From: Darryl Maddox (dpmaddox@arn.net)
Date: Wed Dec 18 2002 - 16:16:48 EST
Hello Preston and group,
I noticed this post several days ago and was intrigued by it and by what
responses it may bring out. None of the responses addressed what I as a
college teacher consider some of the basic aspects of Dr. Dini's
requirement, so I desided to write and see if I could get some =
discussion
on the aspects I consider important.
1. What difference does it make?
I checked theTTU web site and wrote to Dr. Dini. From the web site and =
from
his reply it is correct that Dr. Dini is the only person teaching Biol =
1403
though he and Dr. McGinley team teach the Biol 1404 class. And if I =
remember
correctly there were only 2 sections of Biol 1403 offered and 2 or 3
sections of 1403 offered. Given a school the size of TTU I find
that unexpected but I guess it is just the way it is. Also unusual I
thought was the fact that Dr. Dini teaches only the 1403-1404 sequence =
and
one class in lab instruction which I would guess very few if any pre-med
majors take. But while in might be considered unfair by some to require =
a
creationist student to take a biology course from an evolutionist, it =
seems
to me to be no more no more unfair than to make a student who believes =
in
evolution take a course from a creationist.
2. They don't need a letter, even have to take a course, from from him.
They can transfer in their introductory courses and to be a biology =
major requires 36 hours of biology of which the 1403-1404
sequence is only 8 hours and the only biology courses a pre-med major =
has to
take. That leaves 24 hours of other course work just in biology that =
must
be taken to get the BS degree. So it is hardly fair to say, or even =
imply,
that the failure of a student to get a letter of recommendation from Dr.
Dini in any way inhibits their ability to get into medical school. And =
according to information at =
htt://www.ttuhsc.edu/SOM/Admissions/brochures/gu.htm only 76% of last =
years=20
applicants were even biology majors. Now who wants to stand on the =
argument that Dr. Dini
can hinder their acceptance into the med school there?
3rd. Who would give credence to a letter from students freshman teacher? =
Why would a student need a letter of recommendation from a person who
taught them only their freshman class when they obviously had other =
teachers
for more advanced classes and what credibility would an admissions =
committee
give such a letter with or without letters from the instructors of the
higher level courses?
4th. What about students from outside the TTU system? While I am sure =
the argument is supposed to be limited to students from within the TTU =
system that is not what it says to by leaving this out you leave open =
the logical possibility that even students from other schools have to =
have a letter from Dr. Dini. I'll admit I don't want to make the =
argument this is what the you or the article ment but the logic is =
there, and it is no worse than the rest.
4. The article referenced stinks - my opinion. FACT - It is full of =
false statements and bad logic.=20
That is not what I call a "great" article but to each his own.=20
Now, down to perhaps a more serious subject. Here are some questions on =
which I would like to see some discussion:
1) Is if fair or reasonable for a professor to refuse to write a letter =
of recommendation for a student based on that students belief about some =
particular aspect of a subject. For instance, would it be fair to not =
write recommendations for geology students who did not believe in plate =
tectonics, or an old earth? For chemistry students who did not believe =
in atoms? For physics students who did not believe in quantum theory? =
I am reaching on the last two because I don't know that much about them =
but if people in those fields would like to substitute their own anology =
to the evolution for their particular fields and then comment on my =
questions I woul be intersted in their thoughts.
2) Would it make any difference whether the letter of recommendation =
was for graduate school or for employment?
3) Would you recommend for graduate school or would you hire a person =
who didn't believe in something in your field which you feel is =
analogous to the role of evolution in biology?
Darryl
----- Original Message -----
From: "Preston Garrison" <garrisonp@uthscsa.edu>
To: "ASA list" <asa@calvin.edu>
Sent: Friday, December 13, 2002 12:39 AM
Subject: Evolution wars
>
> Group,
>
> This was in the Texas-Oklahoma section ASA newsletter. Thought some
> of you might be interested.
>
> Preston G.
>
> ----------
> Discrimination Against Those Who Question Evolution at Texas Tech
>
> Free Market Foundation, a conservative political activist group in
> Texas, reports that Dr. Michael Dini, Associate Professor in the
> Biology Dept. at Texas Tech, Lubbock, refuses to write
> recommendations for students who do not affirm a personal belief in
> evolution, regardless of whether they can show mastery of the theory.
> His biology course is required for all biology students.
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<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Hello Preston and group,<BR><BR>I =
noticed this post=20
several days ago and was intrigued by it and by what<BR>responses it may =
bring=20
out. None of the responses addressed what I as a<BR>college =
teacher=20
consider some of the basic aspects of Dr. Dini's<BR>requirement, =
so I=20
desided to write and see if I could get some discussion<BR>on the =
aspects I=20
consider important.<BR><BR>1. What difference does it make?<BR>I checked =
theTTU=20
web site and wrote to Dr. Dini. From the web site and from<BR>his reply =
it is=20
correct that Dr. Dini is the only person teaching Biol =
1403<BR>though he=20
and Dr. McGinley team teach the Biol 1404 class. And if I =
remember<BR>correctly=20
there were only 2 sections of Biol 1403 offered and 2 or 3<BR>sections =
of 1403=20
offered. Given a school the size of TTU I find<BR>that unexpected but I =
guess it=20
is just the way it is. Also unusual I<BR>thought was the fact that =
Dr.=20
Dini teaches only the 1403-1404 sequence and<BR>one class in lab =
instruction=20
which I would guess very few if any pre-med<BR>majors take. But =
while in=20
might be considered unfair by some to require a<BR>creationist student =
to take a=20
biology course from an evolutionist, it seems<BR>to me to be no more no =
more=20
unfair than to make a student who believes in<BR>evolution take a course =
from a=20
creationist.<BR><BR>2. They don't need a letter, even have to take =
a=20
course, from from him.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>They can transfer in their introductory =
courses and=20
to be a biology major requires 36 hours of biology of which the=20
1403-1404<BR>sequence is only 8 hours and the only biology courses a =
pre-med=20
major has to<BR>take. That leaves 24 hours of other course work =
just in=20
biology that must<BR>be taken to get the BS degree. So it is hardly fair =
to say,=20
or even imply,<BR>that the failure of a student to get a letter of=20
recommendation from Dr.<BR>Dini in any way inhibits their ability to get =
into=20
medical school. And according to information at <U><FONT=20
color=3D#000080>htt://www.ttuhsc.edu/SOM/Admissions/brochures/gu.htm</FON=
T></U>=20
only 76% of last years </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>applicants were even biology =
majors. Now who=20
wants to stand on the argument that Dr. Dini</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>can hinder their acceptance into the =
med school=20
there?</FONT></DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>
<DIV><BR><BR>3rd. Who would give credence to a letter from students =
freshman teacher? </DIV>
<DIV>Why would a student need a letter of recommendation from a person=20
who<BR>taught them only their freshman class when they obviously had =
other=20
teachers<BR>for more advanced classes and what credibility would an =
admissions=20
committee<BR>give such a letter with or without letters from the =
instructors of=20
the<BR>higher level courses?</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>4th. What about students from outside the TTU system? While I =
am sure=20
the argument is supposed to be limited to students from within the TTU =
system=20
that is not what it says to by leaving this out you leave open the =
logical=20
possibility that even students from other schools have to have a letter =
from Dr.=20
Dini. I'll admit I don't want to make the argument this is what =
the you or=20
the article ment but the logic is there, and it is no worse than the =
rest.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>4. The article referenced stinks - my opinion. FACT - It is =
full of=20
false statements and bad logic. </DIV>
<DIV>That is not what I call a "great" article but to each his=20
own. <BR><BR></DIV>
<DIV>Now, down to perhaps a more serious subject. Here are some =
questions=20
on which I would like to see some discussion:</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>1) Is if fair or reasonable for a professor to refuse to write a =
letter of=20
recommendation for a student based on that students belief about some =
particular=20
aspect of a subject. For instance, would it be fair to not =
write=20
recommendations for geology students who did not believe in plate =
tectonics, or=20
an old earth? For chemistry students who did not believe in atoms? =
For=20
physics students who did not believe in quantum theory? I am =
reaching on=20
the last two because I don't know that much about them but =
if people in=20
those fields would like to substitute their own anology to the evolution =
for=20
their particular fields and then comment on my questions I woul be =
intersted in=20
their thoughts.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>2) Would it make any difference whether the letter of =
recommendation=20
was for graduate school or for employment?</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>3) Would you recommend for graduate school or would you hire a =
person who=20
didn't believe in something in your field which you feel =
is analogous to=20
the role of evolution in biology?</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Darryl<BR>----- Original Message -----<BR>From: "Preston Garrison"=20
<</FONT><A href=3D"mailto:garrisonp@uthscsa.edu"><FONT face=3DArial=20
size=3D2>garrisonp@uthscsa.edu</FONT></A><FONT face=3DArial =
size=3D2>><BR>To: "ASA=20
list" <</FONT><A href=3D"mailto:asa@calvin.edu"><FONT face=3DArial=20
size=3D2>asa@calvin.edu</FONT></A><FONT face=3DArial =
size=3D2>><BR>Sent: Friday,=20
December 13, 2002 12:39 AM<BR>Subject: Evolution =
wars<BR><BR><BR>><BR>>=20
Group,<BR>><BR>> This was in the Texas-Oklahoma section ASA =
newsletter.=20
Thought some<BR>> of you might be interested.<BR>><BR>> Preston =
G.<BR>><BR>> ----------<BR>> Discrimination Against Those Who =
Question=20
Evolution at Texas Tech<BR>><BR>> Free Market Foundation, a =
conservative=20
political activist group in<BR>> Texas, reports that Dr. Michael =
Dini,=20
Associate Professor in the<BR>> Biology Dept. at Texas Tech, Lubbock, =
refuses=20
to write<BR>> recommendations for students who do not affirm a =
personal=20
belief in<BR>> evolution, regardless of whether they can show mastery =
of the=20
theory.<BR>> His biology course is required for all biology=20
students.<BR><BR><BR></DIV></FONT></BODY></HTML>
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