Essay by 謝振禮老師 Jeenn Lee Hsieh

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真題還原

Some people think that the role of the university professors is to educate students, while others think that the university professors should focus on doing research. What is your opinion? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.

范文:
If the image of a university matters, professors should be role models in their relationships with students and with the disciplines to which they are dedicated. There is no doubt that the image of a university will be enhanced by good teaching as well as good teaching. In this light, the roles of teachers in higher education are to educate students and do research.

On the one hand, teaching is central to the role of all academic staff. If nothing else, they are paid to educate students by giving scheduled lessons and sponsoring academic activities, particularly in the classroom. As a senior lecturer, a professor should be expected to provide leadership in curriculum development, design of courses, and innovations in the delivery of teaching in the specific discipline and related disciplines. That is why a professor should carry a teaching load which reflects workload equity across all teaching staff. So important is the role of educating students that a professor should be involved in at least some of the large classes and teaching of both postgraduate students and undergraduates, including first-year. After all, by definition a professor is a senior university teacher whose first role it is to TEACH, isn't it?

On the other hand, professors are playing a crucial role as well in the research effort of the university. To begin with, they are expected to provide guidance and assistance to more junior staff in developing their capacity for teaching and research. Also, they are supposed to introduce research students and colleagues to useful networks inside and outside the campus. It is understandable that funding to various degrees is always required by professors to do academic research. For that matter, whereas some professors will secure grants which cover teams including junior staff, others will carry on research at lower cost and/or at a more individual level. More often than not, in many disciplines, provision of a research environment for honors and postgraduate students is dependent upon the role of the professor to attract external funds.

On the whole, university professors are evaluated by their teaching capabilities and research results. Those professors who are famous in their own rights will strengthen the university's image at both national and international levels. This means that any university in lack of that kind of 'well-earned' image is not likely to shine in the galaxy of higher education.