The phrase “swindling students” appeared in at least two messages this
week. It is worth discussing. We often say “physics is an experimental
science” but we forget to add that “it would not be a science without a
theory”. In my opinion an experimental physicist can be as successful as a
theoretician in making an introductory course a failure. And phys-L would
not be so interesting if it did not have teachers from many levels of
physical sciences.
And now the swindling itself. What does it mean? Passing students who do
not meet minimum requirements? Teaching less than we should? Making false
promises? Teaching without a textbook? Teaching at the level of our best
students? Teaching at the level of our worst students? Compromising?
Teaching what we want instead of teaching what we should? And who is
responsible? Teachers who swindle or their administrators? Can somebody
define the non-swindling for us?
Ludwik Kowalski