Friday, September 7, 2001
Please Help Us!
CSU Fresno is not a student-friendly environment
By Mad Max, Student Contributor

    FRESNO STATE --Last semester I attended CSUF. I took two classes in the Criminology Department from Mr. Late who habitually arrived at both classes late. The times varied from 5 to 10 minutes to 15 and even 20 minutes on at least one occasion.
     Mr. Late was also impersonating  Mr. Under-prepared who often brought no teaching aids, or handouts with him. To help students learn the material, he even had students learn from another professors web site ... many students took this as laziness.
    This instructor was also known as Mr. Short, as he usually dismissed class early although he was being paid for scheduled classes that were to run for the hours scheduled.
     During the time that Mr. Short was actually conducting classes, he would interrupted himself repeatedly to answer incoming calls to his cellphone. At these times he would assume the identity of Mr. Hall as he would leave the lecture room and stand outside in the hallway where he could be overheard by the students discussing his personal business.
    I have attempted to contact this professor through e-mail without success.
Under miserable conditions like these, fellow students wanted to complain to him or to the administration about his conduct.
     But, students who had the courage to do so did not. Speaking for myself, I can only say that I was both intimidated by him and by my fear that if I did so he would further misuse his position at Fresno State to penalize me through degrading my work.
     In talking about this matter with class members, it was the consensus that even if we complain it would not make any difference in the manner this Criminology instructor conducted himself.
    The students at CSUF need to know about this guy so they can avoid his classes. Just ask any student in the Criminology Department about Mr. Late, Mr. Short, and Mr. Hall we all known him, too well.  
    This is sad when many campus employees wear badges proclaiming the university to be a “student friendly” environment. In spite of much advertising to the contrary, my study of the situation, and my personal experience in the Criminology Department teaches me not to believe university sponsored slogans, anymore.

    [Editor's Note: See related e-mail about this column. The actual names of the CSU Fresno student writer identified as "Mad Max" and the Criminology instructor variously identified as "Mr. Late" "Mr. Under-prepared", and Mr. Hall" have been witheld and "pseudonyms" substituted in the column in order to proctect their privacy.]