On a broader note - since diversity is often touted as a good thing - doesn’t Mandarin, and Mandarin speakers, deserving in its own right? When a university takes this sort of action against one of the most common words in the world’s most spoken language, it is essentially saying that that language is not welcome. (Regardless of whether the professor could have used a better example or not.) At no point has USC stood up for Mandarin or Mandarin speakers and said “this language, and its speakers, are valued and welcomed here at USC too.”
And there’s been a public pushback on this. If this is the worst episode of political correctness, and it’s the worst I’ve seen, then it’s hard to see political correctness as a serious problem.
Now, I would like to see USC issue an apology to the professor. And maybe do something to educate the students who filed the complaint. But, in the end, it’s hard to see this is political correctness gone wild.
If there’s any place to test the limits of political correctness, it’s college campuses.
No more than French deserves protection in the face of evil camp counselors who wouldn’t let us call our team the Dead Seals.
There are arguments that make sense against this complaint. I don’t understand why anyone keeps acting like Mandarin itself is under attack.
Wait, the professor wasn’t even suspended? He’s still teaching other classes?
LOL. Why shouldn’t the Mandarin camp get in on the action? It’s the name of the game. It’s the same bullshit used here a dozen times a day.
Ah, so you think it’s a bullshit argument, but because you disagree with other peoples’ views and consider them bullshit, you’re willing to support bullshit yourself?
That’s helpful to understand for future conversations with you
It’s probably because the Dean wrote this in his letter:
Last Thursday in your GSBA-542 classes, Professor Greg Patton repeated several times a Chinese word that sounds very similar to a vile racial slur in English. Understandably, this caused great pain and upset among students, and for that I am deeply sorry. It is simply unacceptable for faculty to use words in class that can marginalize, hurt and harm the psychological safety of our students. We must and we will do better.
That certainly sounds like he’s saying it’s unacceptable for faculty to use the Chinese word in question. And since he’s the one in charge of what’s acceptable or not…
That’s a very strange reading of that. I think it makes more sense that using that word out of context could cause great pain – for example, if I as a non-Mandarin speaker decided to train myself to say “nei ga” instead of “um” when I’m trying to think of a word, that would be a pretty sketchy thing to do. It’s pretty obvious to me that a university dean is not going to try and ban Mandarin.
Can someone please clarify whether the teacher was actually suspended or not?
I don’t support either one. Nice try, you just never stop with that stuff.
Really? I think it’s the plain English meaning, and apparently so did a lot of Mandarin-speaking former students of the University. If he meant ‘use out of context’, or ‘without a warning’, or anything else other than blanket unacceptable, he could and should have said so.
Just so I have this straight, you think this dean at USC is hoping to ban the Mandarin language? Is that worldwide or just on campus?
Or, are you taking his words out of context, which is the same thing that the students have been accused of doing?
It sounds like he planned to ban faculty from using any words with a phonetic resemblance to n***** in lectures. It also sounds like he did not think this through at all, and was much more eager to demonstrate how anti-racist he was than to make a fair and considered judgement on the situation.
The fact it makes no sense is kinda why it’s news and we’re all talking about it.
Speaking of what we’re all talking about, @complexfreeformd2r, can you come back and let us know if this professor was actually suspended?
He has been suspended from teaching the remainder of this particular class. He has not been suspended from his other duties, AFAICT.
Sure, here is the latest update, with a response from the professor in question:
https://www.chronicle.com/article/how-one-word-led-to-an-uproar
This is a direct link to the professor’s response:
With regard to what happened to the professor, this is the timeline of events. I hope this clears up what happened. Basically, what happened was that a complaint was noted, and resolutions were offered. Some students were unhappy with the offered resolutions and pushed for further restrictions on Dr. Patton’s role at the school, and these students succeeded:
Southern Cal administrators met with a small group of M.B.A. students to discuss their concerns the day after the class. According to an email sent by the school’s Faculty Council describing the sequence of events, an “extensive review” of Patton’s teaching was then carried out. Two days later, on a Sunday afternoon, Patton met with the business school’s dean, Geoffrey Garrett, who took over the position in July, and was told that he could teach the next day. The students who objected would be offered a number of options, including independent study for the remainder of the three-week course, having their work graded by another professor, taking an elective instead, or taking the same class taught by another professor.
But a few students rejected those options. Instead, they wanted Patton removed. That Monday afternoon, after he taught his classes, Patton was informed that he wouldn’t teach the rest of the course. In addition, Dean Garrett emailed the M.B.A. Class of 2022 to let them know that another professor would take over. It was, he wrote, “simply unacceptable for faculty to use words in class that can marginalize, hurt and harm the psychological safety of our students.” He went on to say that he was “deeply saddened by this disturbing episode that has caused such anguish and trauma,” but that “[w]hat happened cannot be undone.”
With regard to whether Dr. Patton was suspended or placed on leave or whatever:
Patton doesn’t believe he’ll be able to teach in the full-time M.B.A. program again anytime soon. There’s concern at the business school that the students who complained might object to his teaching the communication course next fall, or any other course, for that matter. An online petition to reinstate Patton has received more than 19,000 signatures.
While he wasn’t actually placed on leave or reprimanded, Patton does feel that his reputation has yet to be restored, and that his ability to teach remains in question.
It’s definitely fair to say that he was placed on leave from teaching that particular class this semester, even if that’s not what USC wants to call it. His status for future classes in future semesters is an open question, but it seems as if the “mob veto” worked on the Dean for this class, during this semester.
Do the PC Police have no shame??!? He was forced to stop teaching one of his classes for a couple of weeks! His career is over and his life is ruined! What ever happened to innocent until proven guilty?? He was practically run out of town on a rail, or more accurately, he stopped teaching one of his classes for a couple of weeks.
My god, he even had to write a letter! With an apology! A communications professor probably finds it extremely painful to write a letter.
Maybe this is hyperbole, but this is the worst thing ever to happen to anyone anywhere and the PC Police who forced him, practically at gunpoint, to stop teaching one of his classes for a couple of weeks should go hide under the rock from whence they came.
Or, more seriously, @complexfreeformd2r, maybe ask a moderator to change the title, since the professor wasn’t actually suspended at all.
Does right-wing media ever not lie about this stuff? The outrage in this thread is hilarious, considering the professor wasn’t even suspended.
…which had two weeks left.
Do we have any university professors who can comment on what is typically in a contract with a university concerning removal from teaching a class after a complaint has been made? I would kind of expect, at least for serious complaints, for there to be at least a possibility of being placed on leave from teaching a class with the complainant in it while an investigation is conducted. Is this accurate, or no? In other contexts, it might be termed administrative leave with pay – the situation has to be assessed before any substantive decision can be made, and the leave is essentially routine and should not be taken as a form of discipline. I just still don’t see it demonstrated that he was “suspended.”*
As everyone has said all along, I think, the dean’s letter was not appropriate. I would hope that the professor is pursuing whatever options he has for some further process.
- And that is with all of the evidence coming from his own side of the story. There have already been quotes in the thread from the university saying that he was not suspended. I don’t know who is right, but even Patton’s own account doesn’t exactly sound like a disciplinary suspension, as it is being made out to be.
Wow - what incredible linguistic hoops you jump through to manipulate your argument.
OK then - you win - let’s then not say he was suspended BUT he was definitely disciplined. Regardless of the bullshit spin you try to put on this (“well, it was only for two weeks” and “only for one class”…) this will now be on his formal record forever and will affect his employabilty and promote-ability through the rest of his academic career.
The point which you seem to be completely deliberately missing is he should NEVER have been disciplined in any way for this. Which is why there is a petition with 20,000 signatures and this has caused international outrage.
It is complete utter bullshit and speaks volumes to the pandering nature of the academic system, cancel culture, as well as the fragile nature of snowflake millennials etc in 2020
Please provide a cite for this.
Look, if I started a thread that said “this professor is eating babies!!!” and everyone responded in good faith to that claim and it turned out the claim is total bullshit, I would come back with an apology.
I’ve already stated multiple times that those students were in the wrong, as was the dean.
This professor was not suspended. This thread is bullshit and the right-wing media that was pushing that story line are liars. They’ve accomplished their goal, though – you’re all outraged about what the PC police are up to, and they’ve managed to drive Americans a little further apart.
Looks like when I said this was a tempest in a teapot I was over-exaggerating.