Dear Tipsters,
The part of Tim's answer that I liked particularly was "....but I just remind
them what the syllabus says.....and then remind them that it's their choice to
miss or not but that there are consequences to decisions."
That is an important lesson for life. It is similar to respecting deadlines.
Life has many deadlines that you must meet and consequences flow from not
meeting them (e.g. tax returns).
Sincerely,
Stuart
___________________________________________________________________________
"Floreat Labore"
"Recti cultus pectora roborant"
Stuart J. McKelvie, Ph.D., Phone: 819 822 9600 x 2402
Department of Psychology, Fax: 819 822 9661
Bishop's University,
2600 rue College,
Sherbrooke,
Québec J1M 1Z7,
Canada.
E-mail: [email protected] (or [email protected])
Bishop's University Psychology Department Web Page:
http://www.ubishops.ca/ccc/div/soc/psy
Floreat Labore"
___________________________________________________________________________
-----Original Message-----
From: Tim Shearon [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: May 12, 2015 11:54 AM
To: Teaching in the Psychological Sciences (TIPS)
Subject: RE:[tips] Student excuses
Annette
I've had a few like this- truly entitled. I suspect that it's more complex than
mere poor parenting by a new generation- but I just remind them what the
syllabus says, if necessary what being an adult entails including commitments
etc., and then remind them that it's their choice to miss or not but that there
are consequences to decisions. I've had students miss a test and 2 classes for
exactly the same kind of thing (also, family reunions, birth of a sister's
baby, my mom is moving, taking my friends cat to be spayed, etc.). A few are
shocked that you don't just cave- one even appealed my decision to my dean who
basically told them to grow up (sometimes I really like him!). :) I think my
most interesting one was the student who emailed me to let me know her paper,
one of six, would not be on time because they were having pledge week in her
sorority. I just reminded her that they were allowed to drop one grade and that
if she decided to get it in late that she should just use that as her drop- she
replied, "But I'm saving that for something unexpected!" Ultimately she got it
in on time.
Tim
-----Original Message-----
From: Annette Taylor [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: Tuesday, May 12, 2015 9:18 AM
To: Teaching in the Psychological Sciences (TIPS)
Subject: Re:[tips] Student excuses
I just had an email from a student who cannot take the final exam because she
is in her brother's wedding party on the next day. However, she has a solid A+
in the course (which, I will grant, is highly exceptional), and feels that she
knows the material and would like to be excused. She feels that this is a
sufficiently compelling excuse to satisfy my usual exam policy (I let students
miss one exam if they have a documented, compelling excuse). She included a
copy of the wedding invitation as her documentation.
I am serious here, folks. Being in a wedding? She JUST found out about the
wedding? She waited until one week before the scheduled time for the final exam
to email me? She failed to note that the usual exam policy excludes the final
exam.
I responded back by email that that just will not do. I explained that being in
the wedding party is not a compelling excuse and listed examples: serious
illness (documented); death of an immediate family member (documented); major
transportation failure (documented), etc. She has failed to respond back. I
wonder if she'll come to class for the exam?
I'm still flabbergasted. Have times changed? Am I missing something? Am I
getting too old for this profession?
Annette
Annette Kujawski Taylor, Ph. D.
Professor, Psychological Sciences
University of San Diego
5998 Alcala Park
San Diego, CA 92110-2492
[email protected]
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