A California professor is under fire for instructing students not to have girlfriends on campus, citing the “obvious differences” between women in the Bay Area and outside the Bay Area.
Jonathan Shewchuk, a computer science professor at the University of California, Berkeley, made shocking comments on an online message board in response to one of his students seeking advice on dating in the area and how to find a job in the field. Did. The Daily Cal reported.
“If you want a girlfriend, get out of the Bay Area. Almost anywhere else on earth is better at that,” Shewchak reportedly said, according to a screenshot of the comments. I posted it on social media.
“You’d be shocked at the stark difference in how women behave in places where there are a lot of women and how they behave within gunning distance of San Jose or San Francisco.”
Several students immediately called into the introductory CS 189 discussion thread, which turned into an informal dating advice chat.
“With all due respect, I don’t think this is very appropriate for a classroom bulletin board (much less at all),” one student responded.
“This conversation is completely inappropriate for a forum intended for learning and has an overtone of misogyny. As a woman taking this class, I am shocked by this thread and the professor’s involvement.”
“As a TA, if I said this, I would (rightly) get fired.”
The deans of the university’s electrical engineering and computer science departments reportedly met with the educators and urged them to apologize. According to SF Gate.
“I apologize for any unintended feelings my response may have caused,” Schuchak said in a statement. Discussion post titled “Re: In reply to Anonymous Gnat.” “I did not mean to convey disrespect towards women or anyone else, nor did I mean to criticize innocent people. I value all of my students. I am sorry for my words and for any offense they may have caused to many people.”
“I hope you understand that my comments are motivated by empathy and a desire to help students. Life is hard sometimes, and I sympathize with all of you who are having a tough time for whatever reason. Things will get better and it starts with empathy for each other.”
Officials at the University of California, Berkeley, found Schuchak’s initial reaction unpleasant.
“The comments were hurtful and threatening to students, especially women, both in and out of class,” Roqua Montez, a spokesperson for the University of California, Berkeley, told SF Gate. “We strive to foster a supportive and inclusive environment for all students, and we ask that you continue to engage with us as we work to improve the environment in our communities. Masu.”
Former and current students of the embattled professor claim this is not the first time he has made offensive and misogynistic remarks.
A junior at the school said he avoided taking Shewchak’s classes, according to the Daily Cal. The reason for this was that Shewchak was uncomfortable based on his past actions and “transphobic jokes on his website” that he had heard.
Last May, a professor at the University of California, Berkeley, who has claimed to be a lifelong Native American, apologized for betraying the trust of the Native American community.
Elizabeth Huber, a white associate professor in the School of Environmental Science and Policy Management at the University of California, Berkeley, said in a statement that she had “misidentified” herself based on “incomplete information.” Personal website.
