Women's Studies professor dismissed

[bohonato]

In this morning's Western Herald, I can't find it online yet:

Women's Studies professor dismissed for showing music videos in class

By Emily Gibson

Christopher Tower, a part-time instructor who has taught WMS 1000: Media and the Sexes for ten years, has been dismissed from Western Michigan University starting in the Fall 2008 semester.

"The reason for my dismissal after ten years of teaching this course is supposedly due to a complaint received in the President's office by a parent of a student in February 2008 about two music videos ("Smack My Bitch Up" by Prodigy and "How Many Licks" by Lil' Kim and Sisqo) I showed in class as part of a class assignment," said Tower.

Graduate assistant Maria Markus, former student of Tower's and co-teacher of WMS 1000 said of the course content, "They [music videos] are offensive. I don't think Chris would tell you they aren't offensive. The point is to get the student to think about them, and actually understand why they are offensive."

The class has had a positive impact on several students including Aaron Tully. Tully said of the class, "It. . . happened to be the single most interesting class I took across my 5+ years on campus. Not only for the material and the way it was presented, but for the fun-loving and sincere attitude Chris took towards directing the class."

However, not all students enjoyed the class. "I had five or six complaints total that didn't go any higher than the chair of my department." said Tower. "This is the first complaint about these music videos that has gone higher than what I'm aware of. . . you can't please all 200 students per semester every semester."

In February 2008, Tower showed the two videos in question during his class. The next week, Dr. Ashly Kuersten, interim director of the Gender and Women's Studies department, notified him of the complaints.

" there was a complaint filed with President Dunn about the Prodigy and Lil' Kim videos I showed in class. The issue went from the President to the Provost to the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences to Dr. Kuersten in a round of phone calls and emails. Originally, she was told that students plural and parents plural complained to the president. Later, this was revised to one parent and one student complained. . .Dr. Kuersten told me this was being taken very seriously by the administration, and there was talk of not offering my courses anymore in the future." said Tower.

Tower said he strongly cautions the students of potentially offensive material.

"I have always shown such material with an emphasis on the voluntary choice to such provocative, upsetting, shocking, controversial, even offensive media," said Tower.

Currently, Tower is trying to campaign for his job back. He has been in contact with the Faculty Union, although he is not faculty, and is trying to collect as many letters as possible. His hope is to change Dean Kent's mind and to receive another semester contract to continue teaching WMS 1000: Media and the Sexes.

[. . . some contradictory statements about Facebook and a letter writing campaign that are rather useless. . .] However, Dr. Kuersten has filled the empty teaching position for the fall.

Dr. Kuersten was contacted but was unable to comment on "personnel matters." WMU provost Bassam Harik and president Dunn were unable to be reached for comment by press time.

[bohonato]

And the thing that bothers me the most about this, besides the obvious ones, is that it was a parent who complained. Seriously, are we in grade school?

I'm going to be writing some letters of my own.

[Arcadia]

what was the parent problem?... sorry... I´m already talking like a teacher here! Seriously: What kind of complaint the parent did?

[Dave The Dov]

This is at the university what are they complaining about???? MIND YOUR FRICKIN BUSINESS!!!! I hope you write a TON of letters!!!!
_________________
history of recession

[e_dog]

she ya should send a man in ta do womyn's Work.


they bes curropting tha yuths.

[bohonato]

Arcadia - The complaint, as far I can tell, is that the videos the professor showed in his class were inappropriate. However, the class he taught was Media and the Sexes. The videos he showed were, although offensive, parts of American pop culture and media, and so are highly relevant to his subject matter.

Personally, my issues with this are

1. All the students in his class were/are adults. (and he informed his students that they were free not to watch the videos)
2. The professor was teaching content relevant to his class.
3. The parent is not a student at this university, and should not have such an overwhelming say that one complaint results in a dismissal.
4. That a parent does have such a say only highlights that institutions of education in the US are businesses first, and place academic integrity second.

[bohonato]

Here are the videos, by the way. The first is 'Smack My Bitch Up' by the British band The Prodigy. The second is 'How Many Licks' by Lil' Kim feat. Sisqo.

This videos are provocative, but the point as far as the class is concerned is how sex/gender is presented.

<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/SAOhQX9uNi4&hl ... ram><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/SAOhQX9uNi4&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>

<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/qPWmcWS5PvQ&hl ... ram><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/qPWmcWS5PvQ&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>

[Dave The Dov]

As someone who goes back to when it all started for MTV. There's nothing new to complain about these days. So why should that parent make such a fuss over it????
_________________
Lukumi Forum

[e_dog]

that's perty tame.

my bible's more hard-core than that!


thats wat ya git at po-dunk uni-versity.


they oughta fire the kid an his pa-rents ferbeing so lame.


ya cant hANDle that stay in tha kit-chen.

Fu all the mora's. Mo-rality is DEAD.

[gypsyjoker]

Bohonato
I don't need to see the videos
Blessed are those who have not seen I suppose

A serious issue
considering that it is open season on women

I don't know what to say except I hope some good comes of it.

"Live in hope and die in despair" my uncle Abe used to tell me.

Sometimes I can only get to hope through despair. Is that a koan or does it make too much sense

[Arcadia]

the second video is not available anymore but I could see the first one. 40 seconds of someone only shaving, and fitting perfume and dirty nikes maybe it´s too much, yeah...!! . Maybe the beggining, the music near minute 3 & the mirrors were the more disturbing things for middle-aged parents, who knows!.

I agree with your points, michael. They are already adults for the law.