I was sorry to learn that the professor of political science Jean-Pierre Derriennic had been “thanked for his services” by Laval University, and the astonishing way in which everything was done (two or three weeks after the beginning of the term) raises questions about how we sometimes deal with small problems.
I was a professor in the Department of Political Science at Université Laval for a little over 20 years. I witnessed Jean-Pierre’s great rigor, his immense dedication in supervising students, his unorthodox way of teaching and his exceptional requirements. He forced the students to surpass themselves, to go for it, to express themselves. His incredible oratorical talent and his expressiveness made complex material perfectly digestible. Jean-Pierre is a monument of general culture, a bottomless well of knowledge about political history and the Middle East.
As undergraduate program director, I also witnessed Jean-Pierre’s initiatives, not always in line with the rules… But all you had to do was talk to him to fix everything. A well-crafted request coated with pedagogical considerations always receives a benevolent welcome from Professor Derriennic.
Only one (official) exam at the end of the term when the regulations require more? Reading several of Professor Derriennic’s lesson plans shows that work could complete the evaluation of students. After two decades spent in this department, I can testify that Jean-Pierre was the one who best supervised his students (even when he had very large groups). And in my 30-year career, I have met very few colleagues who are so dedicated and so pedagogically talented.
That a hitch in the regulations which in no way affects the quality of the teaching, and which probably sufficed to be settled by a 15-minute discussion with the principal concerned, put an end to his involvement in the Political Science Department of Université Laval is appalling.
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