By Josh Keller – March 14, 2010 –Excerpt–
Maybe some college students are so tired of being treated like numbers that they relish making a more personal connection. That’s how Shafique N. Virani, an associate professor of Islamic studies at the University of Toronto, explains the special treatment he’s received from some students.
One brought his entire family to him and “insisted that I sign his textbook,” Mr. Virani says. Another student invited him on an all-expenses-paid tour of Europe. And a third asked him to officiate at her wedding.
“I told her I was honored, but that I’ve never officiated a wedding before,” says Mr. Virani. “That they might want to get somebody with a little bit more experience that wouldn’t mess it up for them on their special day.”
Mr. Virani is also the subject of a more common way for students to celebrate (and poke fun at) their favorite professors: a Facebook fan club. The clubs, which can attract hundreds of members, typically involve a page with a biography of the professor and loosely interpreted humorous quotes from the classroom.
Ismailimail 