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I agree that the loss of quality teaching materials to the public is an unfortunate result of this. But I can see at least three ways in which this may have bee
by Steuard 12y ago
I agree that the loss of quality teaching materials to the public is an unfortunate result of this. But I can see at least three ways in which this may have been a very reasonable decision.
First, as others have pointed out, the linked statement suggests (without providing details) that MIT was concerned that Lewin would continue a pattern of using his connection with their online courses to harass students. Without being privy to their investigation we don't know what all led to that ongoing concern, but it's plausible to assume they have reasons.
Second, it may be that MIT's policy in these cases is to formally cut all ties with the harasser, or something to that effect. This might be the online equivalent of insisting that a disgraced emeritus professor give up their office on campus. There are clearly downsides to the community for such a policy, but there are indisputable benefits as well.
And finally, it strikes me that MIT has very little leverage to punish a retired professor who damages the university's reputation and community in this way. But this action of taking down a big part of his life's work is a way of hitting him right in his legacy. I know that were I in his shoes, I would be devastated by such a decision. I hope it has a strong deterrent effect on any other faculty who might be prone to similar abuses of their positions.
- cousin_it 12y ago> But this action of taking down a big part of his life's work is a way of hitting him right in his legacy. This is something I really didn't need to read on the internet today. Hitting a physicist right in his legacy. I'll just turn off my computer now, I'm seeing red, can't write a reasonable response to that.
- Steuard 12y agoJust for context, I'm a physics professor myself. And the thing that gets me seeing red, entirely too often, is watching my brilliant female students drift away from the field where they have the potential to contribute so much. Not for any specific or well defined reason, just because they don't really feel comfortable there. It always looks perfectly reasonable on a case by case basis, but there's an unmistakable pattern in the whole. Math and the other sciences don't suffer from this as much these days: folks drift away there, too, but the gender disparity isn't as great. Among the natural sciences, it's just physics that sticks out.[0] So yeah, right in his legacy. I'm actually pretty happy to see punishments with teeth for guys whose actions perpetuate the situation. [0] To the extent that computer science is a math/science subject, it's worth noting that CS has plummeted down to near-physics levels of gender disparity in recent years. I think it's very likely that similar cultural issues are at work.
- deleted 12y ago[deleted]