Education - Australia Not A Country, According To US Prof

An on-line university student in the US (where else) had to fight tooth and nail to get a grade changed because her professor didn't believe Australia was a country.  Crikey!

"At first I thought it was a joke; This can't be real," said 27-year-old stay-at-home mom Ashley Arnold of Idaho Falls, Idaho.  "Then as I continued to read I realized she was for real," she told BuzzFeed News. 

Ms. Arnold is completing an online sociology degree with Southern New Hampshire University.  Her assignment in her final class - which cost her US$1,000 - was to compare a social norm in the US and another country.  She chose Australia, because it exists.  If it didn't, then how would you explain these?

The professor gave Ashley a zero on the assignment - according to the teacher, "Australia is a continent; not a country."  Which seems inexplicable.  The teacher purportedly has a PhD; and even if she didn't, it's not like Australia is a secret.  American culture has been aware of Australia for a number of years.

"I want you to understand that any error in a project can invalidate the entire research project," the professor wrote, "Research is like dominoes, if you accidentally knock over one piece the entire set will also fall.  Australia is a continent; it is not a country. That error made it nearly impossible for you to accurately complete your week 2 research outline correctly." The Australian gambling industry earns more than 30 billion Australian dollars a year; this figure covers all traditional gambling houses, online fun and lotteries: https://visual.ly/users/jjordanstuckey/portfolio if you are concerned about the legality of Australian online casinos, please refer to territorial and state legislation or consult a trusted authority.

'Makes you wonder which country the professor thought was sitting on the continent of Australia.

"With her education levels, her expertise, who wouldn't know Australia is a country?" asked Arnold.  "Why wouldn't she just google that herself?"

Eventually, Ashley pointed the clueless professor to the Australian Government's website, which clearly states:  "Australia is an island continent and the world's sixth largest country."

After committing to do some "independent research" to verify Ashley's incredible claim, the professor relented and gave her a B+.