“A tenured math professor who complained Temple University wanted him to inflate grades and ‘dummy down’ course work has been fired on grounds of incompetence, his attorney said.

Martin Eisen, 69, who worked at Temple for nearly 35 years, had been on paid leave since August 1999 while the university investigated students’ complaints about his grading practices.”

‘Our position is that he is not incompetent,’ Daily said. ‘What Temple demanded that Dr. Eisen do … was dummy down the course so these kids would get college credit for a college-level course which was really a high school course.’

University spokeswoman Harriet Goodheart refused to comment Wednesday, calling it a personnel matter.

[…]’I told students they could get the same education in high school for a fraction of the cost,’ Eisen said Thursday.

Anticipating he would be fired, Eisen filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against Temple last summer. He seeks reinstatement to his job, back pay and other monetary damages. Temple has moved to get the lawsuit dismissed.

Goetz maintained that classes at Temple have not been dumbed down. He said grade inflation does exist, but no more than at ‘any other university in the United States.’

…Which makes it okay, I guess.

Well, here’s an insider’s perspective: university administrators like it when students pass courses. And professors like Dr. Eisen (who refuse to act as frumpty turnstiles) are unfortunately in short supply — to the shame of our higher education system, which has noticeably suffered for it…

(Not a bad argument, but can you dance to it…? I’ll give it a B+)

—–