If you were a university professor, how would you handle this ethical dilemma?

Question

The star of the football team is in your class. He's from a poor family, and could not be in college if it were not for his athletic scholarship. What's more, his coach is convinced he will make pro if he continues on the team and graduates with his class.

You review his work, his frequent absences, and cannot justify a grade above D. He must have a C or better in all his classes to keep his scholarship. He begs you to review his work, but the best you could do would be a D+ or, by stretching it, a C-.

Should you give him the C he has not earned to save his scholarship and his possible pro career?

I'm not in this situation. It is a hypothetical adapted from "Ethics for Everyone" by Arthur Dobrin.

Answer 1

No. His chances of going pro are one in sixteen thousand.

I do him no service by sending him out into society as an illiterate.

The reverse happened to Dr. Robert Smith. While a football player at Ohio State, his coaches kept changing his courses from pre-med and he quit the football team.

He later played five years in the NFL, said when he signed his contract he was only playing five years, then went to medical school even though Minnesota offered him a huge contract.

He's now a medical researcher.

We need more Robert Smiths and less coaches sending kids through that cruel factory. They're already on a pedastal of preferential treatment from high school.

Answer 2

At some point in his life, the football player must take responsibility for his own behavior. While I might be able to justify boosting the grade a little if I REALLY knew he was doing his best, his frequent absences tell me that he's not. He had a choice, and he made it. Eventually, even if he turned pro, he would have to quit playing football and live in the real world, and I would not be doing my job as a professor if I let him get out without an education. A person who doesn't try would get no assistance from me; there are people who WILL try who could use that scholarship, and I have no right to keep it from them for the sake of a lazy person who WON'T try. I'd give him the grade he actually earned.

Answer 3

If you can't justify a Grade above a D and he's been absent on a regular and frequent basis, he hasn't made the effort to learn the material of the course. YOU, as his teacher are ethically bound to ensure that anyone passing your course has acheived mastery of the material, which he obviously hasn't. Even if he made the pros, there is NO gaurantee that an injury will not eliminate him in a short amount of time at which point he will have to depend on his degree to earn a living. If that degree was based on inflated grades and never really mastered the information then he will be severely hampered by that. You would have done him an injustice by allowing him to believe that he HAS mastered the material when he in fact, has NOT.

BB,
Raji the Green Witch

Answer 4

No I would not just give him a C. There is no accountability in simply passing people when they can't meet the bare minimum.

Whether or not he graduates from college really would have little to do with him having a possible pro career. The student should be required to complete The work to the same standard as everyone else. Most universities have tutors for those involved in athletics to help them through their studies if there are problems. It is sad that simply being a great athelete means that you aren’t required to learn anything. The chances of making ‘pro’ are slim and far between, any moment that student could injure himself on the field and be left with nothing, and not even a good education if he is just pushed through classes at a passing rate.

Answer 5

can you explain how you determine someone should get a D+
or a C- ?
The dilemma seems the teacher is on a power trip, not whether a person from a poor family is worthy of a C.

You didn't mention the class subject.

This isn't an ethical dilemma this is an issue of a power hungry professor.

~edit...if this question is from a book, it's a shallow concept, I wonder if he got a grant to write it?

Answer 6

First, check into the efficacy of the drug. If the drug DOES have prven beneficial effects then I'd go to Mexico, have the seller mail it directly to him/her. If, after careful research on the efficacy of the drug and it seems to be a quack remedy, I would refuse to comply with my friend's wishes but would offer your support and love for the duration of the illness. I have a similar problem. The drug that I need is illegal in MY State. I circumvent it by going out of State, making my preparation there and bringing back the preparation rather than the illegal substance and, although it is technically illegal, I can prove that the use of the preparation does NOT violate the spirit of the law. The prepartaion IS safe and effective and is NOT a quack remedy. The drug is however, used recreationally in it's original state, hence it's illegality. It's simply a matter of political pressure to keep it illegal due to it's criminal associations and NOT because of it's efficacy or lack thereof. BB, Raji the Green Witch

Answer 7

I used to be a part-time college instructor, auntie, and i faced similar dilemmas especially during finals. I was willing to help students as much as I could, as I understood very well that there could be too many factors why they performed poorly in class (work, financial, home and relationship troubles) but If they'd want to pass or get a higher grade, i gave them special projects which they need to comply with, or else they would get what they really deserve.

Answer 8

I would probably do as Evil reincarnated said, give them a chance to check they're work ask them if they were happy with what they submitted.

As for the star footballer, how many chances has he has, how many times has he been told by yourself and others that he needs to be achieving a higher standard of work, what reasons is there for his frequent absences can they be ustified to allow him more time or is he simply undeserving of his scholarship.

I would find it difficult thinking that i could potentially be responsible for someones future, on the other hand this star football player got a scholarship someone else didnt get, someone possibly more deserving?

Everyone deserves a second chance- how many chances has he had?

Answer 9

Not a chance. I don't even see the dilemma He shows no commitment to his college education so he's made his own bed. Had he applied himself, I would take that into consideration, but colleges are institutes of higher learning, not pro training camps.

Answer 10

I'd give him (and the rest of the class) a last minute opportunity to redo some of their work. But that wouldn't be just because of him, I'm a push-over and I know how colledge kids whine about their grades...

And no way would I just let him have the grade without effort.