David N. Camaione: Absurd proposal

Regarding Professor Michael C. Behrent’s April 7 Point of View “What UNC professors do”: Behrent’s compelling arguments in opposition to SB 593 are on target. Sen. Tom McInnis appears to have no understanding as to how a research university operates. Unfortunately, this is so typical of many who aspire to govern with ignorance on matters they know so little about.

A world-class public university employs a host of professors who perform three main functions – teaching, scholarship and research – and service in varying degrees of emphasis. If all professors were required to teach a minimum of eight courses each year, then those in the UNC system whose principal responsibility is research would have little time to produce knowledge, a significant and vital element of a great university.

It takes a great deal of time and effort to produce a vaccine or a device that can save or improve lives or an evidence-based methodology to prevent concussions or expand minds in all fields of study. These are the types of endeavors researchers produce. UNC-Chapel Hill and other research universities would be significantly hampered by such restrictive measures of having to teach eight courses per year.

This story was originally published April 8, 2015 at 4:36 PM with the headline "David N. Camaione: Absurd proposal."