paleonet Fwd: Re: anti-evolutionism

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I forward this response to the posting about Professor Dim's situation from Eugenie Scott of the National Center for Science Education. She handles lots of these issues and is right up on them. She certainly has lots of experience dealing directly with creationism and the attempts to legitimize it.

Note that Michael Dini spells things out very clearly on his web page, and that accepting (please don't say "believe...") evolution is only one criterion. This guy is good. We're talking truth in advertising here.

http://www2.tltc.ttu.edu/dini/

Also, note that he is not the only one from whom students can get a letter.

What we are dealing with here is an opportunity taken by the religious right to get some publicity. Note that they are requesting an investigation from the Justice Dept, rather than bringing suit. I hypothesize that this is because they realize that they don't have a snowball's chance in global warming of getting an actual trial, as the student has suffered no damages.

But we'll just have to see how this plays out. It's a shame that Dini has to have such a distraction -- but so far the university is supporting him, which helps a lot.

I suspect UCB does not have a policy on letters of recommendation -- it is up to the professor and is entirely voluntary at most places (though UCB, being UCB, might have some "fairness" provisions!) But you would be wise to have thought about what your individual policies are. When I taught, I told students that they had to do well in class, and that I had to know them, if they wanted more than a "she got an A in a class of 250 students but I have no idea who she is".

Genie

Eugenie C. Scott, Ph.D.
Executive Director
National Center for Science Education, Inc.
420 40th Street, Ste. 2
Oakland, CA 94609-2509
510-601-7203 x 301
fax: 510-601-7204
800-290-6006
scott@ncseweb.org
http://www.ncseweb.org