SUNY Albany Café: NO STUDENTS SERVED

"Professor Lawrence Snyder, Chair of the Committee on Academic Freedom, Freedom of Expresion, and Community Responsibility (CAFFEECoR) discussed a proposed student academic bill of rights, which will be presented to the Senate Executive Committee. […] Professor Snyder mentioned the possible creation of a website where students may state faculty grievances. […] Another student concern was when students take ADD/ADHD drugs to stay focused on exams. It is especially upsetting for students when the drugs are not prescribed to a particular student who purchases them for the sole purpose of helping them concentrate while studying. Students believe those students have an unfair advantage. According to students, plagiarism and other forms of student cheating is not handled in the same manner for all students resulting in unequal student treatment. The committee concluded it was important to have a location where students may discuss their grievances privately without fear of faculty retribution.

"Professor Snyder mentioned the website entitled ratemyprofessor.com where students are able to post faculty names and comments. He mentioned an example where a student that posted negative comments never approached the faculty member to discuss the matter. Such comments place the University in a poor might and is worsened by the fact that the entire world can access the website."

"Committee on Academic Freedom, Freedom of Expression, and Community Responsibility." Undergraduate Academic Council. December 17, 2005. http://www.albany.edu/senate/images/12-19-05_UAC_minutes.doc

SUNY Albany's Undergraduate Academic Council recognized that some professors retaliate against students who have grievances. There'd been the thought that it would be better for problems to be solved than for complaints to be posted in view of "the entire world" (really just a segment of English speakers with Internet access). They didn't issue ratemyprofessor.com a "cease and desist" however (AFAIK), yet they didn't create the Undergraduate Ombuds office either.

Are student complaints always so unimportant to SUNY Albany administrators? Does the administration find it acceptable to employ faculty who retaliate against students with grievances? Professor Snyder alleged that a student had "never" approached a professor about a problem, but he presumably only had the professor's word for that; regardless, it could easily have been a student fearing retaliation.