On April 3, the Princeton Review unveiled its lineup of the top 300 professors in the nation. Two professors from Hillsdale College — Thomas Conner, professor of history, and Justin Jackson, associate professor of English — were selected for the list.
The ranking was developed by analyzing assessments from the hit site RateMyProfessor.com, as well as interviews with students. The end result was a compilation of professors from across the country who students say have had a great impact on their lives.
Conner said that although he was honored to be included on the list, he was dubious about the validity of the ranking.
“Frankly, I’m not sure what to make of this thing. I would consider myself skeptical of the ability of any agency to determine who the ‘Best 300 Professors’ might be, given how many subjective components there are in teaching,” he said.
But he added that his placement was beneficial.
“However doubtful I may be that I ever belonged on the list, I’m still happy to be selected, and especially pleased that it has been possible for the college to garner some well deserved attention from this development for all the good things that are happening here,” Conner said. “There is exceptional teaching by countless faculty members throughout every department and program of our college, and the wonderful qualities in our students make us all better at what we do.”
Jackson voiced similar sentiments.
“I’ll just echo what my wife, Jena, said: ‘It’s a good thing Tom was recognized so that it adds some sort of legitimacy to your being on the list.’ That seems about right. There’s something obviously arbitrary about the list since so many of my colleagues who are excellent teachers, far more talented than I, aren’t on the list. So there’s that sort of silliness to it.”
But Jackson added that Conner’s inclusion makes it less silly.
“I also know just how good Dr. Conner is as a teacher, how much he loves the students and respects them deeply, and how much that love and respect is reciprocated,” he said. “So his presence does, in fact, mean something to me and to my being placed in the book.”
Provost David Whalen said that the selection of both men was well deserved, despite the skepticism that either one might have for the lineup itself.
“Dr. Connor noted that he had a very healthy skepticism regarding such lists,” Whalen said. “This skepticism is one of the reasons he belongs on any list of truly excellent professors. Drs. Connor and Jackson certainly deserve this distinction, and anyone who knows them knows the justice of their receiving it.”
The complete list can be found on the Princeton Review’s website and is also available in the 2012 edition of “The Best 300 Professors.”
