At California State University at Fullerton, a professor made what should be a commendable move in assigning a cheaper textbook to students when he found the assigned one to be too expensive and ineffective. He also pointed to free online materials students could use.
Not only was he not rewarded by the university–he was reprimanded.
Professor Alain Bourget was found by a faculty panel to have violated department rules. He was not the only wrong doer, however, as the panel also found that the department did not have proper procedures in place.
Inside Higher Ed reported on the instance, which gets even more interesting.
While the university has stood by the decision for Bourget to be reprimanded, the panel couldn’t even decide how to go about doing so. And whatever his punishment turns out to be, it could hurt him for when he applies to be a full-time professor or in performance reviews for raises.
Making the situation is even more complicated is how the departmental text, which Bourget did not assign, was written by Stephen W. Goode and Scott A. Annin, the chair and vice chair of the mathematics department. As Insider Higher Ed mentions:
…
Goode, the department chair and co-author of the textbook Bourget rejected, declined via email to comment, but he did share a statement signed by many members of the mathematics department. “Textbooks in these multi-section courses are carefully selected at the department level with the best interests of our students in mind,” the statement said. “Given the large number of temporary faculty members teaching our courses and, most importantly, the hierarchical nature of mathematical content, especially in college algebra, pre-calculus and the four-semester calculus sequence (Math 150AB and 250AB), using common textbooks ensures that every student has access to the same course content – it is critical to our teaching mission. This is our basic, long-standing justification for the CSUF math department policy to use a department-approved common text in any multi-section course.”
The statement added that it was true that changes in texbook selections for multi-section courses have been made only “somewhat infrequently.” But the statement added that “in large part because our current selections were well vetted and were serving our students’ and instructors’ needs effectively.” Further, the statement said that “Dr. Goode and Dr. Annin have been accused of coercing the department into using their text. This is ludicrous; in fact, the opposite is the case. In philosophy, action, and in words, they have made it clear that if we can identify a superior text to theirs, the department should adopt it. Clearly, that has not happened.”
Bourget was “very disappointed” with the decision, but he plans to fight it. This is especially the case since his department was also found to not be following the rules.
