Today in “you gotta read it to believe it” news, an American university professor (who has a PhD in philosophy) failed a student because she didn’t know Australia was a country. No, we are not kidding. 27-year-old Ashley Arnold is studying for an online degree in sociology at Southern New Hampshire University, and her final project involved comparing social norms in the U.S. to that of another nation. So she picked Australia.
Ashley was shocked to find out she received a failing grade because her professor said Australia was a continent, not a country. As a result, she got zero marks in three sections of the assignment for not answering the question.
"I was in shock. It was the most ridiculous thing ever," Ashley told Buzzfeed News. "Part me thinks this is a joke but it's real life, she is totally for real. I was like, I did not get this wrong, right? It made me doubtful for a second. Thankfully the facts were on my side."
Ashley decided to write her professor an email explaining that Australia is, in fact, a country as well as a continent, even providing references, but the professor was unconvinced.
Ashley sent her another email, even including a link to the “About Australia” section of the Australian government’s website.
After multiple emails back and forth, the professor seemingly conceded the fact that Australia is a country, and decided to reevaluate Ashley’s grade.
We’ll never know how a college professor could make such an egregious mistake. But we do know that Ashley deserved better than a B+ after all this— on principle alone.
