Across the country, professors and teachers alike swear to get their point across in the classroom.
Some students, faculty or staff take no offense to vulgar language, however, others do.
It is a matter of people’s personal comfort zones.
Dr. Ann Coleman, chair of the biology department, does not believe that cursing in the classroom is appropriate. She understands the occasional slip of the tongue, as she has been guilty of it too, but such language should not be incorporated so casually into lectures.
Coleman could recall one time during a staff meeting where someone had used inappropriate language, but understood that it was not welcome and apologized for it.
And while she may not agree with the language being used, she also understands that college students will not be so easily offended and run to their parents to tell about a professor swearing in class.
She believes that swearing is ingrained in the young adult culture.
“I can’t tell you how many times I hear it in conversations when I walk to and from Iadarola,” Coleman said.
Dr. Coleman understands that while working on a college campus, curse words are just a part of everyday language.
But as professors, there should be an understanding about how to properly approach vulgarity if ever needed in the classroom.
Students in Dr. Felicity Duncan’s Intro to Mass Communications class participated in a poll in which asked if they would be offended by a teacher using foul language in the classroom.
The majority saw no problem with it. They would be indifferent to hearing a professor swear in front of the class.
For the few that raised their hands in vote of favor of being bothered by it, they said they would just find the language choice to be “weird” for someone who is supposed to be teaching the class.
The comfort zones of people vary and it is better to tread lightly and avoid offending any at all, if possible, than to offend more than expected.
