Meantime...
Sent: Tuesday, February 9, 2010
7:15:11 PM GMT -08:00 US/Canada Pacific
Subject: Brand Strategy Feedback
Prof. Galloway,
I would like to discuss a matter
with you that bothered me. Yesterday evening I entered your 6pm
Brand Strategy class approximately 1 hour late. As I entered the
room, you quickly dismissed me, saying that I would need to leave
and come back to the next class. After speaking with several
students who are taking your class, they explained that you have a
policy stating that students who arrive more than 15 minutes late
will not be admitted to class.
As of yesterday evening, I was
interested in three different Monday night classes that all
occurred simultaneously. In order to decide which class to select,
my plan for the evening was to sample all three and see which one I
like most. Since I had never taken your class, I was unaware of
your class policy. I was disappointed that you dismissed me from
class considering (1) there is no way I could have been aware of
your policy and (2) considering that it was the first day of
evening classes and I arrived 1 hour late (not a few minutes), it
was more probable that my tardiness was due to my desire to sample
different classes rather than sheer complacency.
I have already registered for
another class but I just wanted to be open and provide my opinion
on the matter.
Regards,
xxxx
—
xxxx
MBA 2010 Candidate
NYU Stern School of Business
xxxx.nyu.edu
xxx-xxx-xxxx
The
Reply:
—— Forwarded Message ——-
From: [email protected]
To: “xxxx”
Sent: Tuesday, February 9, 2010 9:34:02 PM GMT -08:00 US/Canada
Pacific
Subject: Re: Brand Strategy Feedback
xxxx:
Thanks for the feedback. I, too,
would like to offer some feedback.
Just so I’ve got this
straight…you started in one class, left 15-20 minutes into it
(stood up, walked out mid-lecture), went to another class (walked
in 20 minutes late), left that class (again, presumably, in the
middle of the lecture), and then came to my class. At that point
(walking in an hour late) I asked you to come to the next class
which “bothered” you.
Correct?
You state that, having not taken
my class, it would be impossible to know our policy of not allowing
people to walk in an hour late. Most risk analysis offers that in
the face of substantial uncertainty, you opt for the more
conservative path or hedge your bet (e.g., do not show up an hour
late until you know the professor has an explicit policy for
tolerating disrespectful behavior, check with the TA before class,
etc.). I hope the lottery winner that is your recently crowned
Monday evening Professor is teaching Judgement and Decision Making
or Critical Thinking.
In addition, your logic
effectively means you cannot be held accountable for any code of
conduct before taking a class. For the record, we also have no
stated policy against bursting into show tunes in the middle of
class, urinating on desks or taking that revolutionary hair removal
system for a spin. However, xxxx, there is a baseline level of
decorum (i.e., manners) that we expect of grown men and women who
the admissions department have deemed tomorrow’s business
leaders.
xxxx, let me be more serious for
a moment. I do not know you, will not know you and have no real
affinity or animosity for you. You are an anonymous student who is
now regretting the send button on his laptop. It’s with this
context I hope you register pause…REAL pause xxxx and take to heart
what I am about to tell you:
xxxx, get your shit
together.
Getting a good job, working long
hours, keeping your skills relevant, navigating the politics of an
organization, finding a live/work balance…these are all really
hard, xxxx. In contrast, respecting institutions, having manners,
demonstrating a level of humility…these are all (relatively) easy.
Get the easy stuff right xxxx. In and of themselves they will not
make you successful. However, not possessing them will hold you
back and you will not achieve your potential which, by virtue of
you being admitted to Stern, you must have in spades. It’s not too
late xxxx…
Again, thanks for the
feedback.
Professor
Galloway
