Former Florida Atlantic University Professor Says He Was Fired for Failing Students

Palm Beach, Florida, Sun-Sentinel ^ | 07-17-03 | Peltz, Jennifer

[Theodore R.]

Former FAU prof says he was fired for failing students

By Jennifer Peltz Staff Writer Posted July 16 2003

A former Florida Atlantic University engineering professor is suing over his firing last year, saying he was dismissed because he wouldn't pass students who didn't deserve to.

FAU maintained that professor Peter Szabo had been insubordinate to superiors and irresponsible toward students, according to Szabo's court filings. FAU officials said they hadn't seen his complaint, filed Tuesday afternoon, and so couldn't discuss it.

Szabo declined to comment, and his lawyer could not be reached Tuesday evening, but according to the court filings:

Szabo earned tenure, satisfactory or better evaluations and several awards during 16 years at FAU, starting in 1985. An electrical engineer, he had coached a student team to victory in a national robot-building contest in 1993.

But in May 2001, four advanced-electronics students told an engineering-department administrator that Szabo had unfairly failed them. They said he missed classes, taught ineffectively and was not available at times when they sought help outside class.

Szabo thought the students' appeal, and the way administrators handled it, violated FAU academic-grievance procedures. He initially responded that the students' complaint should wait until September, noting that his contract did not cover the summer.

He also wrote to then-state Education Commissioner Charlie Crist that FAU was exerting "significant pressure on instructors to pass some students who absolutely clearly do not deserve a passing grade ... or to make extraordinary allowances for certain students complaining long and hard enough."

Szabo eventually talked with the students but saw no basis for changing their grades, and an engineering faculty-student group agreed. He didn't attend the group's meetings, considering them a "witch hunt."

[Theodore R.]

FAU was exerting "significant pressure on instructors to pass some students who absolutely clearly do not deserve a passing grade

Again, the words of Jim "Gomer Pyle" Nabors: "Surprise, Surprise, Surprise!"

[Support Free Republic]

Lighten Up, Francis!

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[Cicero]

I'd have to see more details on this. Did he miss classes? How many classes? For what reason?

It certainly sounds as if the students have played on their minority status and the administration has taken a politically correct route. But firing a tenured professor is very controversial in itself.

Florida Atlantic has a reputation as a country-club, and also as basically a money-making operation rather than a respectable college. In that case they wouldn't want to flunk people because that would cost them the tuition and fees and make them less attractive to the kind of students they need to attract to make a profit.

This story leaves a lot of details out, unfortunately.

[LiteKeeper]

SPOTREP

[joesnuffy]

Thirty years ago I remember the "Minority Student Union" and their staff rep would regulary call on un-tenured profs who were daring to fail minority students who didnt merit passing grades...It wasnt long before the profs were shown "the light"
You dont fail "minorities without the word "prejudice" pearched like the "sword of damacles"
over your career...
Of course in the Liberal Arts..whats the diff
But in medicine and engineering?.....
Like the Oz said to the scarecrow...you dont need a brain...you just need a diploma

[Tacis]

I've got to go with the University on this one. What's the point of having an affirmative action admissions program that accepts unqualified black students if you're going to have professors who hold these students to the same standards as the others? You can't subject black students to remedial requirements because that would be racially discriminatory. The University let them in knowing they were less qualified; they have to pass them through and let them out the same way. Why do you think they have black studies programs?

No, the University is right on this one. Society will view the black graduate as a less capable affirmative action graduate anyway. Why bother and stress the brother. Heck, he's got the burden of 100s of years of slavery on his back and really doesn't need to attend all those early classes or read all that stuff with the hard words.

[thegreatbeast]

It is damned hard to jettison a tenured professor and the AAUP(?) will go to the mat to protect this guy.
It sounds like this is a combination of a faculty member who is very "comfortable" in his tenure (won't work outside what he considers his contract) and some kids who been passed along through the graduation track but may not have actually earned it.

Szabo must have been a hell of a teacher:"Szabo earned tenure, satisfactory or better evaluations and several awards during 16 years at FAU, starting in 1985. An electrical engineer, he had coached a student team to victory in a national robot-building contest in 1993."
That doesn't happen without tons of work. The competition is fierce.

[Theodore R.]

"Like the Oz said to the scarecrow...you dont need a brain...you just need a diploma."

Somehow, I missed that quote. Is it "Oz" or "Ox"? The quote is GREAT and explains a lot about "education" and many other "businesses."