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The Maroon Tiger Work

DEPARTMENT CHAIR ANSWERS ALLEGATIONS OF UNFAIR PRACTICE

By SAEED AHMED

In a conversation with The Maroon Tiger, Dr. Robert Dixon, Chair of the Physics Department, addressed charges of unfair practice made against him in a "Letter to the Editor" (reproduced on page 19).

The letter alleges Dr. Dixon is currently using his "notes" instead of a regular textbook for General Physics 152, and is asking students to "[pay] the full amount up front" for a set of notes with "no page numbers and, in many cases, the figures ... missing."

It also contends that the Department head has replaced the General Physics 151 with his own "inadequately-written" book.

"It's a simple matter of arithmetic,"Dixon explained, refuting allegations he is profiting from the sale of the so-called notes.' "The money generated from the sales is nowhere near the cost that went into the typing, photocopying and binding of the books."

Dixon also believes the replacement of the old text, College Physics (Serway & Faughn), by his books is justifiable.

"My effort is directed by my experience," he said. "You base your decisions on what you believe is more valuable and serves the students better."

The change was implemented because the current book "rectifies the problems and complaints that students have made about Serway," Dixon said.

As for the contention that some students consider his book "inadequately-written," Dixon pointed out that he has received "only favorable responses" from faculty members at various universities, including Morgan State University, University of Maryland and Clark-Atlanta University.

"The book will be used by Hampton [University] this Fall, and it is being considered by the Physics department at Florida A&M," he said.

Dixon also added that Dr. Mohanty "who was my Physics professor at Morehouse, and now teaches at Southern University, recommended that people there use my book."

However, a detailed sales and shipping report The Maroon Tiger obtained from the book's publisher, Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company in Iowa, shows no records of either his Physics and Technology for Liberal Arts' or Concepts in College Physics Vol. I' -- books used in Physical Science and General Physics respectively -- being sent to any of the schools he mentioned.

The company also reported the only school that has used Dixon's books since their publication has been Morehouse.

Dixon attributes this to "poor marketing on the part of the publisher."

"This book has a lot of merit," reiterated Dixon, when asked to comment on the letter. "And I think [the letter] is a very sad, misguided statement. I have been teaching since 1966 and I have never seen a single book that students said they didn't find difficult to follow."

"And usually," concluded Dixon, who is responsible for implementing the graduate program in Physics at Clark-Atlanta University, "the complaints are inversely proportional to the student's performance in class."