Addison Watson
Staff Writer
awatson25@murraystate.edu
A Murray State professor received words of praise from a student he has in class after driving nearly two hours from Hopkinsville, Kentucky, through dangerous road conditions.
Icy winter weather conditions struck Murray State’s campus and surrounding areas on Monday, Nov. 11. As many of the region’s public schools closed, Murray State elected to operate on a half-day schedule, opening the University at 11 a.m.
Murray State officials came to the conclusion that due to deteriorating road conditions and plummeting temperatures from the night before, classes before 11 a.m. would be cancelled, and classes scheduled for after 11 a.m. would resume as scheduled.
Generally, professors are given the option to cancel all of their classes for the day in the event they cannot commute to campus safely. Going the extra mile, Ismail Karabas, assistant professor of marketing, drove nearly two hours down a treacherous highway so that his afternoon classes would resume as scheduled.
One student of his took notice of his dedication to make it to the University so that he wouldn’t have to cancel his classes.
In an email sent to David Eaton, interim dean of Arthur J. Bauernfeind College of Business, a student praised Karabas by giving him a special shoutout.
“All semester, [Karabas] has proven to be a very talented and caring professor, but today he said something that puts him above and beyond any professor I have had,” the student said.
Karabas started one of his afternoon classes off by asking his students why they came to class knowing that he doesn’t generally take attendance and given the conditions outside.
Several students offered why they came to class, but afterward, Karabas was asked the same question by a student. Many of Karabas’ students know he commutes from Hopkinsville daily.
Karabas’ response showed his dedication to his students.
“It is going to sound nerdy, but I came today to teach,” Karabas said. “It took [me] about an hour and 45 minutes to get here this morning. We saw four wrecks, but being here and teaching you all makes the ‘risk’ well worth it.”
Karabas understands the worth and value of obtaining a college degree; he has earned his doctorate. More than just the value of a college degree, the cost of tuition was also a driving force in his decision to commute to Murray to teach for the afternoon.
“He said [Karabas] understands that we as students pay thousands of dollars for an education and he did not want to disappoint us,” the student said. “He said that this class was the only reason he came to Murray today. He drove an hour and 45 minutes to Murray and back for a 75 minute class.”
When the email sent by the student hit Eaton’s desk, he forwarded the email to Karabas for him to read himself. Eaton also sent it to President Bob Jackson, Interim Provost Timothy Todd and Heath Keller, chair of Karabas’ department.
The student ended his email by wanting to put Karabas in the spotlight for his actions.
“Professors that dedicate and care so much about the students,” the student said. “I’m not sure if you all do some sort of spotlight or something, but he definitely deserves some praise.”
Faculty Regent Melony Shemberger, associate professor of journalism and mass communication, loves the faculty of Murray State and often uses Twitter to tweet about the accomplishments of faculty.
“It’s an incredible example of #RacerFacultySuccess,” Shemberger said in a tweet. “Faculty at Murray State love our jobs and our students.”