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SMU blogger unmasked, unemployed
SMU official says contract not related to teacher's chronicles
08:54 PM CDT on Saturday, May 14, 2005
By COLLEEN McCAIN NELSON / The Dallas Morning News
When an anonymous professor launched a brutally honest Web site, some SMU students thought the resemblance to their school was striking – and offensive.
The "Phantom Professor" blog dished about epidemic eating disorders and wealthy students looking for a "Mrs." degree. The author dubbed girls in $500 sandals toting $1,500 handbags "the Ashleys" and called a handsome male colleague "Hot Pockets."
Now, after much speculation, Elaine Liner's identity has been confirmed. A local writer, she has done theater reviews for the Dallas Observer in recent months and has written articles for The Dallas Morning News in the past.
Southern Methodist University recently decided that it no longer needs Ms. Liner's services as an adjunct professor teaching classes on writing and ethics to communications students.
School officials won't discuss personnel matters. But Rita Kirk, chairwoman of the division of corporate communications and public affairs, said the decision not to renew Ms. Liner's contract was not related to her Web site. She said the university is working to add senior faculty and to rely less on adjunct professors.
Still, Dr. Kirk acknowledged that Ms. Liner's candor provoked ire from parents, left some students in tears and raised legal and ethical concerns.
"When students talk to professors, they tend to think that these conversations are held in confidence," Dr. Kirk said. "We were concerned about privacy issues."
The blog (short for Web log) details a list of "things students have said in my office during one-on-one conferences." Examples included, "The girls in my sorority house are all cokeheads," and "Is it date rape if you know the guy?"
Ms. Liner writes on her blog that all the stories are true, adding that, "names and identifying details have been changed. Even the Ashleys."
'Touching little stories'
She declined requests for an interview but told an online publication that she never intended to embarrass anyone.
"I thought I was just writing funny, odd, touching little stories about my experiences on a campus and in a classroom," she told Inside Higher Ed.
Ms. Liner wrote Thursday on her blog that the response she has received since going public has been ''overwhelmingly positive."
The school's decision not to renew Ms. Liner's contract has sparked debate on other blogs, with several SMU students offering high praise for their professor.
''As a former student of the phantom professor, I have to say this is entire incident is insane," one wrote recently on a Web site. ''This professor happens to be one of the best I have encountered at SMU."
Initially, the Phantom Professor's identity and school were mysteries. But as details were added to the blog, students and colleagues began to connect the dots.
A March editorial in the SMU student newspaper included the headline " 'Phantom Prof' out of line" and noted that details from the blog seemed "eerily similar to life on the Hilltop."
Dr. Kirk said the site did little to disguise the identities of students and professors. "There is no doubt who is being referred to," she said.
Ms. Liner told Inside Higher Ed that some might have mistakenly believed that they were being mocked on her blog.
"Some of the stories are so common among SMU kids – the rampant bulimia, the outrageous budgets for clothes and cars, the airheads, the illiterate jocks and the plagiarizers – that any number of students who knew me or didn't might identify with them," she said.
Praise and derision
On the blog, Ms. Liner offered effusive praise for some of her students but delivered biting commentary when discussing others. She derides "the Ashleys" with "their Prada handbags and their SUVs (brand new, all filled with high octane charged to daddy's plastic) and their size 0 derrieres kept warm with pastel Juicy Couture sweats that show just a hint of dorsal cleavage."
Dr. Kirk said that such characterizations created tension in the classroom.
"Students in her class came to me and said ... 'Am I being judged just because I have good shoes?' " Dr. Kirk said.
SMU doesn't have a policy addressing blogs, Dr. Kirk said. This episode raised questions about whether clear guidelines need to be set regarding student-professor confidentiality.
"I have always been a strong free speech advocate," Dr. Kirk said. "But free speech means you have the right to say it. That doesn't mean there aren't consequences."
SMU official says contract not related to teacher's chronicles
08:54 PM CDT on Saturday, May 14, 2005
By COLLEEN McCAIN NELSON / The Dallas Morning News
When an anonymous professor launched a brutally honest Web site, some SMU students thought the resemblance to their school was striking – and offensive.
The "Phantom Professor" blog dished about epidemic eating disorders and wealthy students looking for a "Mrs." degree. The author dubbed girls in $500 sandals toting $1,500 handbags "the Ashleys" and called a handsome male colleague "Hot Pockets."
Now, after much speculation, Elaine Liner's identity has been confirmed. A local writer, she has done theater reviews for the Dallas Observer in recent months and has written articles for The Dallas Morning News in the past.
Southern Methodist University recently decided that it no longer needs Ms. Liner's services as an adjunct professor teaching classes on writing and ethics to communications students.
School officials won't discuss personnel matters. But Rita Kirk, chairwoman of the division of corporate communications and public affairs, said the decision not to renew Ms. Liner's contract was not related to her Web site. She said the university is working to add senior faculty and to rely less on adjunct professors.
Still, Dr. Kirk acknowledged that Ms. Liner's candor provoked ire from parents, left some students in tears and raised legal and ethical concerns.
"When students talk to professors, they tend to think that these conversations are held in confidence," Dr. Kirk said. "We were concerned about privacy issues."
The blog (short for Web log) details a list of "things students have said in my office during one-on-one conferences." Examples included, "The girls in my sorority house are all cokeheads," and "Is it date rape if you know the guy?"
Ms. Liner writes on her blog that all the stories are true, adding that, "names and identifying details have been changed. Even the Ashleys."
'Touching little stories'
She declined requests for an interview but told an online publication that she never intended to embarrass anyone.
"I thought I was just writing funny, odd, touching little stories about my experiences on a campus and in a classroom," she told Inside Higher Ed.
Ms. Liner wrote Thursday on her blog that the response she has received since going public has been ''overwhelmingly positive."
The school's decision not to renew Ms. Liner's contract has sparked debate on other blogs, with several SMU students offering high praise for their professor.
''As a former student of the phantom professor, I have to say this is entire incident is insane," one wrote recently on a Web site. ''This professor happens to be one of the best I have encountered at SMU."
Initially, the Phantom Professor's identity and school were mysteries. But as details were added to the blog, students and colleagues began to connect the dots.
A March editorial in the SMU student newspaper included the headline " 'Phantom Prof' out of line" and noted that details from the blog seemed "eerily similar to life on the Hilltop."
Dr. Kirk said the site did little to disguise the identities of students and professors. "There is no doubt who is being referred to," she said.
Ms. Liner told Inside Higher Ed that some might have mistakenly believed that they were being mocked on her blog.
"Some of the stories are so common among SMU kids – the rampant bulimia, the outrageous budgets for clothes and cars, the airheads, the illiterate jocks and the plagiarizers – that any number of students who knew me or didn't might identify with them," she said.
Praise and derision
On the blog, Ms. Liner offered effusive praise for some of her students but delivered biting commentary when discussing others. She derides "the Ashleys" with "their Prada handbags and their SUVs (brand new, all filled with high octane charged to daddy's plastic) and their size 0 derrieres kept warm with pastel Juicy Couture sweats that show just a hint of dorsal cleavage."
Dr. Kirk said that such characterizations created tension in the classroom.
"Students in her class came to me and said ... 'Am I being judged just because I have good shoes?' " Dr. Kirk said.
SMU doesn't have a policy addressing blogs, Dr. Kirk said. This episode raised questions about whether clear guidelines need to be set regarding student-professor confidentiality.
"I have always been a strong free speech advocate," Dr. Kirk said. "But free speech means you have the right to say it. That doesn't mean there aren't consequences."