Argument140 [OB小组]_第6次作业_Raise and promotion Prof Thomas at Elm City U

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TOPIC: ARGUMENT140 - The following appeared in a report of the Committee on Faculty Promotions and Salaries at Elm City University.

"During her seventeen years as a professor of botany, Professor Thomas has proved herself to be well worth her annual salary of $50,000. Her classes are among the largest at the university, demonstrating her popularity among students. Moreover, the money she has brought to the university in research grants has exceeded her salary in each of the last two years. Therefore, in consideration of Professor Thomas' demonstrated teaching and research abilities, we recommend that she receive a $10,000 raise and a promotion to Department Chairperson; without such a raise and promotion, we fear that Professor Thomas will leave Elm City University for another college."
WORDS: 613          TIME: 00:30:00+20          DATE: 2007-7-19 23:07:57

In this argument, the committee states that the professor of botany-Thomas should be given a raise of salary from 50,000 dollars to 60,000 dollars as well as promotion to Department Chairperson. To support such point, several evidence and information are given. Firstly, she has the on of the largest classes at the university demonstrating her popularity. Secondly, she brought more money than her salaries to the university in research grants. Finally, Professor may leave Elm City University without the raise and promotion. However, close scrutiny reveals this argument is with lots of flaws.

To begin with, having one of the largest classes at the university does not necessarily demonstrate her popularity among students. In this report, nothing is mentioned about the mechanism under which students choose their courses and teachers. It is quite possible that botany is an extremely popular course itself, thus having a large class is readily conceivable. Or the number of professors who teach botany is small while that of students are large, therefore, the seemingly phenomenon can only demonstrate she is popular than other professors who teach botany.  It is even possible the time of her classes are more compatible with the time-table of most students. For instance, her classes are at afternoon while other botany classes are in early morning when most students feel like to lie in bed. In a nutshell, the mere fact that her classes are among the largest at the university can not be powerful enough to suggest her popularity among students.

Second of all, though the money Profess Thomas has brought exceeded her salary in the last two years, it is hasty to give her the raise of salary and the promotion. As a matter of fact, the research grants of a university ought to be surpassed by some of its best professors. Otherwise, it is exceptionally difficult for a university to undertake researches only by the funds from governments. It is also quite possible that she brought in a large amount of grants because the sponsors are interested in her projects while there are no guarantees for their success, which means her researches could end up with just failures and the interests she was expected to bring into the university might turn into nothing.  

Meanwhile, whether Professor Thomas deserves a raise and especially a promotion can not be judged merely by either his/her popularity among students or the money s/he brought into the university. Being in the position in of Department Chairman is utterly different from being just a professor. There are quantities of administrative issues that need to be dealt with such as determining the tenure of a professor in the department, adjusting the budget of a year and so forth. This position acquired much more qualities than being a professor.

Last but not least, even though the committee gives Professor Thomas the raise and promotion. There are still possibilities that she may leave for another college. After all, the salary raise and promotion are not the solution to every issue. She probably will leave for some other colleges because they have a comparatively famous reputation. Or those colleges can offer her much more advanced laboratories to continue her researches. In sum, a raise and a promotion are not able to ensure the stay of Professor Thomas in Elm City University.

To conclude, the argument is not persuasive as it stands. To make it more convincing, the committee needs to collect more data and evidence to prove that Professor Thomas is one of the best and popular professors in the university. However, considering a raise of salary and promotion the insurance for the stay of a professor is never wise notion.

晕，发现开头不能把逻辑链给写出来了，否则时间完全不够了。