, but teaching and listening to math lectures is generally not interesting at all. Anyone who can teach it and keep Students interested and have them understand the material is a gem and should be kept at all costs!

Re: Blowing the Whistle on the UC Berkeley Mathematics Department

#17

Post by chris_wot » Mon, Oct 12, 2015, 3:27 AM UTC

He should come back to Sydney!

Re: Blowing the Whistle on the UC Berkeley Mathematics Department

#18

Post by dnautics » Mon, Oct 12, 2015, 3:28 AM UTC

fernly wrote: post #13

I'm a bit puzzled by the statement that he is asking "campus authorities" to "overrule" his firing. Why would he want to continue working there, or, how could he expect to be able to work in a department after indicting it in this fashion? With this document hasn't he pretty thoroughly burned his bridges?

For the pleasure of teaching 400+ students a year who could all benefit from his instruction?

Re: Blowing the Whistle on the UC Berkeley Mathematics Department

#19

Post by 994125010 » Mon, Oct 12, 2015, 3:29 AM UTC

hugh4 wrote: post #2

I'm not sure if "complaining about getting fired" counts as "whistleblowing". I'm not necessarily inclined to take this guy's side of the dispute just because I read it first.

I would like to see the Department's response too. Hopefully, they reply with their reasons rather than attack the argument that Coward has written here.

Re: Blowing the Whistle on the UC Berkeley Mathematics Department

#20

Post by NhanH » Mon, Oct 12, 2015, 3:30 AM UTC

stonogo wrote: post #9

Keep in mind how you would handle this situation if you managed a large and well-established dev team with procedures and policies you worked hard on and are proud of. It is not enough for a team member to be fantastic in a solo role. I'd be more interested in hearing from other faculty than I would from the students, who don't much experience actually working with Coward.

It's not really comparable between a dev team and the teaching position. At the very least, there are argument to be made that superstar but annoying dev can have detrimental effect on other devs. There are approximately 0 chance that an amazing professor can have negative effect on other professor's teaching ability (yes, they can, but you know what I meant and please don't get into pedantry here).

The closer comparison would be a Big 4 accounting partner (or law firm partner) that bring in revenue, is well loved by his clients. You know what would happen if the firm fires them? The clients leave with the partner. Luckily for Berkeley their clients can't leave nilly wily here.

Edit: On second reading, this was mentioned: "Further, the current Interim Chair, Craig Evans, explained that I am causing problems because students are not signing up for other Professors' classes on account of me. This is to be observed this semester, Fall 2015."

Yeah, if this was some consulting professional firm, the firm would be in big trouble already.