By: Czarina Santos, Writer | September 18, 2024
Photo courtesy of author
Students deserve educators who are fully equipped in their field. They need intellectuals who will provide them with the education they deserve.
These educators bear the responsibility of providing students with knowledge that they will utilize throughout the rest of their careers as students, if not the rest of their lives.
When a significant age gap compromises the capacity of professors to impart an adequate education to their students, should retirement be imposed upon them?
Carson High School’s College and Career Access Pathways (CCAP) graduating class of 2026 recently highlighted their experiences with their previous English 101 professor. The consensus provided by the students was that, due to the professor’s age, he possessed an outdated teaching style and ineffective communication methods that placed the students in a position where they felt that they must take significant steps to receive the education they deserved.
The attempted solution to this issue--advised by the college counselors--was for the students to write an email to the Harbor College administrators requesting an immediate change. The purpose of the email would be for the students to have the opportunity to detail their experiences with the professor in hopes that their concerns will be acknowledged, and appropriate measures implemented.
Fortunately, after much consideration and advocacy by students, their voices were acknowledged and a new, younger professor has been assigned to instruct them.
The students are satisfied with the new changes implemented and are now confident that they will be receiving the quality of education that they rightfully deserve.
However, why were the students put in these circumstances in the first place? Why were they ever placed in an environment where their instructor was no longer able to provide them with an effective education, and the responsibility of making any substantial changes was placed upon them? Why is it not the responsibility of school administrations to implement better policies regarding their senior professor’s ability to continue to instruct? Or better yet why is it not the responsibility of the senior professor to acknowledge whether they are still fit to instruct a new generation of students?
After all, at a certain point, a barrier is created between instructors and students due to generational differences and better policies must be implemented--ideally, a limit that no longer allows professors to teach by the time they are over 65 years old.
A recent survey indicates that CCAP students were taught by a professor who was considerably older than themselves.
Based on the results of the survey, their experiences were predominantly unfavorable, largely attributed to the professors' lack of professionalism.
Students reported that their professor’s unprofessionalism ranged from a lack of preparation necessary for conducting effective lessons to instances of overt discrimination toward their students.
The CCAP class of 2026 expressed concerns regarding their former English 101 professor, citing that the learning environment he fostered was not suitable for a college-level course.
Reportedly, the course primarily consisted of lectures with minimal visual aids, and when students voiced their difficulties in understanding the material, the instructor's responses were often unhelpful.
Carson High School CCAP junior, Albert Tupas, said, “When we attempt[ed] to ask him to explain the assignments or restate questions, he respond[ed] with simple answers that were often confusing or that just didn't answer the question entirely.”
Issues also occurred regarding the assignments provided for the course, highlighting the professor’s inadequate preparation.
A notable respondent from the poll remarked, “The assignments are not organized, and the deadlines are absent from the syllabus. Additionally, the professor does not provide clear guidance on the assignments.”
The students had trouble in establishing effective communication with their professor and acquiring substantial knowledge from the class, primarily due to his outdated and ineffective teaching methods.
The experience of the CCAP class of 2025 with their former English 101 professor exemplifies a different aspect of unprofessionalism.
Yesenia Arroyo, a current CHS senior in the CCAP program, recounts her encounters with this previous professor. She pointed out that the course presented various challenges, notably the inclusion of materials that frequently addressed antiquated beliefs.
“We were often confused whether or not he disagreed with the problematic material we were reading,” said Arroyo.
Additionally, the professor exhibited clear discriminatory behavior, at times humiliating specific students during class and offending various minority groups through outdated generalizations.
CHS CCAP senior Ericka Villadelgado, who frequently expressed her views candidly during class discussions, recounts that “his generalization of women not being loud speakers--which is a comment he made after I spoke up one time during class--affected the way that people listen[ed] to what I had to say and definitely affected how he listened to what I had to say.”
The experiences of the CCAP class of 2025 were profoundly adverse due to the unsafe learning environment their professor established.
The most compelling argument against imposing age restrictions is the existence of ageism laws, which complicate the search for viable solutions to this matter.
According to the American Association of University Professors, “Since 1994, however, federal legislation has prevented academic institutions from setting any mandatory retirement age.”
However, the history of the CCAP instructors at CHS indicates that senior professors do behave unprofessionally and are no longer able to identify with and effectively educate their students. After all, protecting the students is what matters, right?
Moreover, this reoccurring issue has not only adversely impacted the educational experiences of two graduating classes, but also their overall well-being due to the detrimental learning environments they were exposed to.
It can also be asserted that the educational welfare of an entire generation outweighs the financial security of a single educator.
Furthermore, the argument that “restricting older professors from continuing to teach constitutes ageism” is no longer valid, particularly when they have demonstrated such unprofessionalism and hostility toward their students.
In the end, academic institutions must strive to enhance their efforts to ensure that their educators remain qualified to teach the next generation of students.
Given that implementing age limits is prohibited by law, a proposed solution is for administrations to establish policies that annually reassess professors’ capabilities to continue teaching beyond the age of 65.
During the assessment process, administrations must offer students more opportunities to communicate their experiences and take those into account when determining the ongoing employment of educators.
Ultimately, the intent behind these measures is not to discriminate against senior educators, but rather to prioritize the educational needs of students, particularly those pursuing a college-level education.
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