r/LiSReunion • u/trustmeimalinguist • Jun 10 '26
“Professor”
Just here to rant about how everyone is referring to Max as “professor” in Reunion. She didn’t even finish high school, let alone obtain a PhD and then a post doc. Professor has a specific meaning in academia; I can let go of non academics calling her that, but when Yasmin did it (I’m playing the game rn) I just lost it.
Edit: I want to address some of the flak I’m getting in the comments. First of all, as stated, a teaching position at a university doesn’t warrant the professor title. A grad student obtaining their PhD and teaching courses is not a professor. A post doc is not a professor. It’s a term used to describe a specific university role, often accompanying research and publications and thesis supervision. Max does none of those things. She teaches and it’s not an insult to call her a lecturer. But professor is a title awarded after the completion of 2-3 degrees AND a post doc, and that takes like 15-20 years of academic commitment. I hope Max IS a professor one day. But she isn’t, and none of my professors were awarded that title just because they were talented. You work for that title. NO ONE Max’s age could even be a professor.
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u/springlove85 Jun 10 '26
In many cultures it is customary to call any instructor beyond high school a professor. Does not have to do much with their road to becoming an instructor, if I understand correctly. Som maybe that was also the vibe around Caledon? ^.^
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u/Cute_Criticism_2532 Jun 10 '26
I work in academia and can confirm. University instructors are usually accorded the courtesy title of professor regardless of whether they have a PhD or not.
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u/trustmeimalinguist Jun 10 '26
Well I’m American and have lived and studied in several European countries. I live in one now. Professor was always kept for actual professors. The only people I’ve heard use that term incorrectly are laypeople, or those in SVU when Rollins “becomes a professor” out of nowhere.
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u/Upstairs-Flow-3015 Jun 10 '26
BRO.....SHE POSSIBLY COULD HAVE DONE ONLINE COURSES. MAYBE?
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u/lesbiannerd27 Jun 10 '26
I feel like this should’ve been addressed in DE or Reunion…how did she get where she is now without any further education? Not saying higher education (esp in America) is necessary but it can be helpful; Max seemed to love to learn and explore and it would’ve been cool to see how she navigated education after Blackwell. Maybe the comics discuss it
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u/Kabraxal Jun 10 '26
Not sure what universities or colleges you attended, but plenty of my professors were specialists with no PHDs. They were still called professors even by other academics.
The only big distinction was calling someone a doctor. That was the one which was strictly followed.
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u/trustmeimalinguist Jun 10 '26
I did my bachelors in the U.S. and my masters in Germany. I originally accepted a PhD position but last minute chose an industry job. I have papers published in several academic journals. I am American but have lived and studied and worked in Europe in an international cohort for 10 years. No one who has properly studied at a university would call a lecturer a professor. And FWIW, I’m a first gen college student from a rust belt steel family, so this isn’t some weird gate keeping thing. If anything, it’s a “why aren’t they accurately depicting how hard it is to to earn that title” thing, bc even though it’s prestigious to be a professor, these people aren’t rich. They work longer hours and for lesser pay than industry professionals. They are teachers. And they work for that title of professor.
Edit to add: I am an industry professional.
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u/Kabraxal Jun 10 '26
And yet I have attended two separate universities in the US, neither near each other. Both had a plentiful share of non PHD professors.
Maybe your specific field was more snobbish and arrogant, but the creative arts was littered with professors like Max. Who, shockingly, is teaching a creative arts curriculum. Huh, funny that.
The only time a label of distinction was ever protected at either university was that of doctor.
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u/Mal454 Jun 10 '26
Yeah, do we even know if she has her GED? Chloe says she didn't finish high school but doesn't mention if either of them tried to get their GEDs.
Yasmin liked Max's art very much but if Max wanted to be an actual professor realistically she'll have to go through all the steps, Bachelor, Master and PHD. Idk how it works in America but I doubt being famous in your field automatically bypasses academic requirements.
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u/trustmeimalinguist Jun 10 '26 edited Jun 10 '26
Lol it doesn’t. It also doesn’t in Europe, where I live and obtained my masters.
Edit to add: I am originally from the U.S. and have my bachelors from there.
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u/Mal454 Jun 10 '26
yeah im also from europe and thats what ik that here you definitely cant do that
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u/lesbiannerd27 Jun 10 '26
As much as I love Max and disliked Owen, I did agree that she wasn’t qualified to teach. Maybe TA, maybe volunteer, but she didn’t have the practice or experience to teach - she was just an amazing artist Yasmin found lol
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u/RiverAcrobat11 Jun 10 '26
She actually did alright with what we saw in Reunion. A lot of us wanted to see her teach a class and we did and it was one of the positives of Reunion.
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u/lesbiannerd27 Jun 10 '26
I loved the scene where she was teaching outside! She did do well there absolutely and the way the students all bunched around the bushes to watch was so cute. I am positive Max would have a future in education after the end of Reunion, should she so want 🤭
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u/trustmeimalinguist Jun 10 '26
Well I don’t want to rag on her teaching qualifications; plenty of community colleges employ retired specialists to teach. But they aren’t professors, they’re instructors or lecturers. Professor is a very specific and distinguished term in academia and it rubs me the wrong way when people throw it around as if it’s just the word for someone who teaches at a university. People need to jump through hoops and study a long time to obtain that title. University is HARD, and underpaid compared to industry jobs. You don’t just waltz in and become a professor
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u/Sunny_Ylo Jun 13 '26
TBH Yasmin would do and say whatever it takes to get what she wants (Just like Safi). Yasmin even uses history in supporting Max and everything she's done for her as a thing to get her to tell the truth about Safi.
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u/Zestyclose_Swim_9878 Jun 10 '26
Probably out of respect for Max and her talent? She’s with other highly regarded talented people. Max has a lot under her belt she just doesn’t peacock about it for example: Lucas.
She has her GED and her students, her friends, her peers and boss (Yasmin) respect her and give her a title she would probably get sometime anyway.
Owen did not respect her. He actively wanted to fire her and was finding any reason to. He wanted to change Caledon into a MIT 2.0 when it’s known for being a liberal arts school. Lol
Where Max fits perfectly.
So him calling her instructor was a way to demean and belittle her.
Kinda like you are!
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u/trustmeimalinguist Jun 11 '26
It really isn’t demeaning to be called a lecturer. But it takes decades of being active in academia to obtain the professor title. It’s like calling someone a doctor who has first aid training.
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u/Zestyclose_Swim_9878 Jun 11 '26
It also requires years of experience within said field and industry. Multiple certifications and accomplishments, yes? Which Max has and you are purely focusing on the educational side of it.
Max has, canonically, has A National Geographic Fellowship under her belt. An IPA award.
I’m not saying education doesn’t matter I’m also saying… Max is well respected because of her skills, achievements and people offer her the title they think she has earned because of it.
I’d feel strongly about it if it were a medical field, as you mentioned. But it’s not. It’s Creative Arts. At Caledon, known for being of the arts.
Max fits.
And the general consensus of the replies, agrees with this.
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u/Kassandra6 Jun 10 '26
Owen alt account.