argument140 METTLE小组第三次作业 by werecat

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argument140 METTLE小组第三次作业

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."

In this report, the writer praised highly of Professor Thomas(PT) who majors in botany. He proposed many pieces of evidence such as the largest class volumes, the great amounts of money PT brought to the university to demostrate her teaching and research abilities. Therefore, the writer suggested raising PT's salary and promoting her as Department Chairman(DC), in fear that she would leave for another college otherwisely. However, there are some fallacies in the process of reasoning which may hamper the credibility of the conclusion.

First of all, the writer emphasized that PT performs her outstanding teaching ability and enjoys great popularity in holding the largest classes at the university. However, it is obvious to realize that there is no causal relation between the number of attending students and a professor's ability to impart knowledge or if she is widely welcomed. The probability exists that PT is a Mrs Good Guy who gives high ranks generously, so most students are alacrity to choose her lessons. Or perhaps the university has such regulation that each student must at least study one course in botany, thus PT's classes are seeping without her own efforts. All the suppositions mentioned above are probable due to lacking of certain details. If they are certified, they will go exactly the opposite way in demostrating PT's ability and popularity.

Secondly, PT's real research capability also remains a question. Although it is true that she managed to bring sufficient research grants which exceeded her salary in each of the last two years. But we can not conclude hastely that it is the excellent research competence which determined the final grants. Chances are that PT is quite familiar with the people in charge of committing these money, so her social or even adulating skills domain the process of granting funds instead. We can also presume that there are only a few applicants of the botany funds, so everyone is able to get some money, and unfortunately PT acquired the least amount among them all(while still more than her salary). Morever, the amount of research grants are not equal to one's salary, thus they can not be measured and compared simply and involuntarily. Therefore, missing of some background informations may disturb our judgements toward PT's research ability.

Furthermore, assuming that PT is indeed brilliant in both teaching and research ability, there are still some fallacies in the report. DC is a position requires familiarity with leadership and management. So we can not assign the position regardlessly without considering the relevant skills except teaching and research. Besides, the writer's fear of PT's leaving is groundless, because no definite sign shows that she is complaining about her status and salary, still, no confirmed message indicates that peer universities are planning to employ her. Since then, the conclusion of the report is hard to accept.

In sum, the report is flawed in both evidence and reasoning deductions. Before we can be convinced to offer both promoting in position and increasing in salary, the writer must support the assertation with the information below: the exact examples or datas representing PT's teaching and research abilities, the necessity of appointing her DC and raising her income and the valid reason of his own fear.

自我检讨:这两次作文纵容自己,都没有限时,结果篇幅比较长,以后要逐步适应考试节奏!