Book Review: Saints & Scamps - Steven M. Cahn
How nice would it be if a simple handbook on how to be an effective educator existed for recent doctoral graduates and new professors? Some graduate students receive adequate training throughout their doctoral program as a teaching assistant or adjunct professor; however, the vast majority of new professors are thrown into the academy with little training or development of the virtues necessary for effective professorship. Steven M. Cahn provides an invaluable resource that scratches the surface of the nuances of the professorial life with Saints and Scamps: Ethics in Academia. Cahn shares advice for healthy academia out of his wealth of experience as a graduate student, faculty member, and senior administrator in numerous colleges throughout the Northeastern US. Saints and Scamps was first published 1986 by Rowman & Littlefield Publishers and released again in 2011 as a revised, 25th anniversary edition that was lightly edited with added appendices comprised of articles Cahn published over those years. Cahn wrote Saints and Scamps in an effort to clearly articulate the responsibilities of faculty members such that universities provide students a high-quality education. Universities are full of saints, scamps, and everything in between; in order to gain more saints, the requirements for effective professorship must be delineated clearly, which Cahn achieves in this book.
In Chapter One, Cahn briefly explores concepts of free inquiry faculty autonomy, thus priming the reader for the ensuing discussion of the nuances contained within the professorial life. In Chapter Two, Cahn dives deeply into the art of teaching. Students rely greatly on their professors, so it is imperative that instructors do good rather than harm. Cahn describes four components that are essential to effective teaching: “motivation, organization, clarification, and generalization” (24). He uses these concepts throughout the remainder of the book to reinforce other ideas. Cahn lists additional expectations of teachers: respecting the rules they create (28); appearing for office hours (29); knowing the names of students (30); preparing for class (29); constructing examinations that adequately test students’ grasp of material (33); and grading in a fair manner that allows students to understand the quality of their work within that area of inquiry (35). Cahn also reminds readers that students and instructors should maintain a professional relationship for the duration of a student’s study. After graduation, they can pursue friendship or romance, but the academy is no place for such fraternizing.
In Chapter Three, Cahn highlights scholarship and service, which are two essential components of the professorial life. Again, Cahn lays out general guidelines for effective scholarship: do not plagiarize (50); do not request authorship on a paper if not a key contributor (50, 51); do not commit to more responsibility than can be completed in a timely manner (53); separate personal biases from critical evaluation of another’s work (54); and write evaluations or recommendations that are holistic, not just highlighting the good and ignoring areas for improvement (56). Cahn also highlights institutional service as a key component of the professorial life, which includes participation in committees, appropriate mentoring of junior instructors, and excellent academic advising.
In Chapter Four, Cahn makes recommendations for faculty and administrators regarding personnel decisions. The decision to grant or deny tenure bears much weight for both the individual under review and the institution for which they work. The review should be holistic and unbiased, including evaluation of pedagogy, scholarship, and demonstrated capacity for achieving excellence. Additionally, Cahn suggests who should or should not be involved in certain personnel decisions to minimize bias, potential for retaliation, and ungrounded assessment. Cahn also directs readers to the AAUP guidelines on faculty dismissal. Most importantly, the burden of proof for cause for dismissal lies with the university, not the individual in question.
Finally, in Chapter Five, Cahn summarizes the previous four chapters in a discussion about effective graduate education. Cahn details how the previous concepts are especially important when training graduate students, as the goal is to produce individuals who are successful scholars, capable teachers, and collegial members of their future department and university. He advocates for comprehensive examinations, good instructors, and deflated grades. Cahn also offers the suggestion that universities have a procedure or committee in place that allows students to express grievances when they feel that their department is creating unnecessary challenges in the pursuit of a doctoral degree, thus maintaining a checks-and-balances system of administration.
Throughout the book, Cahn also highlights a few areas where academia has strayed from its original mission. One such area is grade inflation; if professors fear retaliation from students, they might provide higher grades than deserved. What once was C-level work 60 years ago now earns a B. Students also demanded rights to be included on various committees, including those reviewing teaching performance. Cahn argues this role is not appropriate for students because they will judge based on likeability rather than teaching style; students do not have a firm grasp on the material being taught and therefore cannot properly gauge the effectiveness of the teaching. This work is best left to tenured faculty in the department. Additionally, graduate schools are notorious for mistreatment of graduate students. Cahn summarizes the issues by stating, “The focus is not on meeting student needs but on satisfying faculty desires” (89). Cahn redirects the focus by detailing how all of his recommendations meet students’ needs, even the needs of which they are largely unaware.
Cahn, a philosopher by training, creates sound, well-reasoned arguments throughout Saints and Scamps. For each argument he presents, he also shares common objections and why they do not stand up to debate. As a result, Cahn walks readers through a logical thought progression to arrive at his ideal standard for the professorial life. Cahn’s writing abounds with relevant examples that allow readers to better understand and apply his points. For example, in his case for why educators are the best judges of their colleagues’ performance, Cahn writes, “Some proponents of student ratings have argued that learners are the best evaluators of their own responses, drawing an analogy to the restaurant patron who is a better judge of the food than the chef. But while those who eat surely know how the food tastes, its nutritional benefit is judged most reliably by a nutritionist, just as educational value is best judged by an educator” (44). Some of the comparisons might not be perfect, but taken at face value, these analogies invite readers to join the discussion in a way they comprehend, much like how Cahn notes clarification and generalization are hallmarks of effective teaching.
Cahn highlights teaching, scholarship, and service as components of the professorial life, but he could also include collegiality. While an individual might perform adequately in the first three areas, if their attitude is poor, they will not be well-liked. Perhaps collegiality is considered less important at schools where scholarship is valued as the highest ideal, but professors must be pleasant people in order to succeed in their career. Much of the professorial life is built on relationships and networks, so faculty members should strive for collegiality with colleagues, students, administrators, and peers in their field across institutions.
Considering the title for the book includes the word “ethics,” Cahn spends little time discussing academic ethics specifically. He suggests that faculty members should possess an unwavering commitment to academic ethics; readers might assume this relates to all areas of the professorial life, including activities like personnel decisions, voting on committees, reporting student academic dishonesty, and academic integrity in personal scholarship. Additionally, in all the suggestions for what should or should not be part of the professorial life, Cahn provides few recommendations for how a university might undergo reform in order to improve the quality of professors. Cahn simply provides a few examples of effective or ineffective professors he has interacted with and leaves readers to interpret how the educational system created both types. Saints and Scamps is by no means an all-inclusive history book of the changes in the professorial life over the last four centuries, though the few tidbits Cahn offers serve to illuminate why certain ethical conundrums persist (e.g., grade inflation).
Saints and Scamps is a phenomenal read for graduate students interested in pursuing a faculty role and new faculty members. The book would serve as a helpful framework for anyone constructing an orientation program for new faculty at their university. Within the framework, the training can be customized through the insertion of specific university policies. Cahn does not offer much insight that would be new knowledge to experienced professors, though it might be a book worth revisiting from time to time throughout an individual’s career. Cahn shares, “I know of no greater gift a teacher can bestow than to impart to students an abiding appreciation for excellence” (27). Excellent professors will not hinder students but rather inspire future scholars towards excellence in their own career.
