TF E-Mails Class By Mistake

On a wireless campus united by facebook.com, Blackberries, and inbox-choking e-mail lists, e-mail blunders are a part of everyday life.

But while students might endure embarrassment for accidentally replying-all to a House list, or for sending sensitive information to the wrong e-mail address, most don’t expect their Teaching Fellow (TF) to broadcast section feedback to their entire class.

Last Thursday, Joshua S. King, the head TF for English 13, “The English Bible,” accidentally sent out an e-mail meant only for TF Eliza E. Young to all 166 students enrolled in the course.

King, who had taught Young’s Thursday afternoon section as a substitute, described the students as “kind” but “sleepy.”

He went on to make notes regarding the classroom participation of some students.

While most of the commentary was positive, such as his note that Hayley J. Fink ’08 was “also talkative” and “recited Psalm 143 with great precision,” King also noted the shortcomings of some students.

King wrote to the class that Gregory B. Michnikov ’06 “recited Luke 1:47ff, Magnificat, with difficulty.”

“The part that bothered me was that neither my TF nor the head TF e-mailed me personally,” said Michnikov, who is The Crimson’s business manager. “His comment was on target. I don’t think he was misrepresenting what went on in section.”

In an interview with The Crimson last night, King said that he had forgotten to “uncheck” a box in his e-mail program that would have prevented the message from going to the entire class.

“I am very sorry for this occurring and it was totally an accident,” King said.

Not everyone in the section was upset about the e-mail.

“When I saw that, I burst out laughing,” said Durrell B. Robinson ’08, of whom King wrote that he “contributed a great deal to the discussion.”

“It was precious,” Robinson added.

King wrote a second e-mail to the entire class shortly after realizing his mistake, apologizing to students affected by the message and accepting responsibility for failing to double-check the recipients of the previous message. He also requested that students who had not yet read the message delete it from their inboxes.

“I certainly was quite relieved that I didn’t have any comments,” said William W. Lambert ’06, who is also in the section.

Lambert also said that it was not an isolated occurrence and that TFs had done this in other classes as well.

Niyum A. Gandhi ’06, who was also referenced in the e-mail—King said he “spoke up toward the end” and “recited Psalm 123 without error”—expressed his sympathy for those who had received negative comments. He had joked about the incident with friends and thought it was awkward for those with less flattering assessments.

“I feel bad for the TF, though; he obviously did not mean to do that....It’s a weird situation,” said Fink.

—Staff writer Joyce Y. Zhang can be reached at jyzhang@fas.harvard.edu.