To deal with obnoxious students who text message during his class, Syracuse University prof Laurence Thomas has a strict policy: If he catches a student doing it, he will end the class immediately and walk out. He’s been making good on his playbook, staging brazen walk outs on his own course after catching students SMSing.

Naturally, parents and students aren’t digging his policy, complaining about the $30k they spend to be consumers of education, and how Thomas has a duty to pay up. The scandal has even reached the student newspaper! (Where we used to work!)

To Thomas, it’s a matter of respect; students need to show some.

So when he caught a student in the front row of a large lecture hall sending a “where r u?” last week, he up and left, and then sent students, the chancellor, and his dean an email about the incident, where he noted the offending student is Cuban and that last year, two Latino students started a game of tic-tac-toe during his class.

You see, white students are also mischievous, but to Thomas, who is black, minority students should have a better understanding of respect. Even if their cell phones are 3G and tricked out with 5 megapixel cams.

GO ‘CUSE Syracuse is down to two candidates to become their new j-school dean. [Syracuse.com]

Today In Thompson is our semi-regular report on Syracuse University pop culture professor and professional quotation Robert Thompson — and the press’ endless appetite to engage him in soundbite. Multiple times a day, you can find Thompson expounding on this celebrity or that TV show, ad infinitum. More to the point, it shows how lazy we can be in showing how lazy journalists can be when it comes to getting “insight” from “experts.”

Oh no, it’s been over a month since our last Today In Thompson. But fret not, concerned Syracuse University trustees: It’s not for lack of material. On any given day, you’ll find Bobby T. making the press rounds. Like today, for example.

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When CanWest News Service’s Misty Harris contacted us for a story she was doing about Robert Thompson, declining the opportunity to run our mouths had about as much chance as Mischa Barton’s The O.C. character being resurrected. To revel in the irony of giving a soundbite about Mr. Soundbite? And the guarantee that all of our professors and peers from Syracuse University’s Newhouse school would read it? Too much to pass up.

But more so, Misty’s pitch gave us validation: We’re not the only ones so fascinated by Thompson, who claims the title of “director of the Center for the Study of Popular Television” at Syracuse University. While a naive undergrad at Newhouse, happily punching out editorial for the student newspaper, we oft happened upon Thompson — but like most Americans, our encounters usually took place in the press, reading his musings on American Idol or Michael Jackson. Thompson maintains the most luxe office of all esteemed Newhouse faculty, meanwhile, putting even the dean’s digs to shame. And what’s he do all day? Watches TV, and answers the phone. If you’re a reporter in need of a soundbite, whether for an article on Survivor or YouTube, Thompson is your man. And that’s why Syracuse University loves him: he’s their best PR marketing tool, shaming New York University and Columbia with his ubiquitous press mentions.

So while we continue to doubt Thompson’s ability to do much more than deliver skillfully worded Best Week Ever-isms, we do bow our heads to the fella: He’s celebrating his 25th year of teaching — and the 20th anniversary of his pop culture expertise.

The professor of pop culture punditry: Syracuse prof has found fame as media expert [CanWest]
Robert Thompson Faculty Profile [Newhouse School]
Related: All Robert Thompson coverage