A University of Victoria professor has been relieved from a course he said he was unqualified to teach, after two bizarre scenes during the first week of school ended with a call to police and the prof being escorted away by security.
Computer science professor Jianping Pan advised students on the first day of his numerical analysis class that he was not qualified to teach the course, and recommended that they find a different instructor to teach them. A photo posted online from the Sept. 7 class shows Pan making the recommendation in a lecture notice on the overhead projector.
"Recommendation: Take it with a better instructor," the posted notice read. Pan explained in the notice that he didn't want to waste his students' time leading a course that he does not feel confident teaching. "I really teach a course when I am qualified and prepared," he wrote. "Sorry, I care about the quality."
The university says it sent an email to students on Sept. 8, informing them a new instructor would be taking over the class.
Pan showed up at the next lecture, on Sept. 9, and attempted to teach the course anyway, despite attempts by faculty to interrupt him and convince him to leave. The class was cancelled at that time, according to the university.
Part of the confrontation was captured on video by a student sitting in the lecture hall. One student can be overheard telling faculty: "Why don't you guys just take off and let him finish, and then it won't be embarrassing."
A faculty member answers: "I'm not trying to make this embarrassing for anybody."
Police were called and Pan was escorted out of the lecture hall and off campus by UVic security.
UVic told CTV News that there was no danger to the students, and the call to police was part of the school's standard operating procedure.
The university defended its initial decision to put Pan in charge of the numerical analysis course in a statement to CTV News. "Faculty members are often asked to teach foundational courses that are not directly in their areas of research as a service to the department and to students," the statement read. "This is a normal part of a faculty member's job and does not mean they are not competent to deliver the course."
Pan's biography page on the University of Victoria website appears to indicate he has not taught the numerical analysis course in the past. According to the page, Pan was promoted to full professor in 2014. He was recognized with a chair's commendation on teaching in 2011, and a dean's commendation on teaching in 2007.
Pan is not scheduled to teach any other courses this fall, but he is still listed as the instructor for at least two courses slated to start in January.
The university says he was not suspended as a result of the incident.
