argument140 [大杀四方第五次作业]

lrihUID: 2264506

140.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."

提纲

1）  At present her classes are among the largest at the university 不足以证明他her popularity among students，don’t substantiate her teaching abilities. 可能这是由于本学期botany是大多数学生的必修课，而开课教授少；可能botany相对于其他课程更容易通过考试，给的分高；课程重要学分多
2）  the money she has brought to the university in research grants has exceeded her salary不足以证明他research abilities. 拿到经费与研究能力无必然关系，可能是人际关系好；最近两年内拿到经费并不意味着她很多年来一直都拿到经费，将来也能拿到；
3）  即使教学研究能力突出，也不一定要加工资升系主任，可能其他教授也做到了这一点,而且金额不止$50000；可能缺乏管理能力
4）  Faculty Promotions and Salaries不是留住Thomas的唯一因素.可能她17年里与同事，学生的感情也能留人，习惯了ECU的环境

The arguer recommends that Professor Thomas should receive a raise of annual salary and promotion in consideration of her demonstrated teaching and research abilities. To support his recommendation, the arguer provides some facts about the professor's performance at the university. Close scrutiny of each of these facts, however reveals that none of them lend credible support to this recommendation.

Firstly, the arguer relies on the assumption that Thomas' teaching abilities--that is, her popularity among students-- results from the phenomenon that her classes are among the largest at the university. Yet there is no evidence to substantiate the assumption. Perhaps at Elm City University there is few professors except Professor Thomas to provide botany courses which is a compulsory course for a vast majority of students this term. Perhaps considering Professor Thomas has been engaged in college education for seventeen years, students tends to choose an experienced professor's class. Besides, it is utterly possible that  passing exam is easier in her classes compared with other professors' classes. Without ruling out these possibilities, the arguer's recommendation is incredible.

Secondly, it is unreliable that the arguer evaluates the professor's research ability with respect to the amount of research grants which she has brought to the university. Research ability depends on many other facts, such as the professor's authority among scholar colleagues, original contribution to her research fields and quality of papers she has published. Moreover, the arguer doesn't guarantee she has brought the money exceeding her salary to the university in each of the last seventeen years, as well as in the future. Two years seems to be too short time to substantiate her research ability.

Even if Professor Thomas has excellent teaching and research abilities, the arguer aren't able to convince me that it is suitable to give her a raise and a promotion to Department Chairperson. Perhaps other professors at Elm City University also contribute much more research grants exceeding their salary to the university than Professor Thomas. Perhaps some other professors' class is more popular among students relative to Professor Thomas'. If the case is so, a raise and promotion received by Professor Thomas may result in other professors' discontent. Besides, the arguer doesn't provide any evident that Professor Thomas has possessed sufficient management ability which is necessary to work as Department Chairperson.

Finally, the arguer relies on further assumption that without such a raise and promotion, Professor Thomas may leave Elm City University for another college. Perhaps Professor Thomas is satisfied with the circumstance at Elm City University and interpersonal relationship among her colleagues, given that she has been do teaching and research for seventeen years at the university. Perhaps she is also afraid of the risks which she have to face once leaving Elm City University. Without ruling out these possibilities, the arguer's hasty assumption can't convince me.

In sum, the forgoing flaws serve to make the arguer's commendation a poor advice. To better support the commendation, the arguer must conduct a real investigate to student in her class to assess her teaching ability and provide the information about the research grants which Professor Thomas and other professors have brought two years before.