TEACHSOC: about midterm holidays

[Marty Schwartz]

Sorry to dominate the bandwidth, but my favorite teacher of all time (my department chair in the 1970s, Keith Haley), used to carry what our university called "drop slips" in his briefcase - the forms that they handed in to the registrar to drop a course, and that needed to be signed by the professor to avoid a penalty grade.  When students asked for a make-up exam because their father purchased nonrefundable tickets for the family ski vacation in the middle of the term, or their sister's wedding conflicted with the final exam, etc., he would just reach into his briefcase and say, "Oh, let me understand.  You completely forgot to check with the published syllabus (or final exam schedule) and accidentally signed up for a course that conflicted with your sister's wedding, and now you want to correct that error by dropping out.  Sure, no problem.  Here is a signed slip."  Then he would hand it to them and walk off.  I have done a version of this my entire career - sometimes saying that they can't have a multiple choice exam, but rather will need to take a 10 question essay test.  90% of them solve their scheduling conflict and show up for the exam.  The ones that drop to their knees, start crying and hug your legs thanking you profusely (metaphorically, but I have had tears) must have really wanted to attend their sister's wedding (grandmother's funeral, whatever), and I work with them in any way that I can.

marty

--On Friday, September 23, 2005 8:41 AM -0600 GIMENEZ MARTHA E <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:

>
> I am writing to ask for advice about how to deal with students who expand
> vacation time, leaving before the break starts and sometimes returning
> after it ends.  We have a "Fall break" on October 13 and 14.  I had
> scheduled the midterm exam for the 12th but the first week of classes I
> already had students asking for a make up exam for they wanted to leave on
> the 12th or earlier.  I thought for a while to move the midterm date to
> the 10th or to the 17th, to avoid having to write two different midterms,
> monitor the exams, etc.
>
> In the end, I decided to keep the exam for the 12th, as scheduled (it will
> cost me at the time of student evaluations but so what!) and I am
> wondering whether it should also be appropriate to take points from those
> who decide to leave before the break officially starts.  What would you
> do if you had to face the same situation?  While taking points off might
> seem arbitrary, it seems to me that something needs to be done to stress
> the need to be a responsible student.
>
> I would appreciate your thoughts on this matter.
>
> Changing the topic, thank you to those who responded about my comments re:
> use of laptops.  You were right - students doodle, make shopping lists,
> send each other messages, they absent themselves from class once in a
> while  whether using new or old technology so .... :)
>
>
> Martha
>
>