• 14
  • November
    2011

Professors are some of the most unique individuals. Each has a different way of motivating their students whether it is through creating a light atmosphere, intriguing experiments or even facilitating group dynamic with tasty bakery treats. A California professor is being investigated by his employer for walking out on a class when students did not provide the required snacks listed on the curriculum.

An investigation into the actions of an employee could and often does lead to negative performance reports, constructive termination and in some cases employee termination. The future of the professor's career remains unknown until the close of the investigation into the snack dilemma.

According to the professor, his curriculum includes a snack rotation, something that he has done for the past 39 years of teaching. Each student must take his or her turn making some kind of baked good, vegetable platter or other homemade bite. The only requirement, that it not be a five minute stop at a convenience store to get a bag of processed chips.

The professor said that the practice breeds collective participation. He said there are more benefits than bringing people together for discussion. He said that with homemade selections, students maintain glucose levels that help them learn and retain information. He says that it also keeps them from taking long breaks during the class. The Psychology class - according to the professor -- is one of the most intense classes that the school has to offer.

To make things easier for the students, he did not require them to buy a textbook that can cost over $200 like many of their other classes. The savings from no textbook, he said, provided more than ample funding to create a treat that should cost well under that amount.

The investigation began after the professor walked out of a class when students violated the requirement by ordering pizza instead of putting in effort to create a bite to eat. "The afternoon lab had an externally similar failure to be collectively involved a month ago," the professor said about his decision to set an example during the single lecture.

Source: The Sacramento Bee, "Sacramento State psychology professor won't teach without snacks," Diana Lambert, Nov. 12, 2011