When I was teaching in graduate school, a student approached me right before class to explain he had not been in class the week before because his grandmother had died. I expressed sympathy for his loss and said I certainly understood the situation because, in fact, I had not been there the week before either because I was at MY grandmother's funeral out of state (the truth). I got a blank stare in response. This same student's father called me some weeks later to complain that I was being "unreasonable" in not letting his son take a make-up exam when his son had the mumps at the time of the exam. Although I explained I was unable to specifically discuss his son's performance in class due to privacy issues, I let the father know that I did receive a note from his son that he had the mumps and could not attend class. However, that note was dated three weeks prior to the test date in question. I asked in the nicest voice, "Do mumps last three weeks?" A period of silence followed. I then expressed my sincere condolence to the father for the loss of his parent. A longer silence followed, with a very uncomfortable "Well, I don't know anything about that!" Needless to say, junior didn't get a make-up exam, and his pattern of missing class came to an abrupt end. Shelley A. Theno Assistant Professor of Psychology University of Alaska Southeast 11120 Glacier Highway Juneau, Alaska 99801-8671 (907) 465-6403 [EMAIL PROTECTED]
