nahh... these are academics.
What is this? Psych?
First off, you need to ascertain how vulnerable he is, and how well liked he is in the dept. WHat's his title? Is he an adjunct (fire at will) or full tenured professor?
Right now, it doesn't help for you to go to him direclty. I've never had a problem encouraging critical thinking in front of students, though I've had problems with them actually thinking critically. (as an aside, this is why any University teacher with half a brain likes the guys who come marked on the class list as being on a vet payroll. We may be left-wing freaks, but the guys who paid their dues in terms of military service to get into college A) know why they're there and B) can appreciate an environment where the free exchange of ideas is valued over simple mimicking of the prof's lectures) If this guy is an bellybutton to you, chances are he's an bellybutton to the department as well. For your grade, the best advice is Eagl's: suck it up and play dumb. For the good of the school, you need to go to undergraduate course supervisor in the department. If the prof in question is that guy, go to the chair. If he's the chair, change schools. Anyway, express your concerns in a legitimate fashion. A) get guarantees you will not be named -- do this beforehand if possible. B) don't jump to analysis ("He was hampering our ability to think critically"), but give concrete instances. If you can get multiple witnesses up there, so much the better.
If he's an ass, chances are, many of his peers think so too. Give them some ammunition to help everybody out. If he's an adjunct, he's gone. If he's permanent, and you're lucky, he'll be kicked up into administration so the next batch won't have to deal with im.
If the person you speak to says you should have spoken to the professor first, just state that his actions and behavior not only gave you cause to believe, but also concrete evidence, that dissent would be met with retaliation. Name names, if possible (even better if those people aren't in the group making the complaint).
It's hard to get rid of a college prof, but it can be done. The italians will tell you that the mother of a###oles is always pregnant. I'll tell you that jerks like this always have enemies. Even if you can't help yourself, you can help those who follow.
hell, tape a class (fair use, after all)... and bring that. We do have standards, you know.
