Who do YOU call professor?

[desteffy]

You can vote in the poll and/or post what the standard is at your college.

This issue has come up at my University. I am a graduate student and I teach some classes, but what should I go by? Mr. or Prof.? The standard around here has been that the lecturers and graduate students who teach courses are called Professor in the context of the classroom, but we really are not professors. What are your thoughts?

I'm especially interested in hearing from people who have direct exp. with this. Any real professors in this forum, what do you think?

 

[shimsham]

i am professor

 

[Chu]

I consider Professor a term of respect moreso then an instructor with a PhD in his subject. Some TA's deserve the title, some "Professors" do not

 

[Heisenberg]

I'm a grad student and have done some teaching. I always just went by my first name. It felt weird to be called Mr. or Professor - like I really don't deserve those titles yet.

 

[notfred]

Grad Students are NOT professors.

 

[desteffy]

Originally posted by: Heisenberg
I'm a grad student and have done some teaching. I always just went by my first name. It felt weird to be called Mr. or Professor - like I really don't deserve those titles yet.

Yes, thats how I feel too. How is it for other grad students at your school, and what about people who are say, full time lecturer, but dont have a PhD.

 

[Kibbo]

I've only had one course entirely taught by a lecturer, and I called him Rob


Edit: I'm an allegedly mature student, so the guy was only like two years older than me. I can get away from some of the formalities when it comes to younger faculty members, even full profs. I would feel wierd calling someone older than me in such a position by their first name.

 

[Heisenberg]

Originally posted by: desteffy

Originally posted by: Heisenberg
I'm a grad student and have done some teaching. I always just went by my first name. It felt weird to be called Mr. or Professor - like I really don't deserve those titles yet.

Yes, thats how I feel too. How is it for other grad students at your school, and what about people who are say, full time lecturer, but dont have a PhD.

All the grad students go by their first name. Even the post-docs who teach and lecturers do too I think for the most part. Pretty much the only people who get called "professor" are the tenure-track Ph.D's. It's not like there's a hard and fast rule though, so I'm sure there are exceptions, but in general that's how it is.

 

[Phoenix86]

teaching != professor, otherwise HS teachers could be called the same, which they aren't (99%).

To use the term for people other than it's intended use takes away something from the people that deserve the title.

I like popeye said, I am what I am...

 

[MartyMcFly3]

Professor Chaos...

 

[GMElias]

Only those who have earned the degree. I can say this from first-hand experience. I am a graduate assistant, and I ask my students to call me Mr. Pettersson, teacher, etc., but not professor because I am not yet a prof.!
Anyway, cheers,
Elias

 

[white]

only those who are appointed professor or some variation of it (associate prof, adjunct, prof, assistant prof) are called professor. postdocs can be addressed as Dr. but not professor since they have finished their doctorate. grad students are not professors even if they teach. when i was a TA they called me by first name. if your TA has finished their doctorate then you can call them Dr.

 

[Winchester]

Professor = Ph.D/M.D./J.D

 

[George P Burdell]

Just go by first name.

Originally posted by: MartyMcFly3
Professor Chaos...

LOL

 

[TuxDave]

lol... I would be cracking up if one of my students called me a professor.

 

[fs5]

I think in college I just called everybody that was the instructor for the class a professor unless they told me to call them by their first name. TA's I called them by their first name.

Even if they're not an actual professor (just a lecturer), you'd rather assume they're a professor and work your way down. As opposed to calling them Mr. when you're actually a professor.

 

[silverpig]

I usually refer to my profs as Dr. so and so.

In refering to them where the name is unimportant to a third person I just say "my prof" if it's a professor.

If it's a TA, I say TA, or call them Jim or Chaos or whatever.

 

[olds]

The wavy haired guy from Gilligan's Island.

 

I refer to people who teach a lecture as professor. I refer to people who teach discussion sections as whatever they tell me on the first day of class.

 

[Koing]

Originally posted by: notfred
Grad Students are NOT professors.

I call the TA's on a name basis.

The lecturer I will call Professor as to not offend them if they are. Makes no real difference anyway.

Koing

 

[Peetoeng]

Originally posted by: Winchester
Professor = Ph.D/M.D./J.D

M.D. is not in the same level academically with Ph.D.

Some med students do MD/PHD combo which requires 2-3 more years more than just MD program.

 

[Soccer55]

I have my students call me by my first name. Getting called "Mr." makes me feel too old and I don't have a PhD, so I feel like I shouldn't be called "Professor".

-Tom