If the prof has been at the University for a very long time, he may have tenure. What this means is that he cannot be fired except for the most egregious abuses.

If the prof has tenure, no action students take will result in any change. At best, he may be denied pay raises or further advancement in his career; however, those may automatically take effect, anyway, as cost of living increases voted for by legislature, if it's a publicly-funded institution.

So, if action against the prof is futile, and you still have to take his course, can you take the course, apply yourself as never before, seek the prof's assistance, and in all ways be a paragon?

Some difficult instructors are undisputed giants in their fields, bearing an incredible storehouse of knowledge and insight. Others are just embittered old farts. Which one is this guy?

You gotta take his class. That means the material is germaine to your field of endeavor. Nothing you can do can change those facts.

GPA's not the most important thing in life.

I think a boycott/protest might do some good.  You could suggest that the school give early retirement at full pay just to get rid of him.  The problem with that is that it might give the wrong incentive to all the other professors.

GPA's not the most important thing in life, but it's not unimportant.

If the prof has been at the University for a very long time, he may have tenure. What this means is that he cannot be fired except for the most egregious abuses.

 

If the prof has tenure, no action students take will result in any change. At best, he may be denied pay raises or further advancement in his career; however, those may automatically take effect, anyway, as cost of living increases voted for by legislature, if it's a publicly-funded institution.

Whaat??? This is 2013 not 1813 There's no place for archaic old farts being granted job security for under performing anywhere, let alone a taxpayer funded public institution.  And if it's not publicly funded then it's a business. No modern efficient well-run business would allow its customers - er, that would be you - to pay good money in order to be knowingly shafted by incompetent staff. Even if the guy was Einstein if he can't teach or grade exams fairly then he is not competent to do his job - those are basic minimum competencies.

See if you can get the student union on your side, get their representatives to request metrics, or survey the student body, to prove your case, maybe get them to present these to the governing body and advise them if they fail to take effective action these metrics will be published on social media in the most damaging way, naming the members of the governing body for putting vested staff interests ahead of their students' interests. Also check out the school prospectus for any claims about their commitment to deliver excellence to students and use these against the governing body. Unless you are on a full ride scholarship they are not giving you what you paid for. Maybe it's even breach of contract.

"Some difficult instructors are undisputed giants in their fields, bearing an incredible storehouse of knowledge and insight. Others are just embittered old farts. Which one is this guy?"

I'm not sure on this since I haven't taken the class yet. From what I've heard though, he's pretty smart, but he has no business teaching because he is not good at articulating things.

"See if you can get the student union on your side, get their representatives to request metrics, or survey the student body, to prove your case, maybe get them to present these to the governing body and advise them if they fail to take effective action these metrics will be published on social media in the most damaging way, naming the members of the governing body for putting vested staff interests ahead of their students' interests. Also check out the school prospectus for any claims about their commitment to deliver excellence to students and use these against the governing body. Unless you are on a full ride scholarship they are not giving you what you paid for. Maybe it's even breach of contract."

I like the social media idea. With today's super-ultra-high speed connected world via social media and whatnot, it could indeed be very effective. I'll bounce the idea off of my college's student representative to the student senate. (Yeah, student gov't is taken pretty seriously here and their decisions hold a lot of weight in major university-wide decisions - for example we voted on a resolution passed by the student senate to slightly increase the enrollment fee for all students for more frequent bus service to our college of aviation campus - which passed.)