Argument140 [Jet小组] 第十二次作业

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题目：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."
字数：432          用时：0:25:00          日期：2008/3/1

This argument suggests that Elm City University should raise Professor Thomas' salary and give her a promotion to Department Chairperson with some reasons. After careful scrutiny of this argument, we can find that it contains several facets that are questionable.

As a threshold matter, the author said that Professor Thomas has proved herself to be worth the annual salary of 50,000 dollars for she has the largest classes and has brought high research grants to the university. Such as common sense, the size of class largely depends on the subject whether it is required for every student to take or not. If Elm City University emphasize botany a lot and set this course as necessary, then even students don't like Professor Thomas' class, they have to take it in order to earn their credits. Thus the popularity among students cannot simply be assumed by this evidence as the author contends. Besides, it is probably that there is only Professor Thomas teach botany at this university, therefore, if students are fund of this subject, they can only choose to take Professor Thomas' class.

Moreover, though Professor Thomas brought research grants has exceeded her salary in each of the last two years, there is no evidence shows that she is dissatisfied with her salary. Since she has been working in this university for seventeen years, it is likely that she enjoys her work or love research on botany and therefore won't leave simply for the salary. On the other side, if she ever thinks her salary is too low and wants to leave, she may ask about it years ago, not waiting until today.

Furthermore, to give Professor Thomas a promotion to Department Chairperson even sounds incredible. Even though she demonstrate great teaching and research abilities, it doesn’t follow that she is good at research work may not be a good leader. Without asking her own opinion, we shouldn't conclude that she would like to be a chairperson.

Even if Professor Thomas wants to leave Elm City University for another college, it is still lack of evidence that she leave for money or promotion. A university professor has her own life as well. Maybe some of her family members has moved to somewhere and ask her to live with them. This is much sounder for such a professor who works seventeen year at a university to leave one day.

In conclusion, this argument is weakened by the evidence discussed above. To make it strengthen, the author should provide more information about whether Professor Thomas intended to leave Elm City University and why.