A Queen’s University professor is receiving attention after enacting a “civility” clause in which students can lose up to 10 per cent off their final grade for bad behaviour.
Professor Jill Jacobson implemented the clause after several incidents in 2010 in which students reportedly made inappropriate comments to the head TA while Jacobson was away on maternity leave, according to an email. The clause, which is supposed to ensure respect and dignity in the classroom, gives teaching assistants the authority to dock students’ marks and in more severe cases, remove them from the classroom.
“It is course policy that everyone be treated with mutual respect and civility,” the clause reads. “Discriminatory, rude, threatening, harassing, disruptive, distracting and inappropriate behaviour will not be tolerated in this classroom . . . The first offence will result in a 10 per cent reduction in your final mark, and violations in person will result in the students’ removal from the classroom.”
The clause has some students saying it is a threat to academic freedom and an infringement on students’ right to free speech.
“It’s detrimental to the learning environment,” Queen’s psychology student Alana Spira said. “Students will be afraid to challenge their professors and TAs and start any kind of debate out of fear for losing marks.”
Since its implementation, Jacobson has been told by the chair of the university’s psychology department that the clause needed to be linked to and follow the procedures outlined in the school’s academic regulations, according to an email. Regulation 17 outlines specific procedures and possible sanctions for students’ inappropriate behaviour.
“Possible sanctions may include, but are not limited to, a statement of apology, the assignment of work reflecting on the unacceptable behaviour, and/or refusal to accept work submitted by the student pertinent to the portion of the class in which the behaviour took place,” it reads.
Jacobson did not respond to the Charlatan‘s request for an interview.
