Case 91. Filling Last Minute Teaching Gaps

Situation

Professor Provudi was given his fall teaching assignment in the previous spring. Since that time, a member of the Department has left, leaving a large hole in the Department's required offerings. Two weeks before classes start, Professor Provudi is called in by the Chair, and informed that he will not be offering the graduate course that he was assigned but will offer a large section of Introductory Sociology, a course which he has never taught before. The faculty member protests and the Chair informs Professor Provudi that he (the Chair) will attend the first day of class and if Professor Provudi is not there, he will take action (some unspecified recrimination) against Provudi.

Questions

1.    Is the Chair's behavior unethical? 
2.    What is Professor Provudi's recourse?
3.    How does this fit with the Department's teaching mission?


     Reflect on the above questions and form your own answers before clicking the Discussion key to review the commentary provided with this case.

Discussion

This is a difficult case. The Department does have a teaching mission and it is the obligation of the faculty to help fulfill that mission under difficult circumstances. If the Chair had asked for a volunteer, or talked to all of the faculty and everyone had refused, then the Chair may well be a position to assign a faculty member to teach the large section. However, there is not indication here of why Professor Provudi was singled out nor is there any indication of the ability of other faculty to help close the gap. In any case, any threat of firing, having it affect promotion and tenure or salary decisions is unethical. Professor Provudi has access to university grievance procedures and to COPE, since this is an issue within a Department of Sociology. In fact, cases like this have been resolved in favor of the faculty in university grievance procedures.