A&M System Nixes Controversial Teaching Awards Program
Today, in one of his first acts as the new Texas A&M University System interim chancellor, Jay Kimbrough discontinued a controversial Teaching Excellence Awards program.
The decision was made following a conference call yesterday with university presidents and agency chiefs within the system. This afternoon, in an email to administrators, Kimbrough indicated that his thinking was two-fold. "First and foremost," he wrote, "I have received a considerable amount of feedback regarding the program from many of you and your faculty. Secondly, we have determined that the A&M System does not have an adequate funding mechanism to ensure the ...
Comments (11)
W Joe Deshotel via Texas Tribune on Facebook
I think a famous Aggie once said we all have to "tighten our belts".
Charles D Stephens via Texas Tribune on Facebook
wow!
Tim Hurst via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Good for Agie. Finally they may be on the path to attain the greatness of The University. This is a first step.
Thomas Darby
How much can awards and recognition cost? When on is recognized others take notice. Awards improve performance. With out awards the American Dream is lost. While money and income are important, it is not everything. Just knowing others appreciate your efforts is an award. Let's not loose our common sense just because money is tight.
Philip Harris
I find it insteresting that this article makes no mention about whether student evaluations were an effective measure of teaching excellence. The only concrete reason given for discontinuing this program was lack of funds. If real change is going to take place to reduce cost and make college more accessible to Texas students, than education leaders will need to focus their attention on serious reform measures, rather than squabble over programs like this one.
Lauren Pierce
What a terrible idea to give incentives in order to promote great teaching. We definitely wouldn't want our professors/lecturers striving to engage their students or anything . . .
Scott Specht
I really don't see the problem with having the consumers of Higher Education give feedback on a service they're receiving. Doesn't A&M want to know which professors are the most effective teachers?
It's a bad sign if Higher Education doesn't care which professors are best at their jobs.
Jennifer E.
Glad to see this go away.
As if a small bonus makes teachers teach better. They're already earning a salary. They should be doing their job without some superficial carrot on a stick.
The bonus money should go to scholarships for students.
Lauren Pierce
How is ending an incentive program for great teaching going to "better" your university?? Why be a great teacher when the monetary reward is the same as a horrible one?
Philip Harris
It's discouraging when the first act of a new chancellor, even an interim one, is to put up more roadblocks in the path or reform. It seems like defending the status quo is really in style.
Jennifer E.
There isn't enough extra money lying around to use as a carrot for great teaching. Professors and adjuncts already get their basic salary to begin with. Why race to the top for a small reward when you already have the reward of a salary and tenure? They can get more money by writing up a successful grant.
Philip, turning down an awful solution doesn't mean maintaining the status quo. Rejecting a harmful solution means rejecting a path towards a situation worse than the status quo.
A&M students are rejecting the 7 solutions. Read their student newspaper for their own analysis of these solutions.