Edward Feldman, UC Davis Professor, Asked Students How To Grade New Mother

A UC Davis professor has come under fire for asking his students to vote on the grade of student who gave birth near to the semester's start, according to Inside Higher Ed.

Chair of the Department of Medicine & Epidemiology at the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine Edward Feldman garnered widespread condemnation when an e-mail sent out by the third year class presidents on his behalf was published on On Becoming a Domestic and Laboratory Goddess, a blog which explores challenges faced by women in the sciences. Blogger Isis posted the e-mail, which asked the new mother's peers to help Dr. Feldman decide how to grade her in light of pending absences (excerpts below):

Dear Colleagues,

One of our classmates recently gave birth and will be out of class for an unknown period of time...Below are listed the options that Dr. Feldman has suggested. Please reserve comment on these options and provide us your opinion on them by voting when the time comes. Thank you for your understanding in this matter.

a) automatic A final grade
b) automatic B final grade
c) automatic C final grade
d) graded the same as everyone else: best 6 quiz scores out of a possible 7 quiz scores (each quiz only given only once in class with no repeats)
e) just take a % of quiz scores (for example: your classmate takes 4 quizzes, averages 9/10 points = 90% = A)
f) give that student a single final exam at the end of the quarter (however this option is only available to this one student, all others are graded on the best 6 quiz scores and the % that results)

Please let us know if you have other thoughts on how to handle this situation and please keep your eye out for the upcoming vote.

Thank you for your time and consideration,

Your Presidents

When Isis asked Feldman to comment on the story, he said: "I have no comment on the email you received which was to be sent only to members of the UC Davis, School of Veterinary Medicine, current 3rd year class."

And when Isis reached out to a university official (who asked to be quoted anonymously), she was told that while the manner with which Feldman handled the issue was suspect, the issue became more complicated than it might appear: "Within a professional school that has a very intensive and lock-step curriculum, there are many issues to consider in these circumstances."

But school chancellor Linda Katehi had a stronger reaction. She told Inside Higher Ed:

"I take very seriously any allegations that a student's welfare, dignity or academic rights have in any way been compromised" adding that she planned on investigating the situation, and that if the allegations were true she was prepared to take "swift and appropriate action."

What do you think of this? Let us know what you think comments section -- and check out "On Becoming..." for the full text of the e-mail.

Comments

[KrugnacTheMagnificent]

02:30 AM on 01/18/2011

How do they know this is a female student?

Fathers also qualify for the FMLA. There are no feminine words used.

It seems like another feminist is jumping to conclusions.

[pnc]

03:21 PM on 01/18/2011

the first sentence: "one of our classmates recently gave birth." Last time I checked, fathers don't give birth.

[GirlFriday123]

05:37 PM on 02/18/2011

I was about to ask if he sent this out whenever any of his students became parents during a semester.

Surely this student couldn't have been the first.

[lbcdem95]

02:51 PM on 01/17/2011

I know of many women who had a baby and were in class at the next session. They are focused and determined. It is a complete insult that an instructor would assume that just because she gave birth that she has to receive "special treatment." Based on what is presented in this story we do not know what type of a student she is. The instructor has no right to ask such a question of the other students in her class they do not evaluated her work and calculate her grade. If he was unsure of how to handle this situation he should have asked his superiors after speaking to the student. She spent a lot of money on her education, and if she is a third year student she must also be commited to completing that education (however this is just an assumption on my part.). He should have only his superiors and the student in this situation; not the entire third year vet school class.

[tjives]

11:28 PM on 01/16/2011

Many of you are looking for reasons to get upset, without understanding the process, the situation, or the details of this "incident". Please - read pawsdr, Laura Weatherford, and sagvca's comments - they have far more insight than most commenters here. As a 4th year veterinary student (different university), I would be grateful to a professor that would consider alternatives to repeating an ENTIRE year of vet school or dropping out (classes are only offered once per year - medical emergencies do not exclude you from having to repeat the following year). My pregnant classmates were not so lucky. It is an intense, expensive program that moves at lightning speed. Making up half a class' pop quizzes is not "fair" to your classmates because you are able to prepare for them (while they were not). Maybe it seems to be an "invasion of privacy" to outsiders, but to a vet student (who would surely be aware of her classmate's absences), I think it's extremely considerate to consult with this individual's colleagues about how to handle the situation. This has nothing to do with sexism or breach of privacy. Furthermore, I would assume that after the class "vote", this student's classmates would only know whether she were permitted to pass the course (as evidenced by remaining in their class!). The specific grade assigned would surely remain private. It is important to distinguish a veterinary medicine program from other program types. This class is lucky to have such a caring professor.

[lbcdem95]

03:03 PM on 01/17/2011

This is not "lucky." It is unethical. Her is grade and course of study is not the business of her classmates, and base on this email it sounds as though he sent it the day she delivered (although we have no way of knowing that). She may not miss a quiz. A classmate of mine had a baby and was in class the very next session, she did not miss a session, a quiz, an assignment, or an exam. She received the top grade in the class. It is unkown what type of person or student she is. This is not something you can make general assupmtions on.

[pnc]

07:30 PM on 01/16/2011

UC-Davis school of vet med has, of course, a policy regarding absence. http://www.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/studentprograms/class_2013/Attendancepolicy08.pdf. According to this document "Instructors will attempt to assist students who miss DVM course work due to
emergency absence." From what I see, this professor did not want to work with the student to arrange for makeup work. He did not follow the stated policy, which is there to protect students from arbitrary and capricious professors and to make sure students understand what is expected of them. This student followed protocol, but the professor did not. So, however great a researcher he is, blah, blah, blah, he still needs to follow the rules of his institution. Please stop defending the indefensible.

[Laura Weatherford]

08:50 PM on 01/16/2011

As I stated before - we do not know the whole story. Even though I am a woman, I don't think having an infant is an "emergency absence". I've always reserved that for deaths and illness.

[pnc]

08:49 AM on 01/17/2011

It isn't debatable. It is simply fact that childbirth is considered a medical condition. Do you really, honestly believe that someone having the flu should get accommodation for illness, but there should be no accommodation for having a baby? That's just absurd.

[onwisconsin]

10:15 PM on 01/15/2011

This would be inappropriate at my school under FERPA. The student's grade is between the instructor and the student only. There is no input from any other student or student body. I can't imagine that I would get away with this, should I be stupid enough to try.

[vetmed]

09:34 PM on 01/15/2011

Vet school is so much different than any other program. Davis veterinary school is on the quarter system and on average each student enrolls in 28 units. Dr. Feldman's class, funny enough would either be reproduction but I think its his endocrinology course, likely will end not at the end of the quarter but at some odd preset date. Many of the courses start and finish not according to the traditional academic timeline which makes it difficult to make anything else up. Granted, most profs think their course is the most important and the only one you should care about, but I think with Feldman reaching out to her classmate and was trying to get a feel of what other students thought. He is a very fair man and also tenured so any punishment is very unlikely in this case (especially for the potential violation-doesn't mean its appropriate but just the fact). In our class, one of my classmates gave birth and the prof actually went to the hospital to give her an oral final. They try to work with the student's situation regardless of the cause, but all students do not want to drop back unless its the only choice. I'm sure she had options but was trying to stay with the class. Its basically likely going through high school again but with more knowledge. It is very hard to come into a class that already has established cliques. You're basically the odd person out.

[ebob3]

04:29 PM on 01/16/2011

Welcome to Huffington Post, Professor Feldman!

Oh yes, we so much agree with you that you were "just trying to reach out."

And about that property you have for sale, that bridge between Marin and SF (Golden something?) how are you coming along with that? Any interested buyers?

[pnc]

07:10 PM on 01/16/2011

this is ridiculous. Maybe he didn't mean to violate her privacy or demean her situation, but he has an obligation to make an accommodation for any student who has a legitimate reason to miss class and it is not for the other students in the class to weigh in on that decision. He cannot abdicate his authority because he is too lazy, indifferent, or dismissive to deal with his student's needs. The student came to him, explained her situation, and he had an *obligation* to make an accommodation. And it was no one's business, but a matter to be settled directly and exclusively between student and faculty member. He must have known that. Having tenure (which I have) doesn't mean that there won't be consequences. His reputation is already tarnished and that means a lot in academic circles. The guy is sexist, insensitive, and not very nice, to say the least.

[mcavity]

08:59 PM on 01/15/2011

what no one seems to get is the professor was trying to do the student a favor.
yes he did it poorly yes he never should have asked the cohort.
Notice however dropping or failing the student was not one of the options. In the class description it states quite clearly that if you miss to much work you would be dropped / failed.
Yes he screwed up.. but he was trying to be fair despite whatever imaginary motive "Isis" assigns to the professor.

[WaitingforJanuary]

09:08 PM on 01/15/2011

The professor didn't need to survey the class about private matters. I don't see the point. You don't have a vote.

[rafaelrobyns]

09:57 PM on 01/15/2011

Exactly. Sounds like he was trying to hide behind his students when the responsibility to consider and make the decision is all his.

[pnc]

07:12 PM on 01/16/2011

abdicating his responsibilities by foisting them on the students and violating this student's privacy are not "doing the student a favor." Faculty have an obligation to make accommodation when personal situations or illness arise (not that childbirth is an illness, but you know what I mean).

[mcavity]

09:59 PM on 01/16/2011

yes but not dropping/failing the student and making her wait a year to retake the class is something I would consider a "favor".
now I have already stated I think he did this poorly an that he NEVER should have asked the cohort. the other students NEVER should have been involved. however I don't see sexism as a motive here just good intentions gone bad.

and WaitingforJanuary as for not having a vote.. your right I don't. and neither do you [unless you are somehow affiliated with this school / class]
I do however have an opinion and a perspective on this issue and like you I feel free to share it.

[Laura Weatherford]

08:58 PM on 01/15/2011

I would love to know the whole story. The blog by Isis is so inflammatory. I feel some important facts have been omitted (unknowingly or not). As a scientist and former student of Dr Feldman I think there is a large chunk of information missing. Once the whole truth comes out then I would like to know everyone's reaction.

[lisakaz2]

05:38 PM on 01/15/2011

How about considering "incomplete" if there's a decent amount of missing work? Why are students voting?

[squirrely girl]

04:52 PM on 01/16/2011

How about following standard University protocols?

[DonCosenza]

04:48 PM on 01/15/2011

I could see this as being a thorny issue, but it's not one to put to a class vote, especially since, according to one of the students, "the relevant student was sitting in his class and that he basically ignored her when she pointed out that she was present and absences wouldn't be an issue."

[docron]

04:17 PM on 01/15/2011

I had a student last semester who missed a total of two days because of a pregnancy. Had her child on a Friday. Back in school on Wednesday.

I know that's remarkable. And I told her so. But in talking with her, I dealt with the situation privately, and came to an accommodation which both she and I thought was fair.

The alternatives that Dr. Feldman provided are not inappropriate. Publishing them publicly, or allowing them to be published publicly by distributing them to his class, was both inappropriate and stupid. The professional approach is to deal with the situation privately. And to deal with it in exactly the same manner as when a student misses class for any reason -- some reasons are legitimate, some are not. Some teachers don't care why you miss a class, some do.

Very simple: Set your policy for attendance. Then apply it. Make exceptions (or not) as you believe them to be appropriate.

[GraniteSkyline]

03:26 PM on 01/15/2011

My neighbor gave birth to her 4th child in the first semester of her 3rd year and it wasn't a big problem. She she took minimal time off made up the work over thanksgiving and Xmas vacation to be on track for the next semester. But that's her--she's unstoppable!

[pnc]

07:13 PM on 01/16/2011

it sounds like that was this student too. All she was requesting was reasonable accommodation, some flexibility.

[sagvca]

02:30 PM on 01/15/2011

It would be helpful to gain the perspective of the veterinary student at the center of this controversy. We do not have all of the facts and it's unfortunate that so many people are willing to judge this situation when they only know part of the story. It appears that the student would have to drop out or join the next years class and that the professor was considering the option of making an exception on her behalf. He did not write the email polling the class, it was written by the class agents. Perhaps he made an error in judgement, but he should not be vilified. By the 3rd year, everyone in a class like this knows their classmates quite well. The pregnancy and the extended absence that lead to this dilemma would not have been a secret.
It seems likely that the professor was trying to keep the student with the class and wanted to explore alternatives to flunking her. The annual cost of attending the vet school now exceeds $30,000, which would be the penalty for dropping back a year. It appears that her professor had honorable intentions and it's unfortunate that so many are willing to demean his character based on limited information.

[pawsdr]

02:53 PM on 01/15/2011

Ditto. Dr. Feldman is a preeminent researcher in the veterinary medical field and firing him would be an injustice to all. (JF is this you "sagvca"? :-} )

[docron]

04:20 PM on 01/15/2011

No one suggested firing him. But he most likely violated federal law. And anyone who has taught for more than two semesters knows that FERPA standards are quite strict.

Everything about grades is completely private. We are regularly reminded that we talk to no one about a student's grades. No one. Including parents. And certainly not classmates.

[pnc]

07:16 PM on 01/16/2011

We can concede he's a great researcher. Even concede he's not a bad guy. But this was inappropriate and he should be reprimanded. It is a teaching moment to educate the UC-Davis faculty and staff about university requirements for reasonable accommodations and also FERPA. At my uni we had to take an online course to get educated about what FERPA demands and guess what? It means not discussing any individual student's grades/grading with any other student. This was his class and it was his job to handle this in private.

[cynicalme]

03:26 PM on 01/15/2011

you make a valid point.

we also can't honestly know what his intentions were/are. at least not based on this article and the info we have. vet students work their tails off, with examinations being extremely hard. missing classes and getting behind would be hard to 'make up'. i also have known most vet students to be, for the most part, fair-minded and supportive of their fellows. esp by 3rd year. obviously she has what it takes.

i would rather believe that it was an attempt at fairness for everyone. however, it obviously could have been better handled. and it seems to me that her pregnancy and how it would effect her studies should be something that is between her and the professors and people running the school. not her classmates.

[thaneb]

02:04 PM on 01/15/2011

The chancellor's "stronger reaction" may be due to the Federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).
Feldman's email is arguably a violation of that act.
Withholding of Federal funding is the final sanction for a violation and UC Davis Vet no doubt receives Federal funding.

[Marj]

01:09 AM on 01/16/2011

It wasn't Feldman's email.

[ena]

08:22 AM on 01/16/2011

Please don't defend the indefensible. Here's the quote that the lazy Professor Feldman asked one of his students to send:

"When Isis asked Feldman to comment on the story, he said: "I have no comment on the email you received which was to be sent only to members of the UC Davis, School of Veterinary Medicine, current 3rd year class."

[Ashley Erin]

02:30 PM on 01/16/2011

It may not have been his email, but he asked the "president's" to poll the students. What is sounds like is he knew very well that this was problematic and distanced himself from directly asking the students.

[insidious]

01:28 PM on 01/15/2011

As with any medical situation, schools should have an agreed upon policy. Pregnancy is a medical condition. As such, it is highly irresponsible to give this important situation over to peer/student review! Accomadation does not mean lower expectations!