There seems to be a growing divide among students in how they view their education. Many are happy to take the easiest road, with little consideration of how that may later affect them. The case of Maitland Jones, the New York University professor who was fired after a student petition alleged his organic-chemistry course was too hard, is a great loss for the university—and all of academia, since he is the man who wrote the standard textbook on organic chemistry. Mr. Jones tried to keep students engaged, spending $5,000 to record lectures and reducing the number of exams. What kind of precedent does this set? Will other professors pre-emptively capitulate to students who are trying to take the easy way out?