This article was automatically translated from the original Turkish version.
University is not merely a journey for students to acquire a profession; it is also a space for free thinking, the development of critical perspective, and the shaping of one’s own path. Yet for years, a persistent culture has tended to transform academia into a “temple of hierarchy”: a system in which the professor’s word is unquestioned, their whims normalized, and the student reduced to a passive figure. This approach stands in direct contradiction to the very purpose of the university.
A student is at university to acquire academic knowledge, to find direction, to create, and to grow—not to be valued or dismissed based on a professor’s mood. The professor-student relationship must not be an arrangement of imposed power, but rather a foundation of academic partnership and intellectual exchange. A professor is someone who motivates students, opens doors for them, and nurtures their academic curiosity—not someone who dampens their enthusiasm, imposes psychological pressure, or clings to the role of a “capricious authority.” Especially troubling is the profile of a professor who ties student success to their own ego, replacing the transmission of knowledge with the instillation of fear—a contradiction at the heart of modern university ideals.
True academic culture begins with openness to criticism. When a student contributes an idea, asks a question, or makes a mistake, they should be encouraged, not punished. For the institution we call university is one that normalizes learning from errors, promotes inquiry, and creates an environment where students can realize their own potential. Undermining students’ self-confidence, belittling them, or shaping them according to personal expectations is not merely an individual loss but a societal one. After all, all innovation emerges from students who think freely—not from environments of coercion. Therefore, the culture of “professors’ whims” must no longer be allowed to enter the campus. Academia rises on the shoulders of students; it gains meaning through their curiosity, energy, and creativity. The professor’s role is to illuminate, guide, and support this potential. A professor’s authority does not stem from caprice, but from knowledge, ethical conduct, and the value they add to the student.
What makes a university a university is not frightened, silenced, or broken young people, but students who ask questions, know their rights, extend respect as much as they expect it, and fight for knowledge—supported by professors who meet them on this journey with seriousness and courtesy. And it must not be forgotten: students are not the weakest link in academia; they are its very heart. The professor’s duty is not to dim their light, but to enable it to burn brighter. This is the most fundamental lesson of University 101. At this point, students must also remind themselves of a critical truth: university is not a favor—it is a right. When a professor is present in class, it is not an act of kindness; it is the fulfillment of their professional duty. The student is not a passive recipient of the lesson, but an active participant. Therefore, grading that varies according to the professor’s mood, unexplained evaluation criteria, disrespectful language, or demeaning attitudes are not expressions of academic freedom—they are the product of a deeply entrenched wrong.
Questioning this flawed system, rather than normalizing it, is both a student’s right and a necessity for the future of the university. Because a healthy academic environment nurtures not only knowledge, but also justice and transparency. A student’s critique is not an attack on a professor’s authority; on the contrary, it is one of the healthiest signs that university culture is alive. Likewise, a professor’s empathetic approach to a student does not diminish their academic standing—it enhances it. Teaching is not the profession of caprice, but of guidance.
Shadows of Caprice at Graduation: Exclusion (Generated by Artificial Intelligence.)
For universities to move away from the long-standing “professor is king, remain silent” culture and embrace a “thinking together” culture will not only enhance academic quality but also empower young people to assert themselves with confidence. Because it is easy to break a student’s spirit—but far harder to repair that broken confidence. It is easy to silence a student—but impossible to recover the ideas lost from a silenced generation. Therefore, curiosity—not caprice—must walk the corridors of the university. The university is not a stage for professors to prove themselves; it is a laboratory where students’ potential is revealed. And every student deserves to be treated with respect, taken seriously, and evaluated fairly. Caprice must not be allowed to enter the gates of the university; instead, knowledge, curiosity, and mutual respect must become its foundational pillars.
For those who will build the future are the young people sitting in those seats today. Opening their path is not an option for a professor—it is a responsibility. This may be the most essential rule of University 101. Therefore, viewing the university as nothing more than a classroom is to misread the nature of the relationships within it. The university is an ecosystem where thought flourishes, freedom takes root, and individual identity is formed. In this ecosystem, every professor has the chance to become a guiding figure who leaves a lasting mark on a student’s life. Yet capricious behavior, prejudice, condescending tone, or unjust practices poison this ecosystem. In a poisoned environment, students’ appetite for learning diminishes, their trust in academia erodes, and productivity gives way to anxiety.
Students do not deserve this. For they are the future of the university, the driving energy of academia. Every action that crushes a student’s motivation weakens, in the long term, the productive capacity of society. Yet recognizing a student’s potential and supporting it is not mere courtesy—it is a direct investment in a nation’s development. Today’s student who confidently asks a question in class may tomorrow sign a project that changes the world. But a silenced, dismissed student often never recovers that courage. Therefore, what must be established in the university is not a system that nurtures caprice, but one that fosters achievement and curiosity. A system in which academics guide students through inspiration, not threat—and in which students learn knowledge not from fear, but from curiosity. This is true academic culture. Where knowledge exists, there is no place for caprice—because knowledge demands greatness, not arrogance. Students are not there to endure professors’ whims; they are there to follow the trail of knowledge. And every professor’s duty is to light the way for them—not cast a shadow.
Ultimately, the place we call university is the first great stage where the individual discovers themselves. Dimming the light of young people who seek to shine does not harm them alone—it harms all of us. If universities are to become more productive, more free, and more creative in the future, it will only be possible in an environment where students’ voices are heard—not where caprices prevail. The golden rule of University 101 remains valid: students must be protected, supported, and empowered. For the true owner of the university is not the one who wields caprice, but the young minds in pursuit of knowledge.