What is also bizarre about it is that it takes away the agency and personal interpretation that makes something art. Getting naked is not art. I get naked every single day, and it simply isn’t art. Getting naked in front of someone isn’t inherently art. Nudity in the context of a larger message can be art, but this is…

You know, I believe I agree with you. You have convinced me. It really isn’t necessary and could be triggering, but even more, it doesn’t really get at what performance art actually is.

I don’t really like the “just don’t take the class” argument, either. What if I’m an aspiring performance artist and I think the other 99% of the course content that doesn’t involve nudity would be useful for my development as an artist? This is not the sort of course that universities offer multiple sections of. It’s…

I lead a pretty good life as a teenager. I don’t think I could have mustered a decently “naked” emotional moment for him to witness.

Having a woman in the room doesn’t make having to be naked any less traumatizing. If anything it might be more traumatizing to have a bigger audience. I don’t know why you would use that as a rationale. There is nothing about performance art that requires nudity, and I would absolutely be traumatized if I were made to…

If it’s an upper division course, it’s fair to assume she’s 20-22 years old. Her mother shouldn’t be taking the lead on this one. She’s an adult and can handle her shit on her own. I think the student was upset, vented to her mother, and her mother is making a huge fuss over something that is none of her concern.…

She was just mad that SHE got a C.

I teach, and I think that the reason we do the whole “reading of the syllabus” on the first day is especially for situations like this. I try to cover anything even potentially touchy in detail right from the get-go, and in this day of online learning systems, it’s impossible that this hasn’t been sitting in an easily…

You, arts student, are an adult. Your education is your responsibility, not your mother’s, and she has no place filing complaints on your behalf.

The issue wouldn’t come up for me at all because I would completely and utterly avoid the 100% optional scenario altogether.

Thank you. I am a little taken aback by the number of responses here that basically equate to: “Tough luck, the syllabus is the syllabus, so suck it up and get naked in front of your professor because art.” Ummmmm, no. And it’s not OK just because there is a substitute requirement to “get emotionally naked.”*

If you knew that what was standing in the way of you and career advancement was you taking all your clothes off in front of someone in a position of power and trust, and that if you didn’t, it would put a blemish on your record and put you out a lot of money, would you do it? Or would you consider it sexual harassment?

Why, I had a parent call me just last fall to complain about something her son heard in class. And yes, I do teach college students.

Not only did I have a similar experience (in terms of administrators being uninterested until parents get involved), but college students... They might be legal adults, but most are adults in pretty much no other way.

Yeah, it’s not like there are any sexual assaults or anything going on on college campuses. Parents should just let their fully mature adult children handle everything, and not question anything that looks inappropriate.

I do know something about art and I am a performance artist and this is just ridiculous and offensive. No one should have to perform naked in a college course at any age or level. The dude is clearly a pervert who is totally getting off on this. This is absolutely unnecessary. I also happen to have taught a little,…

Did you go to SF State, Mark? Because I also had to write the summary of my sexual history and watch porn in a group setting.

I feel like there was some daughter half-truth happening there. Like, the daughter mentioned the project and feeling nervous, the mother freaked out, and the daughter, trying to agree with the mother to soothe her or simply deflect blame onto the teacher, claimed not to know it was happening until recently. If this…

There are dozens of us! Dozens!!