Unless Niko Tiliopoulos’s sacking is defeated, it will set a precedent for use throughout the tertiary education industry to victimise and sack educators who refuse, for critical health reasons, to adhere to the intensifying “return to campus” offensive.
Unless Niko Tiliopoulos’s sacking is defeated, it will set a precedent for use throughout the tertiary education industry to victimise and sack educators who refuse, for critical health reasons, to adhere to the intensifying “return to campus” offensive.
I feel for him but if I'm in class I want my professor. I don't care that he wants to work from home. There are other roles where it's more appropriate.
Most professors at the caliber of his institution don't teach undergraduates, or at least don't do so very frequently. If his workload is like most professors, his primary job is research, with mentoring PhD students and service to the department/college/field taking up the remainder of his time. Instructors and teaching professors are hired to teach undergraduate courses at major research universities. His Google Scholar shows he has still been publishing, so this was probably political:
We're not in the 17th century learning by candle light. As someone in university right now, I would so much rather have a great online class than a generic in person one, though I guess everyone is different in their preferences.
I’m pretty sure him protecting his life is more important than your wants:
Tiliopoulos has severe respiratory and autoimmune conditions, so he cannot risk catching COVID-19, which could be life-threatening. Two doctors, including one appointed by a university review panel, made that assessment of “substantial” risks to his health.
He has clear reasons for needing to avoid covid, and catching it could very well kill him with his health conditions.