The Battalion
OPINION
Friday, September 21,1990
Opinion Page Editor Ellen Hobbs 845-33
Friday, Sep
Repi
Department works for classroom communication
I read with interest Branden
Cornelius’ letter about not being able
to understand his statistics instructor
(Battalion, Sept. 17). 1 would like to
respond by discussing the general
issue ofinternational instructors and
some of the procedures the
University and statistics department
have instituted to enhance ef fective
teaching in our courses.
Dr. H. Joseph
Newton
Reader’s Opinion
First, a basic fact of academic life is
that to carry out the research needed
to solve problems faced by Texas
(and the United States as a whole),
Texas A&M tries to attract the most
highly trained faculty and graduate
assistants possible without regard to
race, gender, national origin or any
other external factors. Given that a
fair number of the most highly
trained people do not have English as
their native language, adminstators
are often asked why we don’t hire
additional faculty from the United
States solely to teach introductory
courses.
challenging program of research
and/or study themselves.
As Mr. Cornelius said, statistics can
be a dif ficult subject, particularly for
students having difficulty in the
prerequisites, whether from lack of
technical skills or from math anxiety.
We have developed several
procedures for helping students with
these problems. These procedures
include:
• An algebra pre-test designed to
warn students who are weak in
technical skills that they might need
remedial help before taking the
In addition, we work closely with
the Center for Teaching Excellence
who observes and videotapes all of
our instructors, international or not,
and provides us with feedback on the
relative skills of all our instructors.
Of course, it is possible for us to
make a mistake, and students could
be faced with an instructor (again I
emphasize, international or not) with
inadequate communication skills.
This fall the University has
implemented a Classroom
Communication Enhancement
Program under the Associate Provost
for Honors Programs and
Undergraduate Studies. This
program provides a standard,
University-wide mechanism for
students to register complaints about
the communication skills of their
instructors. We welcome this
program as well as the general
Commitment to Education Program
instituted by Texas A&M.
I would like to emphasize that I
welcome an informed discussion of
the role of international instructors
in a major university. But such
discussion must in fact be informed
as well as rational and even-
tempered.
In order for Texas A&M to
continue to grow stronger, we must
be sure that we provide an
environment where no group feels
singled out for unfair criticism. In
this regard, I welcome the report of
the President’s Committee for a
Discrimination-Free Campus, also
adopted this fall.
I have tried to be positive and up
beat in this Reader’s Opinion, bull
feel I must end on a negative note
In any future discussion of this
issue, I hope that venomous phrases
like the ones employed by Mr.
Cornelius, such as “makes a very
poor attempt at speaking English,”
“speaks English on a fifth- or sixth
grade level,” and the infamous “1
have nothing against these people?
(italics mine) can be avoided. They
add nothing to the discussion, do
damage to the intellectual vitality olj
great University and have thoroughli
of f ended all of the students and
faculty in our department.
Dr. H. Joseph Newton is head oftht
Texas A&M Department of Statistics,
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The first two reasons we don’t
employ that practice are the shortage
of funds and the shortage of qualified
Americans interested in such a job.
But there are other reasons as well.
One reason is that we have all seen
examples proving that being from
the United States is no guarantee of
being a good teacher. Another is that
our international instructors have not
received significantly lower ratings
on evaluation forms. In fact, the
instructor Mr. Cornelius criticized is
one of our most conscientious
teachers and has received
consistently high student evaluations.
• An almost round-the-clock
system of help sessions. These
sessions are free of charge and,
contrary to Mr. Cornelius’ claim, are
run by instructors coming from a
wide variety of national origins.
• The availability of paid tutors.
• The availability of Professor
Elizabeth Eltinge, our director of
undergraduate affairs, to any student
not finding the other procedures
helpf ul. Professor Eltinge is a tenure-
track assistant professor possessing
degrees in both statistics and
education.
• And) if all else fails, I am happy
to meet with students having
difficulties of any kind in our
courses.
T here is one other fact I would like
to emphasize about why we have
international instructors: they are
remarkable people and their
presence greatly enhances the
multicultural millieu required of a
great university. They have learned a
second language, have adapted to a
culture far from home and have had
to qualify to become instructors in
order to continue their financial
support — all while carrying on a
Any subject is dif ficult if an
instructor, international or not, has
poor communication skills. In the
case of international instructors, we
work closely with the University’s
English Language Institute. They
provide courses in English for the
instructor. Based on their reports
and our knowledge of the instructor,
we certif y that they are capable of
carrying on classroom instruction.
With the University’s new
Classroom Communication
Enhancement Program, students
have the power to correct
communication problems with their
instructors. A power we should be
careful not to abuse.
The program allows students to
submit formal complaints about
problems they have understanding
professors in class. Department
heads and associate deans will review
the complaints and decide on
appropriate measures within seven
days.
Many problems have been
overlooked in the past because no
complaint process existed before,
and the program is an excellent way
for students to seek help with any
communication problem. It is also an
excellent way for foreign teachers to
be discriminated against.
We all know many faculty
members come to Texas A&M from
other countries, and most of us have
taken classes from international
instructors. In some cases, instructors
may not know English well enough to
communicate effectively. These
problems should be addressed.
But many of these instructors are
competent in English; they just retain
the accents of their first language.
These are the instructors I’m worried
about.
We must try and understand the
problems foreign instructors face.
English is a dif ficult language to
master because of all the exceptions
to grammatical rules, and
international instructors often
explain complex concepts in class. I
have trouble ordering a Coke in a
foreign language, while some of
these people are explaining nuclear
physics.
If instructors know English but
have an accent, it’s not that hard to
work with them and try to
understand. Filing complaints
against instructors just because they
don’t speak exactly like we do is
narrow-minded and unfair.
Why be so harsh and quick to
judge? In classes where the instructoi
has a foreign accent, I’ve often heard
students say, “He can’t speak a word
of English” or “Why can’t we have
someone American for a change?"
T he teachers’ accents are rarely as
bad as students make them out to be
Besides, being born in the United
States doesn’t make someone a good
tear her. The worst teacher I’ve had
at A&M speaks perfect English,and
one of the best teachers I’ve hadisaii
international instructor. Youcanbe;
good (or bad) communicator in am
language.
T he Classroom Communication
Enhancement Program isagreahvai
to resolve legitimate gripes about
instructors who can’t explain class
material and instructors who can’t
adequately communicate in English
Just remember un/atr accusations
will reinforce the discrimination
problems many international
instructors already face. Let’s not
punish anyone if we can help bridge
the gap ourselves.-
Cindy McMillian is a senior
economics major.
AAA&aaies
(gWOTUE RSCCPp/NEVJ
Mail Call
Pro-choicers not “pro-abortion”
EDITOR:
I read Mr. Bradham’s letter with interest and some sadness. I am emphati
cally not “pro-abortion.” I am “pro-choice.” I would never, under anycircut
stances, favor the government using its power to force a woman to have an
abortion, nor would I favor forcing medical personnel to participate in abor
tions.
However, I believe that government control of our private lives has be
come far too intrusive. I do not believe that the government should make this
decision. It should be a decision between the woman and her doctor and ulti
mately between a woman and Cod.
When the government claims the tight to prohibit abortion (as it didin
Romania under the Communist dictatorship) it is within the government’s
power to compel abortion (as it does in China under the Communist
dictatorship). It should not be the government’s decision.
I hope society can decrease the annual abortion rate through efforts sucl
as contraception education. But studies have also shown that when women art
denied choice, the result is often death at the hands of butchers and self in
duced abortions.
Many remember when abortion was illegal. The silent trips out of state for
the rich; dead or mutilated girls for the poor. There are no easy snapanswen
The decision is an often difficult and traumatic one. But, the decision should
not be made by the government.
Jim James ’76
Candidate for state representative
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Member of
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The Battalion Editorial Board
Cindy McMillian,
Editor
Timm Doolen, Managing Editor
Ellen Hobbs, Opinion Page Editor
Holly Becka, City Editor
Kathy Cox,
Kristin North,
News Editors
Nadja Sabawala,
Sports Editor
Eric Roalson, Art Director
Lisa Ann Robertson,
Lifestyles Editor
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