'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,/9j/2wBDAAYEBQYFBAYGBQYHBwYIChAKCgkJChQODwwQFxQYGBcUFhYaHSUfGhsjHBYWICwgIyYnKSopGR8tMC0oMCUoKSj/2wBDAQcHBwoIChMKChMoGhYaKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCj/wgARCAAGAAoDASIAAhEBAxEB/8QAFgABAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAUH/8QAFQEBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAwT/2gAMAwEAAhADEAAAAImhE6//xAAeEAACAgICAwAAAAAAAAAAAAACAwERAAQFEkJScf/aAAgBAQABPwDgGqEtbo3ZW8XmBGPiJBN9ftYvZKAGIYVV65//xAAXEQEAAwAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABAAMS/9oACAECAQE/AKAwT//EABcRAQADAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAEAAxL/2gAIAQMBAT8AvXbP/9k='%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
The termination of Dr. Maitland Jones Jr., an organic chemistry professor at New York University, has sparked major controversy. The decision came on the back of a petition to the Dean, signed by dozens of students last spring, complaining about the course difficulty and Dr. Jones' "condescending" manner.
Maitland Jones Jr. was a professor at Princeton for 43 years before joining NYU in September 2007 on a contractual basis.
The class was one of the most demanding courses at NYU and was reportedly a litmus test to root out ineligible students.
According to the New York Times, the petition was signed by 82 out of 350 students who attended the course in the spring of 2022. The students shared their concerns about grades that did not reflect their "time and effort" and the impact of these evaluations on their medical career.
Dr. Maitland Jones is a Professor Emeritus at Princeton University
Born in November 1937, Dr. Jones is an alumni of Yale University and completed his Bachelor of Science, Master of Science, and PhD from the Ivy League institute. At Princeton, Jones served as the David B. Jones Professor of Chemistry. He worked there for four decades, and has been a visiting faculty at various institutes.
A giant in the realm of organic chemistry, Dr. Jones is credited with naming bullvalene. The hydrocarbon is named after William "Bull" Doering, whom Jones studied under as a graduate student at Yale University. He has published more than 200 research papers over the course of his career.
Jones is also the author of Organic Chemistry texts. His textbook on Organic Chemistry, first published in 1997, is now in its fifth edition. He has also written the books Instructor's Manual and Supplementary Problems Set for Organic Chemistry (1997), Study Guide for Organic Chemistry (1997), How to Survive and Thrive in Organic Chemistry for Dummies (2004), among others.
Apart from Princeton University and New York University, Dr. Jones has also been a visiting professor at Columbia University, Vrije Universiteit in Amsterdam, Harvard University, Fudan University, and Kiev Polytechnic Institute.
According to his Princeton University profile, Dr. Jones set up and worked in the Jones research Lab at Princeton from 1964 to 2004. During this tenure there, he published papers with 63 undergraduates, 30 graduate students and 34 postdoctoral fellows and visitors.
Dr. Maitland Jones' termination received mixed reactions
The firing of an eminent professor due to a student petition has resulted in massive debates. While some claim that students taking an organic chemistry course at NYU should not expect it to be easy, others claim that it is the duty of teachers to ensure that their students perform well.
Credited as the writer of one of the definitive texts on organic chemistry, Dr Maitland Jones is a respected name in academic circles and many alumni rose to his defense.
Dr. Maitland Jones' classes were an elective for numerous students on track for a medical career. Many stated their concerns over the quality of future doctors if current premed students are unable to tackle a difficult course.
A number of responses, however, focused on the fact that the petition had called out Dr. Maitland Jones' "harsh and condescending" nature.
Students who were a part of the class also took to social media defending their position. They maintained that this was not a black-and-white case of Gen Z's so-called 'soft' attitude towards life.
Various parties also chose to reserve judgment until further details were revealed.
Dr. Maitland Jones responds to NYU's decision
Dr. Jones seemed more affected by what this act could mean for the future of academia than his teaching career. At 84 years old, he admitted that he was planning to retire.
His comments focused largely on his disappointment at the average attention span and performance of students, especially after the pandemic. He observed that most students did not go through the course materials properly, including videos on the subject that he had created. They were unable to answer questions, showed limited reading comprehension, and had lost focus.
NYU defended their decision, stating that while difficult courses and strict grading were the norm for the Ivy League institution, Dr. Maitland Jones' O-Chem class raised unprecedented levels of complaints on various fronts.
The petition stated:
“We urge you to realize that a class with such a high percentage of withdrawals and low grades has failed to make students’ learning and well-being a priority and reflects poorly on the chemistry department as well as the institution as a whole.”
Firing not a first for NYU
Amidst discussions of Gen Z's entitlement and the need for meritocracy, current staff at NYU also hinted at a deeper issue.
This is not the first time that a decision by NYU has come under questioning. The abrupt shutdown of the Comprehensive English Department in December 2021, which led to the displacement of more than 50 faculty members, dealt an equal blow.
Elisabeth Fay of the College of Arts and Science is a vocal proponent of unionizing to protect the rights of non-tenured professors at New York University.
She believes that the students did not intend for their petition to lead to Dr. Maitland Jones' termination. C&EN also revealed that the termination was made against the recommendation of the chemistry department.
She urged that NYU's decision should be scrutinized closely to prevent a pattern of firing without due process.
