Cuckoo Clocks For Sale

Since the professor is no longer teaching any courses you are taking, a gift would be a great gesture. However, as thoughtful as a cuckoo clock is, unless you know it would be appreciated, you might want to go with something a little more practical like a briefcase or something. A cuckoo clock might be construed as a gag gift unless you know it’s something he has an interest in.

it’s a good way if you want to pass

Ask him to write the reference first, even if you don’t need it right away. It’ll give him something gilt-free to use after you give him the gift.

Also, buy chocolate for your friends.

There are no conflict of interest issues here.

Gifts are nice, but make sure you have no further academic attachments to him. He’s no longer teaching your classes, but you might ask him for references. The bottom line is that you’re still a student, and most schools have rules and bylaws that cover this kind of situation, usually stating something along the lines of no student shall give a gift to a faculty member and no faculty member can accept gifts from students. This is done mainly to avoid exactly what you fear: rumors of bribery or to influence the professor’s opinion in your favor… say you still want to apply to graduate school or to a job, and ask for him recommendation: if he gives you a favorable recommendation, people would argue that it was because of the gift you made, and if he gives you a negative recommendation, or refuses to give you one, it might be because of the gift as well.

The point is, as soon as you give a gift, you’re either completely cutting off your academic ties with this professor, or getting yourself into big trouble. The gift would best be saved for after graduation; after you’ve received a letter of recommendation from him. For now, a thank you card would be nice, and a simple conversation where you express your gratitude would be the perfect complement.