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James Madison University - Madison - The Magazine of James Madison University - Spring 08 - Index

tions of teaching. i would also question how
qualified our students are, at 18 or 20 years
old, to evaluate a faculty member using selfgenerated
criteria and without responding to
specific questions such as those on a university-sanctioned
evaluation document (like
the ones we use). i can think of more than
a few professors here (and at Virginia Tech,
where i taught for 20 years before coming to
JMU in 2003) who are known as marginal
teachers and yet receive rave reviews on rate
Myprofessor.com simply because they give
consistently high grades without demanding
much work. Last year, several freshmen
told me they “rated” a professor as a terrible
teacher after attending only a week of that
professor’s classes (this evaluation stays on
the site forever). This sort of evaluation is
what our students may use to evaluate professors
and choose classes.
i am surprised that dr. duvall-early let
you feature her. i can think of very few professors
who think well at all of the Web site.
Most seem to echo the thoughts i present
here. it is, most certainly, another rather
silly electronic diversion for our students
rather than the effective educational tool it
purports to be.
it is sad that our students, and many students
nationwide, use rateMyprofessor.
com to figure out how to do as little work as
possible in their classes. Quite simply, it is a
popularity contest that “evaluates” faculty on
self-generated and arbitrary criteria.
i read Madison regularly and consider it a
fine publication.
Thank you,
Eric C. Pappas, Ph.D.
Integrated Science and Technology
PUzzLing ThAnkS
Thank you for the Color Sudoku book autographed
by authors Laura Taalman and
philip riley. i enjoyed the challenge of the
big James Madison sudoku puzzle in Madison
magazine (Fall 2007 issue), which qualified
me for the prize. i look forward to doing
the puzzles in the book. sincerely,
Joseph D. Rudmin (’89)
College of Integrated Science and
Technology lab operations
☛ madison welcomes letters
in response to magazine content. The staff
reserves the right to edit for clarity, length and
style. Anonymous letters will not be published.
Send to “22807” Madison, 220 University
Blvd., MSC 3610, JMU, Harrisonburg, VA,
22807, or e-mail madisonmag@jmu.edu.
{Editor’s note}
A Centennial invitation from students
JMU’s Centennial Celebration, March 10-16, will be momentous, offering some-
thing for everyone. see the schedule on the back cover. a few of those events
manage to completely define the essence, intentions and spirit of the entire
Madison community — the Portraits in Bluestone concert, for instance (see page
16). another is one being planned by the sga and the student body. it so captures
the inclusive nature of the 100th that we have given over this space to sga president
Lee Brooks (’08) for a guest editor’s note. The magazine staff hopes that you will
respond to Lee’s invitation and participate in this special student-organized event.
Pam Brock, Executive Editor
3.12 .08 ALL TOgEThER
OnE hUnDRED
JMU’s Centennial Celebration should
never be forgotten, and that is especially
true for those who have the good fortune
to be on campus this very special year.
We invite students, professors, staff members
and local alumni to help commemorate
this momentous occasion. How? Be
on the Quad on March 12 at 2 p.m. and
you can be one of those captured for all
posterity in the all Together one Hundred
photo that will be taken that day.
photos will be taken from a plane flying
over the Quad as well as from a cherry
picker located on the Quad.
seniors will stand in a “1-0-0” formation
while other students, alumni, professors
and staff members will stand to
create a square “picture frame” around
them. roTC cadets, safe rides members,
sga members and student ambassadors
will be on hand with instructions.
While this event will incorporate the
entire JMU community, it will highlight
the Centennial dukes of 2008,
and we ask them to wear a gold or yellow
shirt. all others should wear purple.
so that purple and gold will be seen in
the aerial photo, purple and gold placards
will be distributed to all participants
that day. during Centennial Week and
during this photo event, JMU students
and Centennial Commission members
will film a short documentary about this
photo concept. The documentary will be
edited and distributed by the Centennial
Commission. The student government
association, student ambassadors and
safe rides organized this event. if you
have questions about the event, please
e-mail brookslc@jmu.edu. don’t forget
to save this date and plan to join us on
the Quad on March 12 for this once-inonehundred-years
historic event!
Lee Brooks (’08)
SGA President and Student Ambassador
Come Celebrate
2 0 0 8 c e n t e n n i a l w e e k
march 10-16: see Centennial Week events listed on the back cover
and get complete details at www.jmu.edu/birthday
spring 2008 5