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发表于 2008-3-31 22:52:45
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TOPIC: ARGUMENT140 - The following appearedin a report of the Committee on Faculty Promotions and Salaries at Elm City University.
"During her seventeen years as aprofessor of botany, Professor Thomas has proved herself to be well worth herannual salary of $50,000. Her classes are among the largest at the university,demonstrating her popularity among students. Moreover, the money she hasbrought to the university in research grants has exceeded her salary in each ofthe 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 raiseand promotion, we fear that Professor Thomas will leave Elm City University for another college."
WORDS: 411
In this report, Elm City UniversityCommittee recommends increasing Professor Thomas's salary and promoting her toDepartment Chairperson because of her effectiveness as a teacher and aresearch. To support the recommendation, the committee points out thatProfessor Thomas' classes are most popular and last two years the grant amountof money she attracted to the University has exceeded to her $50,000 salary.The committee suffers from several problems, which render it unconvincing as itstands.
First of all, based on an assumption thatthe popularity of Thomas' classes attributes to her effective as a teacher, yetthis assumption overlooks other possible reasons for the popularities of theseclasses. Perhaps Professor Thomas assign higher grades to in her classes, orperhaps classes she teaches are requirements for every science student. Withoutconsidering and ruling out these or other possible alternative explanationsthat might be served to what committee claims, the author cannot justifiablyconclude that Thomas is an effective teacher.
Another problem with the report involves that the amount of great money Thomas attracted to last year exceeded her salary in last two years provesnothing about either her teaching abilities or her researching abilities.Perhaps last two years was just a particular case while in other years Thomascannot attract much grant money. Moreover, some other professors at the Elm City University may attracteven more grant money than Thomas, however with a lower salary levels. Undereither scenario, Thomas would appreciate undeserving of the recommended raiseand promotion-based on this particular criterion.
Thirdly, the report provides no evidencewhatsoever regarding the likelihood that Thomas would leave the University ifshe is not granted the proposed raise and promotion. Lacking such evidence, itis entirely possible that Thomas is quite satisfied with her current positionand salary level. Thus, the committee cannot rely on this claim to bolster itsrecommendation.
In sum, the committee's recommendation isnot persuasive. To strengthen it the committee must provide clear evidence thatThomas is in fact an effective teacher- perhaps by citing students and peerevaluations. The committee also rests specific evidence of Thomas' researchabilities- perhaps by publishing a lot of work about her research. Finally, tobetter evaluate the recommendation, I would need more information about someother professors who have the same teaching and researching abilities asThomas, their current position and salary level, and whether any otherUniversity would be willing to offer her a more attractive employment package.
[ 本帖最后由 usaya 于 2008-3-31 23:26 编辑 ] |
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