Valuing professors

It’s no big secret that Temple prides itself on being a research institution.

The university is home to many accomplished professionals who contribute to society by conducting studies, creating technologies and researching medicine. As a result of their accomplishments, Temple is constantly being awarded grants and receiving grade-A publicity.

But, as much as we focus our attention on these areas, we can’t help but wonder if the recognition of the instructor is falling by the wayside.

As Khoury Johnson reports on Page 1 in “Merit Pay,” professors such as Alistair Howard emphasize research as being a source of funding. In our troubled economy, and with state financial support dwindling down, we certainly concur with tapping into these resources.

Still, when it comes to incentivizing performance at Temple, the university should emphasize a job well done in the classroom setting as much as in the lab.

According to a recent report published by the Temple Association of University Professionals, between 2010 and 2011, 66 percent of all merit units were issued for research.

Let’s keep in mind the value of the professors, though.

Instructors at Temple are constantly offering expertise to media outlets, and more importantly, providing the education students pay for.

And while we can’t exactly trademark the intangible ideas and food-for-thought that professors hand off to students during a class, we can’t forget that it’s their insight that fuels innovation in multiple disciplines that affect our society.

For obvious reasons, assessing a professor on performance in the classroom is not an easy task and is often a matter of discretion, to some degree. But as long as Temple offers merit pay, it’s a job that has to be done.

The Temple News just hopes that, when merit decisions need to be made, the value of the teacher isn’t lost in Temple’s pursuit for research.