“Don’t take that class. The professor stinks, and I did horrible,” is common around SMU’s campus this time of year. That statement may not be too far from the truth, according to a recent report.

Professors of science, technology, engineering and mathematics are not trained to teach, said the report by the National Academies’ National Research Council.

The study encourages universities to value good teaching equally with good research. More instruction on how to evaluate students’ learning in the classroom as well as instructions on how to evaluate the professor’s own performance in the classroom should be provided, the report said. It also commented on the lack of programs that exist to help improve professors’ teaching skills.

This study shouldn’t be limited to the sciences, according to Dean of Dedman College Jasper Neal. This problem spans across all fields of study, he says.

But he says he guarantees every professor who teaches in Dedman College is a good teacher who feels passionate about what they are doing.

Most professors at SMU, and at every other university, receive little formal training on how to teach, Neal said. However, it wouldn’t be fair to say they aren’t trained, he says.

For example, a graduate student studying history may serve as a teaching assistant to a professor. Not only will this graduate student sit in on all of the lectures, but will many times lead a smaller breakout discussion group to help students better understand the material, he says.

Teachers taking more classes in teaching wouldn’t help the problem, Neal said. The quality in education fell when people began concentrating on majoring in education, instead of the subject they desired to teach.

“What in the world would one do with a Ph.D. in methods?” he said.

Ron Wetherington, the director of the Center for Teaching Excellence says it is not the course that counts.

“If you’re really enthusiastic and love your subject, then teaching comes naturally,” Wetherington said.

Teaching is a learning process for professors, said Doug Reinelt, department chairman of the mathematics department. Lots of times, professors are expected to “just learn as they go,” he said.

Some of the suggestions recommended by the report to improve teaching at SMU are already being utilized, but only when considering a faculty member for tenure or a promotion, Wetherington said. Teaching and research combined equal tenure, he said.

If a teacher excels in teaching, then his or her research can be average. Nevertheless, a professor may be an average teacher, but if he or she shines in research, that would balance out. It is easier to evaluate a professor’s research than his or her teaching, Wetherington said.

One method of evaluating a teacher’s performance in the classroom is the course evaluation forms given to students at the end of the semester. These evaluations can be deceptive, Reinelt said. Students rank the course and the professor on a number scale, and Reinelt says the numbers are what are usually skewed. He says he does pay special attention to the comments students write on their evaluations.

A more reliable way to test a professor’s effectiveness is to monitor how students perform in following classes in that same subject, Reinelt said. The math department uses how well students perform in Calculus to determine the effectiveness of that student’s Pre-Calculus teacher, he said.

Some students say these methods may not be working as well as the university believes they are.

Lizzie Bowling, a sophomore advertising major, says she knows how frustrating a professor who can’t teach can be. One of her professors was so into his research that he spent little time in class actually teaching the subject of the course, she said.

“It’s hard to make yourself go to class when the professor’s lecture has no correlation with what’s on the test,” she said.

Bowling says the majority of her professors aren’t like that though. Most provide challenging classes that make her want to be successful, she said.

Brett Arnold agrees that his professors are good teachers.

“In my small classes, the teachers know all of or most of the students’ names, interact well with them, and are able to make the material relevant,” said Arnold, a sophomore political science major.

But what about those few professors who aren’t good teachers?

That’s what the Center for Teaching Excellence is for, says Wetherington.

“We’re here to recognize and encourage teaching excellence at SMU,” he said.

Every August, the Center for Teaching Excellence holds a teaching symposium for all new faculty members. Every year about a fourth of the faculty attends, he said. Every semester the center holds programs on a variety of subjects from how to lead discussion to how to use tests to monitor students’ learning.

“Everyone needs some help learning to teach, but I believe the faculty at SMU is always willing to ask for it,” Neal said.