Op-Ed
The Most Important Advice
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Several days before I graduated from college in China, one of my professors approached me to give me some advice. He explained, “Mao, you are smart, but you lack perseverance. To make you learn the necessity of diligence and perseverance, I wish that you meet setbacks early in your career.”
His words were harsher than he had intended. At that time, I thought he damned me. Fortunately, I did meet setbacks, so I appreciate his words.
Although I received full financial aid to study in the U.S., I became a victim of post-9/11 visa policies. Instead of studying in the U.S., I ended up in Canada for one year without any financial aid. Many unexpected changes eventually resulted in the depletion of my entire savings. Because employment is prohibited for international students, I feared that I would not be able to support myself.
I finally found that I could collect soda cans and sell them for five or 20 cents, depending on the size of the can. I managed to earn several thousand dollars to support myself when I thought all was lost. Through this experience, I learned that you can turn a million grains of sand into a castle.
This belief helped me to win the trustee position as a foreign student. I believe that I was probably the only candidate who fought until the last minute. I convinced a woman to vote for me one minute before the voting deadline, and I received another vote seconds before the deadline after she called her husband. From my past experience I knew that, just as every soda can was an important part of my survival in Canada, every vote would count for my victory.
My professor’s words still help me here at Cornell as a student trustee. Although I did not take his advice seriously at the time, I now think that his comment was one of the most important I have ever received. This experience has convinced me that sometimes a professor’s merit can only be appreciated several years later. Therefore, we should consider the comments of past students when evaluating professors and determining which courses to offer each year.
I want to bring young alumni back to Cornell. The Board of Trustees has been discussing how to get more young alumni involved. In my opinion, the biggest strength of young alumni is that they have had similar experiences to current students but they can see that experience from a different perspective. They can provide insight about good teaching as well as recommend teachers that deserve to be honored.
The opinions of current students who have taken a course are also important. They can determine whether a course provides a solid foundation for related courses at a higher level. Students can provide perspective on a course within the bigger picture of a Cornell education.
The involvement of past students will add value to the student-managed teaching award I described in my last column: “The Students’ List.” As a parallel to the Dean’s List, which recognizes students with high GPAs, this award would recognize professors with exceptional student evaluations. I have worked out a two-step process for this award in which both the voices of current and past students can be heard.
The Students’ List would be based on current students’ course evaluations. We can calculate the weighted average of every criterion of professors and T.A.s in their evaluations, or we can ask the question: “Do you want to nominate this professor or T.A. for a teaching award?” Those who receive the highest average score and/or the highest nomination rate will be placed on the Students’ List.
In addition to an honor, The Students’ List would also serve as a nomination for three distinguished honors: the Students’ List for Distinguished Professors, for Distinguished T.A.s and for Distinguished Young Teachers. The decision would be made by a committee consisting of students of all years and young alumni.
By integrating students of all years and young alumni, we can also track a professor’s progress in teaching. This progress would be the basis for The Distinguished Young Teacher Awards. The award would recognize young faculty who show significant progress in student evaluations or who listen to students’ feedback in the middle of a course to improve their teaching.
David Way, director of instructional support, told me that it would be the only award focusing on progress. I firmly believe Cornell should consider both performance and progress in teaching in tenure decisions. Not only is teaching very important, but it correlates to a professor’s research productivity after receiving tenure. Professors who put more effort into listening to students and improving their teaching tend to be more receptive and responsible. These merits will help them to be better researchers after they receive tenure.
The Students’ List would be announced during a campus-wide event to celebrate excellence in teaching. The names of individuals on the Students’ List would appear in The Sun, and the names of those individuals on the List for Distinguished Teaching would be inscribed on a plaque permanently displayed in Willard Straight Hall.
This award would be the only award managed by students, the only award involving young alumni, the only award focusing on the entire learning experience and the only award focusing on progress in teaching.
Thank you, Professor Chen Wang. Though I am thousands miles away from you, my experience with you has helped me to further my idea of the student-managed teaching award. Also, a special thank you to Trustee Emeritus John P. Neafsey ’61 for reminding me of my experience with Professor Wang. The story is already deeply rooted in my heart; however, when applied to an idea that I support so firmly, I find his words to be even more important than I had once realized.
Mao Ye is a student-elected trustee. He can be contacted at my87@cornell.edu. Trustee Viewpoint appears alternate Tuesdays.