A very strange, very intense "nontraditional" student is winding down the quarter in one of my classes. She has been a continuous pain in my ass hounding me for special favors. (E.g., she wanted me to write a special all-essay exam for her, because she doesn't do well on multiple-choice exams.) She likes to complain to anyone who will listen how my refusal to tell my students what will be on exams (in the form of a "review sheet") is unreasonable and has hurt her performance.
Recently her grievances have focused on my unwillingness to reschedule the final for her. She wants a full day between each of her finals, and other professors have acquiesced to her demands, and so I must therefore reschedule my exam for Friday. My arguments that the other 119 people in the class would probably love to have their exams rescheduled in this convenient way fall on deaf ears. Because she works through the Disability Office, I finally told her that if she chose to take her exam with them, she could make whatever reasonable arrangements she and her counselor felt were necessary to accommodate her disability.
However, I also made it clear on the DO paperwork that I expected her to take her exam at the same time as everyone else. I had to scribble out the exam date that she had helpfully filled in for me and replace it with the correct date.
Oh, how high did emotions run! She tormented her DO counselor for a date change, and when this didn't work, came looking for me. The counselor did me the courtesy of a heads-up phone call, during which I remembered a number of errands that I had to run before leaving for home. One such errand was visiting a while with a friend in the building next door and then walking with her over to the Administration Building.
This woman is spooky and weird. So far I have avoided her, but we have one more class meeting tomorrow. I shall bring holy water in my water bottle.
Update: I ran into Spooky Woman as she was coming out of the main office. I believe my egregious behavior has been reported to my chair! I have also received a letter demanding an explanation for my actions from the Student Legal Affairs Office. More hijinks to come later, I'm sure.
Update II: Nothing yet. Legal Affairs seemed satisfied with my response. My chair admits he heard some shouting outside his office but says he tried to ignore it. I should know more by tonight.
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
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18 comments:
That is worrying behaviour. At least if the DO didn't acquiesce then you have no need to feel pressured.
This may seem an odd question, but how can her other professors change the date for her? Do they then have to give her a different exam too?
If I needed to take a written exam at a different time to other people on my course, due to extra time constraints etc., then I would have to be supervised from the start of their exam to the end of mine (or vice versa).
Luckily we do not have any timed written exams this year, but when I was at secondary school (high school), this meant that I had to have a member of staff sleeping over at my house...not a good experience. This is because I did my first lot of A-levels in the 'old days' when all exams were done as a block at the end of sixth form in the Summer, meaning that I could not fit two 3 hour exams into a day with 100% extra time on each.
Before anyone says why 100%?; at that time the disability legislation in the UK did not cover how exams were produced, so I had to have it read to me and then dictate the answers. Luckily that does not happen any more (as they are required to produce exams in different formats).
Can you say...personality disorder? This kind of passive aggressive, manipulative behavior is clearly indicative of a PO.
Good for you for standing your ground.
God, this post has brought back angry memories!! I had a friend who did this (she was off her tits mental) - 'could she please do two essays instead of an essay and an exam and an essay cos she doesn't perform so well in exams she gets nervous'/ Fucking whatever. She had a personality disorder and totally worked the disability thing. Absolutely disgusted me.
You definitely need a crucifix so you can batter her with it.
Luckily, my school's disability office and registrar (responsible for scheduling final exams) are quite firm on what you can and can't do. We don't do so hot on nailing students for plagiarism, but it's well-nigh impossible to rearrange finals to suit your whim.
It isn't that I don't feel a special sense of respect for the specialness that we all possess in our own special way. It's just that I worry especially that someone so special might be put in charge of something especially important one day and there might not be anyone available to facilitate her special requirements.
I can't say this, but you can, and I think the phrase "Put on your big girl pants and deal with it," is appropos.
enjoyed the post. had a laugh. i always feel that when parents spoil their children, that's exactly what they do. they end up with spoiled, good for nothing children.
How frustrating! At least at the college I go to nearly all final exams are "self-scheduled" meaning that you choose when to take your exam during the pre-set hours of finals week; you choose a class room and it has a proctor, blue books, and a clock on the wall. Generally, the there are two sets of 3-hour finals offered each day (9:30-12:30, 2:30-5:30). And of course classes end before finals week, it's up to students to figure out when the optimal time to take an exam is. It's not fool proof, but it does eliminate an awful lot of whining and encourage a smidgen of responsibility.
I must say, I just completed my first year of college on the East coast and I am SHOCKED, absolutely shocked (to quote "Casablanca") at the ineptitude of college students in general. Even the lower middle class students don't know how to do their own laundry! (Which I could excuse if they grew up with a maid, but one of my friends had both a maid and a nanny she can do laundry, dishes, etc. perfectly well) Or budget their time, for that matter.... I want to curl up in a fetal position for the next twenty years, or until natural selection has sufficiently weeded out the chaff of my generation and the previous. Blech!
Sorry about the long post. My heart really goes out to all the hard working professors... at least you have managed (somehow) to maintain your sense of humor.
Ingrid
If the DO didn't specify that she gets an extra day between exams, then you seem to be in the clear. Getting a message from Student Legal Affairs must be scary!!
I just don't get it. It would never have even thought to ask about re-scheduling an exam. I'm fairly certain the same is true of all my classmates. The schedules went up and we lived with them, even when (as once happened) I had two four-hour exams on Monday and another on Tuesday morning.
And oddly enough, since graduation it has turned out that often Big Things I Have to Deal With are not scheduled as far apart as I might wish. Fancy that.
I don't know if holy water will help. Do you keep mace in your handbag?
Gosh, is anyone else eagerly awaiting an update?
Good Lord. Best of luck with this nutcase, AP.
When I was in college 30 years ago the professors abused the students. Now the students abuse the professor. Both situations are equally unacceptable.
Angry Professor,
Only a few more days. I'm sure you'll survive. Personality Disorder Lady will be out of your hair and on to other crusades.
I hope you're going to the Funkycool City to the north. The one to the south is kind of scary sometimes.
When I did my undergrad, you weren't able to even apply for reschedule of an exam (except for the usual illness and bereavement reasons) unless you had three exams on one day.
I can't stand that ridiculous sense of self-entitlement.
So far, nothing. The departmental administrator in charge of handling shit like this for the chair says he called her and left a message, but she hasn't returned his call. I take that as a sign that she knows she has lost, but maybe she's just stalking me.
Bongi, the woman is a grandmother. We're way past the kid stage here and into full-blown consumer.
Gdad, Funkycool City is to the east?
Ah, Funkycool City to the east! That one rocks, except that you have to go through that little stretch of geopolitical division before you get to the next one. Be careful, because the speed limit suddenly drops, and you get the highway patrol officers that have that "You ain't from 'round here" attitude.
I have so many students like this it is amazing. Some also succeed in getting disability services because they claim to be "visual learners" or whatever. They can only absorb what is written down, not take any notes on what is merely said. But they do not study the written materials any more than they listen, so they still fail.
The review sheet demands are ridiculous. Typically, they class says: But we simply cannot remember all we have learned this term for the final. And I say: Then you do not belong in the university.
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