Apparently James Franco is getting all kinds of special treatment at NYU and one professor just refused to go along with charade and gave James Franco the grade he deserved. A "D". Jose Santana, a professor at the school said he gave James a D because Franco missed 12 of his 14 Directing The Actor Classes. Franco should have probably gone since his directing is pretty awful. Franco missed other classes just as much but the professors gave him good grades anyway. Santana was fired after the grade was given. He is suing to get his job back and claims the Dean of the department has a conflict because Franco has hired him to work on movies and he has hired other professors too. It is pretty tough to give a bad grade to someone if they are paying you. Franco should have just cut out the pretense and given them all checks.
Doesn't he have tenure? That would save him from capricious firing. Or is he adjunct? Just wondering.
ReplyDeleteI'm sensing a lot of ego on everyone's side.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure the professor's ego is deserved. I hope he wins.
ReplyDeleteIt is so unfair when it comes to assholes like Franco.
ReplyDeleteI'm with the professor. The only Grade-A James Franco has been getting is for being an all out ass!
ReplyDeleteI am so with the professor. And attendance should totally impact your grade, particularly in a hands-on subject such as directing.
ReplyDeleteFuck these entitled celebrities. I hope this professor wins his suit. And I'm so not into frivolous lawsuits by any means.
It's pretty pathetic when a university penalizes its educators for giving the actual grade a student earns. NYU should not be a cake walk.
This with his awful Oscars performance sure has me thinking twice about James Franco. What a prick.
Story aside, that man looks like a complete asshole. I don't use that word often. Look at him! He looks so mean!
ReplyDelete"I'm sensing a lot of ego on everyone's side."
ReplyDeleteCome on now, Really? It's all relative? Everyone's at fault? That's not very "feisty" and shows no sense whatsoever. How about having a real opinion instead of splitting this baby. Clearly, the professor is in the right if Franco failed to attend 12 of 14 classes. Actually, he should have failed Franco. If Franco wasn't one of the entitled elite he would have been failed out (and probably wouldn't have gotten in in the first place). Remember that photo of him sleeping in class? It is appalling that the professor was fired. Anyone thinking of sending their kid to NYU should think again and then make the rational choice to enroll elsewhere.
That's easy, Enty -- he's clearly given a wad of cash to the school. For a Major Donor, all grades are up for negotiation.
ReplyDeletei hope that this suit blows the cap off everything-this can really harm NYU's rep and i am all for it...especially that "fake" intellectual Franco.
ReplyDelete@Bitter Queen Exactly! What's the point of getting a degree if you haven't actually learned anything?
ReplyDeleteNot every prof has an attendance policy, but that said, if Franco knew he was expected to be in class, then he should've either shown up or withdrawn. But there's more to this story than we know.
ReplyDeleteI do not get the franco worship. good for the professor and its good that someone is bringing the travesty to light.
ReplyDeleteJames Franco has turned in to a grade A douche bag.
ReplyDeleteThere was a picture of James Franco in this guys class, fast asleep. Apparently James also missed 12 out of 14 classes. I'm team Professor. I like that he's not sucking up to Franco, just because he's a "Star". James Franco is an arrogant moron and I'm furious that they fired an intelligent person who contributes to the education of our youth, for a dumbass actor.
ReplyDeleteI'm actually surprised that he even got a D. If you would only attend 2 of 14 classes at my uni, you would get nothing but a shrug from the prof and advise to come back next semester. You would have simply failed class. I don't know if a D means just as much (maybe someone from the US can fill me in), but if not then the prof is still very generous, isn't he?
ReplyDeleteYup, if you don't show up you clearly cannot direct anything. And he got 60 units in one quarter? That isn't physically possible. I have zero respect for people who do not earn their degrees but then I think they can also be somewhat overrated. Of course I am a graduate from the school of hard knocks.
ReplyDelete60 units in 1 quarter? I did 17 units in a quarter once and it about killed me. And on the first day of each class, each professor told us his or her attendance policy and if you blew it, tough. If he wants to give money, give money and get your honorary doctorate and move on. What an asshole.
ReplyDeleteHe pulled the same stunt at Columbia.
ReplyDeleteActually, there were college courses where I calculated how many outright 0.0s I could get and still pass (assuming I got a 4.0 on everything else) so that I could miss most classes. Rarely was there a professor who calculated attendance into part of the grading, and when it was, that was usually at 10 percent maximum of the total overall grade for the class.
ReplyDeleteSo, unless this guy has failed other students specifically for not attending class and made it clear that attendance actually factors into the grade calculation, I'm thinking the school had little choice but to outright fire him for such targeted discrimination of one student.
Mina -- in the United States, at least at the Big 10 university I attended, anything above an outright 0.0 (F/failing grade) is passing. Either you graduate and get your diploma or you don't -- most people don't ask, Did you just barely get that degree by the skin of your teeth?
ReplyDeleteGood on the professor. Shame on the university. James Franco - SIT DOWN!
ReplyDeleteI'm on the professors side...Franco is so full of shit.
ReplyDeleteWhat with the Oscars and this, I'm starting to think his days are numbered.
ReplyDeletePlease, baby Jebus!
Jose Santana is a visiting professor at NYU. You don't get fired from those posts; your contract just doesn't get renewed. I think it's highly unlikely that he would have been fired for giving a D to even a famous student. Most faculty pretty much despise their students (I work as a professor in a prestigious university).
ReplyDeleteI can see this going both ways, so I hope he really did deserve it and really does have to repeat the course. Too bad for the instructor, just doing his job.
ReplyDeleteIf it's a graduate course at NYU's Tisch School on directing actors, I'm guessing active class participation and actual preparation and direction of a scene were minimum requirements (that would include casting and then out-of-class rehearsal.) Chances are the class was not that large, so his failure to provide a two-hander scene for the class and instructor to critique would have been a big problem.
ReplyDeletePrivate schools are willing to make all kinds of accommodations for celebrity students. Chelsea Clinton and I attended the same college for undergrad (not at the same time; she was there ahead of me), and she got an entire semester off to campaign for her mom when she was running for the Senate. She got credit for "life experience" for that semester, and graduated on time. If you have the right last name, or you make a big enough donation, all sorts of exceptions can be made for you.
ReplyDeleteIn the case of James Franco, good for the professor; I hope he prevails.
I never got this whole Franco is a Rhodes Scholar and stoner act.
ReplyDeleteI think he bought into his own hype as a "genius".
Go professor go! I'm glad someone stood up to Franco and his facade of being a "student."
ReplyDelete@Reese
ReplyDeleteYes, Stanford gave Chelsea a pass for one semester. They were also quite kind to Gayle King's daughter to get the Big O to do the commencement address. BYW, Kenneth Starr's daughter attended Stanford at the same time as Chelsea, and it was not as pretty.
I attended the same school as Chelsea too. I also took a quarter off, but it was no problem as I had plenty of units. When you have a liberal arts degree, taking a quarter off isn't always difficult. That's why so many end up with minors and double majors - they have the time.
ReplyDeleteI had a class with Chelsea and she was legitimately brilliant. But yeah, they let little old me take a quarter off and not only did I graduate on time, I actually graduated a quarter early. In other words, totally doable no special treatment needed.
Also, the above writer is misleading in saying 'an entire semester'. We were on the quarter system, so she missed 1 out of 12 quarters, not 1 out of 8 semesters.
@ Armatel - You think there's no way a professor teaching a class on directing has an ego? Most professors have a pretty high opinion of themselves, and I think directors are the same way. I think the combination of the two things would make a pretty potent force.
ReplyDeleteHow did this get reported to the press? He got outraged at his treatment, and I think it has less to do with Franco than it does that he doesn't like that his contract wasn't renewed. Franco's a douche, and pretty repugnant, but I think this guy's crusading because his ego got bruised.
@Unknown
ReplyDeleteI know Stanford is on the quarter system, it was slip of the fingers. I attended Stanford for grad school. Please place your ire at Reese who I was responding too. Stanford DOES make allowances for certain students, as do a lot of private colleges.
I'm with the person who said to just get an honourary degree if you can't put in the time to do the actual work, which obviously includes attending class.
ReplyDeleteThis is unknown- I did put a name but it didn't show up? I figured it was a mistake. I went to Berkeley for Grad school and do confuse which was quarter and which was semester. But I saw and heard only good things about Chelsea so while I certainly am NOT saying no one ever gets special treatment for being famous I was simply saying that single example of taking a quarter off doesn't lead me to think she got any special treatment. I just like being accurate. She did get some special treatment that I did know of, but that was all security related.
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like you still believe the example you cited does prove she got special treatment, so we just disagree and that is fine.
I atteded Penn State for my undergrad and Jefferson for my grad. Both counted attendance towards your grade and it was much more than 10%. My drama prof started dropping you a grade after 3 absences and Tennis coach dropped a letter after 2. For an interacive class, attendance is almost the only thing that matters, that and effort but you have to be there to give even that. Ego or not, the prof is right in this instance.
ReplyDeleteFunny, I'm at Jefferson now, Parker! While attendance doesn't count towards our grades, they do take attendance and you're expected to be at class. I attended a tiny liberal arts class and had the same experience there - attendance was not a part of the grade, but if you missed X number of days, you failed, unless there were extenuating circumstances.
ReplyDelete"Most faculty pretty much despise their students (I work as a professor in a prestigious university)."
As the daughter of professors, I know this statement isn't true. My mother taught at one of the Ivies and was discouraged from being available to her students, since they believed she was there to research. My mom felt it was her duty to be available to her students and made every effort to be accessible. While some professors ignore their undergrads and cater to their grad students, there are also professors who do care about their undergrads. In my experiences, my professors have always gone above and beyond for their students and do actually like them. My friends who are professors also really enjoy their students, though there are always a few one just may not care for.
@Amy...James Franco was not kicked out of school or singled out. The Professor didn't even flunk him, which he should have. I think he was being more than generous. He gave him a D and James Franco got angry. I'm sure the teacher would have given anyone who didn't attend class or fell asleep and failed tests a D or lower. I think what the Professor did was pretty standard with any HS or college student who didn't attend class and failed tests.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDelete"anything above an outright 0.0 (F/failing grade) is passing."
ReplyDeleteI think a D is usually required to pass, and a D is typically 60% or above. At the Big 10 I worked at, D's didn't count towards majors, and if you had a D average, you were likely to get put on academic probation.
I also think a lot of schools require a 2.0 or above to graduate. (C average.)
ReplyDeleteOh, and I think it's total bullshit how every little thing has to be spelled out in the syllabus these days, thanks to our litigious, self-entitled culture. Attendance in class should be taken for granted!
Holding one MFA in playwriting and most another in directing, I think I'm qualified to comment: something is fishy about this.
ReplyDeleteOne, if you only show up for two out of fourteen classes, you fail. Especially if it's a directing practicum/studio class. Two, Tisch is one of the top five theatre/film grad schools in the country. I refuse to believe that you can skate through Tisch missing that many classes per course and be awarded an MFA.
I've always been leery of Franco's claims to intellectual achievement, and I still predict that he'll finish ABD at Yale, but he can't be this lame and be carried on the books at two of the most prestigious graduate programs in the country. Bilged one class and earned his MFA...sure. Skated most of them? No way.
I need a little more info on this (more info on the class, teaching style, etc.) BUT if NYU was truly making it a "Franco friendly" environment, it doesn't at all surprise me that he wasn't held accountable for missing 85% of the classes. I'm surprised his classmates aren't speaking out. Seems like a class on directing is not one you'd wanna miss.
ReplyDelete