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Academic Abuse and Freedom

Publications > Books > Reflections
by Arnel Banaga Salgado (A Reprint - 01/Oct/2010 11:08:32 PM)

Two days ago, on September 29, 2010, I received an email from Iran. It was sent to me by my friend, Dr. Abedi who was my colleague a year ago, before he packed his things and left Kuala Lumpur to go back to Isfahan, Iran. His letter reads like this:

How are you and your respected wife and lovely son. I hope all of you are well and everything goes well with you. I am so proud of you and happy to have you as my friend. My youngest son is now in 3rd semester of engineering study and thanks to god everything is ok with me.

Arnel, regarding your school, so sad news I am sorry for both you and me. If a great person was there as Associate Dean I may come back to school but I can't image (imagine) to be abused again by such colonel (a dictator).

As I remember Dr Nelson said that another school its name is UNITY or similar name, required faculty members. Try there if you find a peaceful place then call me so I will join you.

This man is a very respectable man in his country. He served as a member of the Board of Nursing in Iran, a full professor and dean of his college. He was devastated when he came here to teach. His experience was also my experience. He lasted for a year but I endured for 3 years. His experience was so devastating that he cried in front of me telling that he did not know about himself anymore. He knew how to become a great leader, a motivator and a friend, but in his case, he was demoralized and demotivated because instead of receiving encouraging remark, he received criticisms that even dogs could not accept.

Who could withstand a place where the truth and reality is dictated upon by the leader? An example is on a client who is sick. Everyone knows that the first nursing action is to give TSB after which, the patient is encouraged to increase fluid intake. This leader told, "That is outdated, the current trend now and this is evidence based is to give paracetamol immediately." 

Another thing is that on the setting up of exmination paper, the stem must always be open ended. It could never be true. It was emphasized in my class by my former professors of the Philippine Normal University (PNU), a premier normal (teacher training school) in the Philippines is that a good examination item must be close ended, either it is stated in narrative or perhaps interrogative and it must be a variant of three or more types of test, not only MCQ or SAQ.

There are so many more. I am glad that I am out from this school since academic freedom is not respected and the academics are subjected to excessive control and coercion.

I AM FREE AT LAST.
 
Copyright ©2023 by Arnel Bañaga Salgado, PsyD, EdD, DSc
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