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Yikes, sounds like you have some doozies for students!
I never had to reschedule an exam, but I've tried to reschedule quizzes sometimes.....and some profs are more willing than others. Mostly because the 'others' have been burned one too many times but ungrateful or boundaries-pushing students.
I go to school at a top-50 research institute, where teaching isn't the focus.
If any students tried to pull that shit they would be laughed at. During my Undergrad, I was lucky if I ever talked to a Prof via email or anything like that. It was strictly TA's.
I can't belive college students would act like this. Terrible. Makes me glad my parents didn't raise me thinking everything should be handed to me.
Amen!
I taught for the first time on my own this semester (not as a TA), and I was AMAZED at what students think is acceptable. I had one student write on his test, "A word bank would have been nice." When I told my graduate professors, most of them asked what a word bank even is! My students were complaining that I gave them "write-in" tests instead of multiple choice fill in the bubble tests.
I also got the unprofessional, misspelled emails, too, often with things like "I couldn't get the textbook ordered in time so I don't think I can do the first two homework assignments." Um... OK? Take a 0. What do you want me to tell you? It was really disheartening.
I disagree with you to an extent on point one. It depends on the university (and maybe the province or state) but students may have the right to privacy. In that case though, it would require a note from a medical professional. I had to take a part time leave of absence which really went up a large chain due to stipends provided by both provincal and federal governments. Other than stating what I was and was not capable of doing, my doctor did not include personal information regarding my illness.
@AB Bride: Absolutely agree with you that there are privacy considerations. (I hold a JD and a Masters in Bioethics and one of the two courses I teach is Ethics, so I am very aware of this issue. This is why I tried to be careful in writing this post so it doesn't state this particular student's situation. And avoided posting this rant on facebook.) While you are entitled to privacy rights, you still need to provide *some* explanation, even if it is not a full one. (I would also argue that legally while you are entitled to privacy, should you want certain exceptions, you must opt to waive the privacy, depending on the situation, to get that special consideration.)
The situation you experience, however, is very different from what I've described. In your case, you presumably said more than simple stating you don't meet the requirements and you demand an exception. You perhaps said, "I have a medical situation, and I have a doctor's note that attests to what I can and can't do." If you don't say anything...you could have slept in (it's happened to students of mine), or forgotten the exam (again, unbelievable, but it's happened with students of mine), or any number of invalid reasons. My point is more that if you want the exception, the burden is on you to prove you warrant an exception and secondly, that it's better to ask than to demand.
I don't give final exams, just papers, so I don't run into some of these issues, but I agree with you. I always feel like a lot of this is common sense and common courtesy, but the reailty of it is, it is no longer common! But I do find, if I want them to respond in a certain way to emails, I have to teach them that. I can't expect for it to be something that they picked up along the way, unfortunately.
@AB Bride: I agree with you, but the point is having some documentation. You don't need to tell me what you went to the doctor for, but having a note would suffice. I actually don't require my students to provide documentation if they want to miss a class or file an extension for regular assignments, but if it's a final or important paper or they will be missing classes for an extended peiod of time, this is essential.
I've had multiple professors say at the beginning of the semester, if an email is not addressed and written in a professional manner they will not read it. And then there are the professors who use textspeak and "Have a Safe Break!!!!!!!" in their emails... I know I'm in a relaxed department but it makes me cringe.
@Amaryllis: Word Bank? Really? I don't think I've seen one since early high school.
When DH and I were in school, we were in the choirs - led by a husband/wife. He had the husband who was a real stickler for missing class. Well right around the time of the spring concert, DH's grandma died. So he missed the concert and went home for the funeral. A month later, his other grandma died and DH missed a couple more classes. I still can't believe that the director didn't ask for a copy of the obituary or something, because my first thought as a professor would be that this kid has got to be lying!
At the school I go to, to defer a final exam (or write one after you missed it), you either need to have a medical doctors note from a medical doctor AT the University (aka you can't go to your own family doctor), or a school psychiatrist.
If you missed it because you had a death in the family, you need a death certificate, and you need a note form the psychiatrist at the school. No ifs and or buts.
I think that stricter rules, and rules that are clearly laid out in the calendar, make it easier for students to abide by. Students will always try to get away with whatever they can... so if they can't get away with missing a final without seeing a medical doctor/psychiatrist... they often won't miss the final.
Except for that one guy in my dorm floor in first year. He missed an exam and went to the Doc and played sick. Got diagnosed with something random (that he clearly didn't have) and got it deferred to January.
I'm in the UK, so maybe a little different, but I can't believe how people at university act. I do agree that everyone seems so unprofessional and I feel like a bit of an outsider. I'm only a few years older than the students out of school but I guess I've always been an old soul!
I agree with all the other points in the OP! I just wanted to point that out as I remember in my first year I was scared when I missed a midterm. I didn't get it deferred but the weight was transfered to the final. Luckily, my prof was very nice about it (and I was quite sick, running to the bathroom every few minutes to urinate blood). I have also sucked it up and written exams with pneumonia. If there is a legit reason students shouldn't have to feel scared about it, nor should they have to provide personal details about their health (within reason). My doctor was quite firm about what should and should not be provided in the note she wrote, as she has seen students have a tough time in academia when their health problems were revealed up the chain to the point where it was discriminatory.
There are some profs who abuse their power and are jerks when students are dealing with a tough situation. They probably do this to an extent because there are students who try to work the system, but it really makes it difficult for the ones honestly going through a crises or illness. Stressed/ill students do not need stress added either by profs or by other students cheating the system.
Oh wow, you've had some rude students! I've had to reschedule exams due to illness but saying "I have a serious medical issue" is way better than just saying "I need to retake the exam." I go to a huge research-based school also, but I do email my professors sometimes. I can't imagine being rude, I want them on my side when they're grading me! lol
First, I totally hear you frustration and need to vent. My students can drive me CRAZY!
But I do somewhat disagree. I TA at an R1 and I have a proactive policy of trying to recognize and deal with students who are having problems before the exam. I get a lot of transfer students and some first gen, and recognize that many of these students did not have the benefit of the mentoring relationships I had, or the experiences of parents and siblings to fall back on. Expectations in their previous schools were often very different. These students also tend to hesitate to talk with the TA or the Professor, and just struggle through on their own, in cntrast to their peers. These types of problems tend to crop up earlier in the semester than the final. I try to recognize and head off problems early in the semester, and integrate professional student/first job development in my teaching.
I agree it is so annoying how some students act entitled and think the world revolves around them, but while some of them are never going to be reached, many just don't know the "rules." Of course, it is WAY more work, but some of my greatest satisfaction comes from feeling that a student that wanted to learn, but had barriers that kept them from performing at their potential, gained the understanding of to do that. That is something they will carry into future classes and even their careers.
Given your student population, it may help to connect things like not texting, writing full grammatically correct sentences, and using titles such as Mr. and Mrs. when addressing people in positions of authority to working life and not just school assignments. I think many of these students tend to think college is this foreign thing with wierd rules and not a lot of connection to their lives. But they generally understand working and jobs and most are at the university because they want a career they know they can't attain without it.
Holy cow. Some people have no idea! I was a first generation college student and TERRIFIED because I had absolutely no idea what to expect and anyone to talk to. Thank goodness I had some common sense...worked wonders in school. lol
@kay01: I hear you! In my time teaching I have come across similar issues with entitlement. I had a student tell me it's my job and I get paid to teach them-after they showed up late to a lab class. Yes, I do get paid for teaching, but class is scheduled at a specific time. If the student does not show up at that pre-arranged time, it is not my responsibility to make time to teach just that one student.
For the most part having a very clear policy in the syllabus helps. As does making it very clear that make-ups for the final are rare and only happen in cases of extreme emergency (like hospitalization or death). I do require documentation of the emergency because at the school I teach at, I have to fill out a form and provide a copy of the student's documentation. I think sometimes students do not realize that the professor has to work within the rules of the school and we can't just snap our fingers to give them a make-up.
@AB Bride: A student doesn't have to declare the details of their medical issue. A doctor can provide the documentation the professor needs without violating anyone's rights. As a student I have also taken finals (and other exams) while very sick. It's not fun or ideal, but sometimes you just have to do the best you can. Students with legitimate illnesses shouldn't be scared to approach a professor because they should be able to obtain the documentation needed.
@mousegirl: I agree, it was just this statement in the OP:
You may very well have a valid reason, but you need to share that reason with your professor for her to consider allowing an exception.
Could scare some students off, especially if they aren't comfortable sharing the details. I think we all agree that if someone was sick, or had a major crisis of some sort, providing proof of the sickness/crisis is sufficient without providing details.
I would never ask for a professor to do something outside of his class time, such as do a make up test or whatever unless I was seriously sick and couldn't make it. But nothing drove me more crazy in college then professors that would fail you or grade you down for missing class, as far I am concerned I am paying for this class so it is my choice to show up or not, if I fall behind behind because I missed class that is my fault but don't fail me just because I was absent.
Also not all students understand the rules for university, highschool does a pretty poor job of preparing students for post secondary. The best professor I had was the one who wasn't very professional at all really, he actually related to his students, treated them all as individuals, while still teaching the appropriate curriculum. Everyone thrived in his classes because they didn't worry about being proper, instead they were just themselves and just worried about learning the curriculum.
@AB Bride: Could scare some students off, especially if they aren't comfortable sharing the details. I think we all agree that if someone was sick, or had a major crisis of some sort, providing proof of the sickness/crisis is sufficient without providing details.
Absolutely. We're not in disagreement. But there is a huge difference between full details and nothing at all. I never suggested they tell me everything or give me details such as a medical record/history. All I'm saying, is that you need to start off by providing a category: A death in the immediate family. A serious medical illness for yourself or your child. You had to attend court (although that should be cleared in advance), etc.
My student told me I "needed" to let him make up the exam. (Asking to make up the exam would have started the conversation off on the right foot.) Next, and I don't know how to emphasize this any more, but the ONLY information he gave was "It doesn't fit into that circumstance" and "I didn't see a doctor." Ok, you didn't see a doctor...but does that mean you had a medical emergency? A car crash? A death? Or did you sleep in? Forget the exam? Saying you didn't have X happen leaves a wide range of acceptable and unacceptable answers.
I'm not unsympathetic, but I get a lot of kids that push the rules. In the first year I had three students plargarize (all in my ethics class, of all things). One even told me her parent writes all of her papers. (After our conversation, I still wasn't clear if her mom wrote it and plagarized it, which the student turned in as her own work, or if the student plagarized it because her parent didn't write it for her that time.) I've had students miss tests because they've slept in or forgot the exam and decided to skip that day. Sometimes they show up and discover today is the exam, for which they are completely unprepared. Thus, if you tell me nothing, I can only assume you don't have a valid reason.
Psst...there's a place where professors post the best (worst) emails and excuses they get from students. The emails are HILARIOUS. I'm going to share the link, but I warn you that you can spend HOURS reading the gems here. Be careful!
FYI, they often use "Snowflake" instead of a student name on that forum.
Favorite emails from students: http://bit.ly/u4i6EE
Favorite emails from helicopter parents: http://bit.ly/t5cGaw
A favorite from a parent:
"Dear Professor,I am writing about my daughter Jane Doe's grade on an essay for your class. She received a B and was naturally quite upset. I had her bring it home for me to review over the weekend and agree with her that the grade is far too low...[cut lots of comments that ignore my central issues with organization and with her failure to either answer the question asked or use the appropriate sources].
Jane was carefully home schooled and essay writing was a central part of our high school program. I had her write many essays. I urge you to revisit this essay and give it the grade that it actually earned. I'd rather settle it at the teacher level peer-to-peer than to bring it to the president of the college.
sincerely,Mrs. John Doe (writing as her teacher not her mother)"
From a student:
"hi, this is ___and I'm in your ___ class but have been golfing in [sunny vacation destination] for the past couple weeks so i have missed the first few classes. just wondering if there is anything important that i have missed ... please let me know what i should do."
@kay01: I feel your pain on those types of students! I just interpreted 'reason' as more detailed than I sick, here's a note.
I actually thought a student dropped his lab once because he didn't show up for the first few weeks (which he had to do to complete and hand in assignments). When he finally did show up, he actually said to me "my last TA let me ___" I never thought I would have to sound like such drag, but I had to say "well, I'm not your last TA".
I slept through half of a final in college once. When I woke up and realized what time it was, I was frantic, and ran all the way across campus to the final. Luckily the professor was super nice and let me finish it up in his office right afterwards. I was so relieved, because I knew full well he had no obligation to let me do that.
Who does these things? I have just finished my BA and have never, ever even handed an assignment in late, let alone missed an exam!
I once even went to an exam straight from the vet, where I had just euthanized my dying dog. I cried the whole way through the exam and provided my prof with the reason for my distress, but I wrote the exam anyway because I believe personal and professional/academic lives should remain separate if possible.
If students don't care enough to show up for exams, they don't deserve their degree. Period.
This past semester I had a lot of problems with my car. Being a 40 minute drive away and having no one to lend me a hand it got tough at times to get to class. In one class we had a 15 minute presentaion (it really lasted like an hour with the professor's input) that was basically a third of our grade. My car was spewing oil the night before, there was no way I could get it fixed until the day after this presentation. I exhausted every avenue. I tried renting a car, they were sold out. I looked up a cab company- it would have cost me 160 dollars and I did not have that in my bank account. The buses didn't come this far south. I don't think I've been that upset since my grandmother passed away. I had worked weeks on this project.
As soon as I figured out I wouldn't make it to the class I emailed the professor saying I know you can't give me the points, I just want to let you know I did do the work (some people had not shown up for their presentations for whatever reason with no excuse) and this is why I wont be in. I also attached the powerpoint and handout I had made. She was so understanding. She just switched me to the next class and all I had to do was bring in my bill from the mechanic. It really pays to be proactive and grateful. And boy was I!
I have always found that if you have a legitimate excuse to need an exception made (moving a quiz, final, paper, etc.), and REQUEST rather than DEMAND your professor help you, things generally go well.
Where I went to undergrad, the make-up restrictions were pretty heavy. It was basically "no, unless you are in the hospital or somebody in your immediate family has died" (no third aunt Sally, twice removed). In most classes, an "oops" was usually built into the grading scheme, such as only 5 out of 6 quizzes would be counted, or you could do some extra credit if you flubbed a paper.
I did have a couple of times where I was *really* sick and had a quiz or exam. Like, puking my guts out every half hour sick. I generally just stayed in bed until I had to leave for the exam, took some medicine, made it through, and then skipped everything else to go back to bed. Didn't always get the best grades, but I sucked it up.
I posted earlier about my thoughts, but I've noticed a lot of people saying they never missed an exam, just sucked it up... sometimes that's not possible with certain medical issues. I don't want to go into details but trust me when I say, there are cases when it's just impossible to walk the 15 minutes to the exam, take the exam, and walk home.
This from @Genuine513 is SO TRUE: "But nothing drove me more crazy in college then professors that would fail you or grade you down for missing class, as far I am concerned I am paying for this class so it is my choice to show up or not, if I fall behind behind because I missed class that is my fault but don't fail me just because I was absent."
@mink: I know what I'm going to be doing for the rest of my evening! Haha thank you for sharing :)
@brandy-lynn: But on the flip side of that, if someone can't show sympathy for you in that condition, what does they say about them? Academics isn't everything!
Some of this amazes me. I had one mid-term exam deferred, because my grandfather died the day before it (and then I spent the next morning vomiting frequently, which just made the whole situation suck more because I had to spend 8+ hours on a bus to get home). I was polite and explained everything with documentation, so all of my profs were really nice. In fact, the toughest one I had was probably the sweetest guy ever after I came back.
@seahorsey: My FI's classes had attendance requirements and I agree, they are rediculous. I am quite glad I never had any in classes other than the ones with a performance requirement (acting, writing, seminar). I skipped almost all of my academic classes in undergrad (especially the science ones, they were always at 8:00 am and the profs always were awful) and just sat for the finals. Disclaimer: they weren't my best grades, low A- and high Bs, I could have probably pulled better if I had gone to class.
My Prof. this year put it best: "We are all adults in this classroom. If you are unprepared to be cold called, send me an email. If you are not going to be in class, don't tell me, I don't care, you are an adult who can make adult choices"
I think the whole exam situation is odd because in my school we aren't allowed to discuss extensions with the Prof. It is not their choice, the Dean will decide and the Prof is never told. To do otherwise would destroy blind grading.
@eagle: Exactly the same at my university, but I know at the colleges in my area things are much more lenient!
Re attendance issue, keep in mind it may be a school policy and not a professor policy (which tenured professors may flout with more impunity than new professors). For example, at my school I'm required to notify the school if a student doesn't show up the first two weeks, because they will kick the student out of my class. I'm also required to sign off on attendance logs for the athletes and post their grades (however, many of them cheat and stop having me sign on them if they aren't doing well - I assume they're forging my signature). Finally, while it's not exactly required, my department head made it very clear that I ought to strongly consider an attendance policy, although preferably a more lenient one than an automatic failure after X absences, as some professors do. So while I'd personally like to treat them as adults and have no policy, it's not worth it to fight the school and do so.
I was a TA in my 3rd and 4th year and this sounds all too familiar. While I obviously didn't deal with exams, I had plenty of students do something similar with assignments and tests. I loved getting emails at 11:30pm the night before an 8:30 class to ask what would be on the test :)
I had 2 students cheat many times in my one class and I kept giving them zeros and warnings about it but the didn't seems to comprehend. My professor really couldn't do anything about it and she was just relying on the exam to really test their knowledge.
I hated attendance requirements. I understand it for first year or for tutorials, for something where being present actually matters. I had a class in 4th year where the professor would scream at us if we missed a class. She was just on a power trip. Most people avoided her classes but I unfortunately had to take her classes!
Also, I don't think being first generation has anything to do with it. My parents are not even from this country and I knew no one who went to university here to guide me. They let me do everything and figure it out on my own. Clearly I was fine and my professors loved me enough to give me a job!
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I teach at a school where most of the kids are first generation college students. I realize many of them do not know how to study or how to act professionally. For example, I receive emails and papers that have basic spelling and grammar errors, letters are not capitalized that should be, and I receive emails that look like texts to their friends and are address to "my first name". I can handle this, but it greatly irks me when they act entitled (to something which they are not entitled). So I bring you my tips for college students:
1. If you miss the final exam, explain to the professor why you missed it and politely request to take it at another time.
You may very well have a valid reason, but you need to share that reason with your professor for her to consider allowing an exception. In my syllabus I stated I only allow it under extreme circumstances, such as you are hospitalized. I do not provide an exhaustive list of possibilities. A colleague recently had a student whose child died near the end of the term, and she was very compassionate and understanding about the situation, but it is rare and not the sort of thing you would anticipate would happen. Specifically do not just repeat over and over, "But I have to take it!" and "My situation does not fall into that exception." If it doesn't fit the exception and you won't explain it, then I can't/won't help you.
Also, honey always wins more than vinegar (at least try the honey first, you can always move onto vinegar and up the chain depending on the situation).
2. If the professor makes an exception, express gratitude and follow any rules she sets out.
If the professor asks for documentation of your situation before allowing an exception...feel happy she will make an exception, count yourself lucky and provide the documentation. Don't ask the professor how you'll obtain it (and if she does tell you three easy ways she can think of, off the top of her head, that you can provide it, don't continue to complain. The alternative is no opportunity to retake it). Again, be polite and thankful. She has to rearrange her schedule on extremely short notice to fit in an exam especially for you, which at minimum is several hours of proctoring, and possibly more if writing a whole new exam.
If someone else who is NOT your professor (or not a dean of students and above the professor) gives contrary instructions, it is only professional to notify your professor that you are not following her rules and to confirm this is acceptable. You do not know if the changed instructions are correct. In a work setting you would notify the person you report to if you were not going to follow their instructions.
3. Texting is not for professional settings.
Do not simply text your professor "I'm here" and expect them to have the exam ready for you, particularly if you did not follow directions (and the last verbal instructions were to "submit X before I will reschedule the exam for you" and the last written communication said "I have not received X") It also helps if you show up at the right time/right day.
4. Finally, study guides are the responsibility of the student.
If your professor provides you with any information prior to the exam, such as study guides or test questions, be grateful. Do not expect that your professor will do so, or complain that you did not receive it sooner or in a manner you prefered (e.g. online versus via email).
Arguing with your professor just before the exam is proctored is also a bad idea.
Bonus: If you ask your professor to grade your exam immediately and she declines, accept that with good grace. Do not demand a second time she grade it immediately, particularly when you've already taken up the entire morning unexpectedly (as well as part of the prior day). Your professor has many things to do.
*End rant* Thank you for listening.