Ottawa University

[Just Me]

My wife is a student of Ott. U in an AZ branch. Currently she is in a Relaxation Therapy class. The teacher is also capable of teaching psychology classes but chooses not to because she doesn't like to give tests and feels they are not a good indicator of learning.
Tonight's class was on Tapping. Basically tapping your forhead when angry while breathing deeply. This helps "center" you.
Obviously.

Next week's lecture is on Reiki (sp?).
The teacher brings in people to do the presentations. Tapping was done by a guy who just wrote a book called GOD HAS HUMOR or something like that.
Don;t know who the reiki person will be.

Qusetion:How can my wife and I stop this nut's Woo?
This lady doesn't give tests so she passes and flunks as she pleases so reporting her may not be the best idea.
I think during the reiki my wife should start asking "double-blind" and "peer reviewed" types of questions.
Please remember, Ottawa is a private christian college.
HELP!

 

[drkitten]

This lady doesn't give tests so she passes and flunks as she pleases so reporting her may not be the best idea.

Punitive grading can in and of itself be a hanging offense, since it can put the entire college (legally) on the line.

Almost all universities have grievance procedures by which students can contest unfair grades internally, precisely because the alternative is, literally, a multi-million dollar lawsuit.

My suggestion -- the best defense is a good offense, and all that -- would be to complain to the dean in writing, and proactive mention as another aspect of the complaint that the grading policies are inherently unfair precisely because they support this kind of abuse. If the professor gives you less than an 'A,' you've more or less got an iron-clad case to grieve the grade itself.

(This is one of the reasons that at many universities, professors are required to give tests. If the professor's grading is too subjective, there is literally no way to defend against an accusation of unfair grading.)

 

[jon]

Is the course assessed as part of a college degree? Maybe I'm being overly optimistic, but is the tone really that bad - is it a case of critically assessing woo, or looking at why people believe it works, or are the students really expected to swallow it whole When you say "[t]his lady doesn't give tests so she passes and flunks as she pleases" is that literally the case - is there written coursework, for example, or does she just make her mind up

If it really is that bad, it's a shame that the college is letting it go ahead - aside from the lack of intellectual rigour, as drkitten says it could leave them wide open to getting sued as they won't have a good way of justifying the marks awarded.

Not sure what to suggest - if the course is assessed as part of your wife's degree then just disagreeing with the **** advocated in the classes may not endear your wife to the lecturer. Would think better options would be either to keep stum until she's passed the course (OK, not a good option, but may work...unless the lecturer takes a dislike to her anyway) or to put in a complaint in writing now (and then she might feel more free to speak her mind in class). If putting a formal complaint in, it could be worth first discussing the matter informally to your wife's personal tutor at the college (assuming she has one) or a friendly member of staff - they might be able to assist, and it could well turn out that some of this lecturer's colleagues don't like what she is doing and will be pleased to see someone take action against her

 

[Jimbo07]

Is the course assessed as part of a college degree? Maybe I'm being overly optimistic, but is the tone really that bad -

I suspect 'AZ' is some sort of Extension Division thing. More than one university gives adult classes in woo-ish alternative therapies, because it's probably part of 'community wellness.'

Apparently, cultural diversity demands that we accept more woo, not less!

 

[jon]

I suspect 'AZ' is some sort of Extension Division thing. More than one university gives adult classes in woo-ish alternative therapies, because it's probably part of 'community wellness.'

Apparently, cultural diversity demands that we accept more woo, not less!

Yeah, external division courses can cover all sorts of things here as well - can be a good thing, too, if for example people and money are brought into the uni to do things like cooking courses. I'm not used to the, cough, less rigorous courses being assessed as part of degrees, though...

It's a shame if/when 'cultural diversity' picks out some of the least appealing views from 'other' cultures as the ones to respect (and ignores opposing, and often better, viewpoints).

 

[Jimbo07]

Please remember, Ottawa is a private christian college.

We just lost our Dean of Engineering to the University of Ottawa.

I wonder how often the two get confused!

 

[Bandersnatch]

Not to often, really.