From: Angry Professor
To: Iman Titled
Re: Re: Autumn graduation
> From: Iman Titled
> To: Angry Professor
> Re: Autumn graduation
>
> Dear Professor,
> I am a graduating senior so I will not be able to take the
> final at the scheduled time. I can take it on Monday or
> Tuesday of finals week. Please let me know what times
> on these days work for you.
>
> Thank you,
> I. Titled
There is no problem with your taking the final at the scheduled time. Thanks for informing me of your status.
A. Professor
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About Me
- Angry Professor
- I am a tenured faculty member at a large state university. My teaching efforts primarily consist of delivering statistics lectures to social science majors. These experiences have colored my perspective somewhat.
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This blog is 100% FERPA compliant. It is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to any persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental. The Angry Professor is the creation of Mr. Norrell, who lives in Guam with four rhesus monkeys and a gecko. He has never taught at a university.
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18 comments:
I had an email from a student who wanted to go over the first test (from months ago). Since the final isn't cumulative, the only conceivable reason is that they wanted to complain about their grade now that they think they need the points.
I wanted to say that I would consent to such a meeting only if the student were on fire for the duration.
I once TAed for a large class that had a final scheduled for a Saturday. There were numerous students who observed the sabbath on Saturdays, so the professor offered to hold the final for all of them on another (earlier) day. They had to sign up a week in advance so arrangements could be made for an appropriate room, proctor, etc. The announcement was repeated many times to the class.
One student realized well after this sign-up deadline that the girls he usually tried to cheat off of were not going to take the exam on Saturday. He informed the professor that he would also be taking the early final because he was very devout and wanted to observe the sabbath. The professor (of the same faith that the student suddenly proclaimed to be), smelling a rat, said that would be fine. He would just need a note from the student's rabbi. The student arrived to take the exam on it's regularly scheduled Saturday.
The point? They really do think we're all just too dumb to see through these excuses.
It's like they think their instructors aren't familiar with a university and don't know how these things work.
I'm a TA and I am stuck proctoring early exams because a few of my students have convinced the professor that they just have to leave early. They go over my head, and then I get an e-mail saying "that's fine, set up a time with your TA."
I long for the days when I have the authority to deny these requests, instead of being ordered to waste hours of my life proctoring early exams for very suspicious reasons.
Ah, the crunchy epic fail of the snowflake who THINKS they are graduating this semester...
Sorry Di Di, whining TAs are worse than whining students, because they are getting paid for work and have to listen to the boss. TAs should have little to know authority, having been a TA and now a professor.
DiDi, you should say something to that professor. If he wants to do this, he can proctor the exams.
I once had a family event about a 10 hour drive on the day of a final exam (a Saturday). My family was eager that I go, and I was hesitant for more reasons than just the exam. So I sent an email to the professor and asked if I could take it early, explaining it was a family gathering, and that I understood perfectly if that was not acceptable. Strangely, they granted my request with no complaints at all. So you never can tell...
...and don't get me started on looking over exams. Seems like 2 out of every 3 students who ask for a regrade get more points. Therefore it is in a student's best interest to ask (what is the drawback?) Is it annoying? Sure. Self-centered? I don't know. Maybe the 5% of the population who always asks is self-centered, but like I said if 2 out of 3 always get more points, you're screwing over the people who don't ask. I blame lax regrade policies and TAs (it is usually the TA) who are afraid to be too "mean" when faced with student requests.
My regrade policy is very simple:
I'll be happy to regrade your exam. Please give me a written description of why you think your answer is correct. Also, be aware that when I look over the question you've asked me to examine, I may also look over any other questions. Your points for the item you've asked me to look at as well as those other questions may go up or down as a result of my regrading the exam.
It tends to keep away the whiners. Only people who think they have a really legitimate issue will take the time to write it up and bear the risk that their grade could go down.
This year I've taken to telling the students that I am REQUIRED BY LAW to give them the final at the time it is scheduled. This is a 3/4 truth, because it's really the accreditation standard that says it. What it says is that we must sit for the final to complete the required numbers of classroom hours. Okay, maybe its a half-truth, then. :)
I say, don't book any flights. Do whatever it takes to get here on that day at that time. Let's see if the shifting of responsibility thing works this year.
Of course I will excuse people who are vomiting or lost their parents (with documentation), but I'm not going to prime them by saying that in advance.
@Anonymous:
I have the exact same regrade policy and I agree -- it's worked like a charm. Ever since I enacted it three years ago, I've had only 2 regrade requests. One was ridiculous and was easy to deny immediately. The other was so well-reasoned and well-written that he convinced me to give him a portion of the points back. I highly recommend putting this policy in your syllabus. Honestly, just the trouble of typing up their regrade request deters most students.
Ah, they Week of Lame Excuses is upon us. Where are my earplugs?
Something about graduation seems to cloud student logic skills. More than one student has claimed to me that "I have to pass the class because I'm graduating" with the implication that somehow I'm not permitted to give them a failing grade.
There have also been a few students that wanted to waive the prerequisites for a class I teach and the class that that has my class listed as a prerequisite so that they can then take all three classes simultaneously because "they are graduating next semester". I try to point out that failing any of these classes will also delay graduation (and hurt the GPA), but clearly I'm just an old meanie.
My favorite excuse: My son needs an A because he is going to law school.
Be glad this student's mom hasn't cornered you.
One of my rules is that anyone who has a travel conflict with an exam needs to show me the tickets on the second day of class, with proof that they were purchased before they got the syllabus.
And I also regrade the entire exam, and will not regrade one written in pencil.
DiDi - Aren't you using that special "early" exam, one that uses different questions than the regular final and might possibly be harder?
I do SO admire your dignity and controlled restraint. My thoughts would have run to something like: "You only THINK you're graduating", or "IN YER DREAMS, SUCKAH!" But then I never deny being passive-aggressive.
EPIC LOLZ!
I guess this student realized too late: College IS the Real World.
Weird. I have no regrade policy, but I never get asked for regrades. I don't know if that means I'm doing something really right, or horribly wrong.
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