Rights and Wrongs in the College Classroom: Ethical Issues in Postsecondary Teaching (review)

In Rights and Wrongs in the College Classroom, Jordy Rocheleau and Bruce Speck revisit a topic that receives periodic attention—the ethics of teaching. The book is timely because contemporary media has been replete with stories of questionable practices such as grade altering, classroom indoctrination, and plagiarism. The authors make a strong case for attending to teaching ethics by discussing and dissecting the multiple ethical dilemmas facing teaching professors on a daily basis—how to express personal and expert opinions in the classroom (Chapter 2); how to manage the conflicts of interest between research and teaching (Chapter 3); how to fairly assess and grade student learning (Chapter 4); how to respectfully relate to students in the classroom (Chapter 5); and how to establish ethical relationships with students (Chapter 6).

After an introductory chapter that provides framing and the delineation of critical terms, Rocheleau and Speck tackle a challenging, controversial, and timely issue—the intersection of academic freedom, classroom advocacy, and indoctrination (Chapter 2). The authors begin by referencing one of the most publicized recent case studies, that of Ward Churchill, and then proceed with a notable attempt to dissect the issue, arguing for advocacy and against neutrality and indoctrination. Unfortunately, the end result is a lengthy and dense chapter that makes for labored reading. The authors might have considered refining their arguments for brevity and clarity and providing a case study to help elucidate the complex dilemmas.

The simple case study presented in Chapter 3 provides this elucidation by highlighting the most commonly decried conflict of interest faced by professors—that between research/publishing and teaching. How does one allot time to professorial obligations when, the authors suggest, publishing delivers far greater rewards? The treatment of this question is somewhat weakened by Rocheleau and Speck's assumption that most professors prefer publishing over teaching and by their understating of institutional forces that shape individual choices. However, the strength of the chapter is the positing of very real and tangible ethical dilemmas which incite probing and critical questions about the reader's own professional choices.

The bulk of the text is directed in this way—to the behaviors and practices within the teacher's "control." For example, in Chapter 4, Rocheleau and Speck address the ethical challenges inherent in the construction of syllabi, the design of assessments, and the fair and accurate assignment of grades. The authors end this chapter (and every chapter) with a list of useful ethical practices for the instructor to consider in his or her daily work. The reach of the book could have been extended, however, if Rocheleau and Speck had constructed a similar list for campus administrators. Although the authors touch on the institutional shapers of ethical teaching, they make almost no case for administrative action (beyond three pages in the final chapter) to remove institutional obstacles to ethical teaching (e.g., the push for publishing) and to correct the institutional weaknesses undermining ethical teaching (e.g., the paucity of training in teaching).

Chapters 5 and 6 cover the ethical issues professors face in relating to and with students. First, the authors, using respect as an underlying value, discuss how professors can ethically relate to students in the classroom. This discussion builds on previous discussions of indoctrination, attention to teaching, and ethical grading, but also addresses other practical issues such as responding to disrespectful students.

Next, Rocheleau and Speck cover a perennial topic—the ethical dilemmas created when sexual or friendly relations are forged between faculty and students. A 21st-century focus could have enhanced the discussion of these timeless issues by including a nuanced and timely case study, an example of current institutional attempts to address these problems, or a review of current research. The reader is left to wonder whether the ethical dilemmas created in faculty-student relations are any different now than they were in the past. If...