Website threatens lazy academics

More than 1,000 British academics have been rated on a controversial American website that allows students to score their professors.

1,284 British academics have been uploaded to ratemyprofessor.com causing anxiety over how they will be scored. Universities are already cautious over students' use of networking sites such as Facebook and Bebo, and are actively seeking ways to protect their reputation online. Rate my professor represents the latest threat thrown up by the internet.

However, the site has its champions. In its native America it is the subject of academic research and it has even been suggested that evidence from the site is used in human resource issues such as hiring and firing.

On the website, professors are rated on easiness, helpfulness and whether or not they are ‘hot’. To see if your institution has a presence, visit www.ratemyprofessor.com