Another issue to consider re: students' prolonged absences from class... Some schools have policies allowing faculty to deregister students who have not attended class for X number of sessions. Others have policies enabling faculty to automatically fail or lower the grade of students not attending X number of courses (we have such a policy here). So if the student is planning on being absent for 6 whole weeks you could inform her of whatever policy the college has on this and deal with it that way. In all likelihood she may see that it is to her benefit grade-wise NOT to take the course that semester. I'd also suggest to such a student that she may want to consider taking a leave of absence the semster she is planning on traveling. Seems like really poor planning to me.
-Denise --- Eric Godfrey <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Sarah, > > You have my sympathies. One week maybe, but six??? > This sounds like > one for your Dean and department chair. I have > denied admission to a > course after the 2nd week, because (as I explained > to students affected > over the years) they would simply have missed too > much work. And are > there exams in the first 6 weeks? Papers due? I > would politely but > firmly reply to the student explaining why what she > wants is simply not > possible, perhaps say something about why class > attendance and > development of work cumulatively is so important, > and then advise her to > take another course. You could add that she would > be welcome to take > your course at a later date when she is able to get > full value out of > it. And copy the e-mail to the chair and dean. Of > course, if you teach > at an institution at which faculty are undermined > instead of supported > by the administration in such cases, you're in a bit > of a pickle. In > that event, I'd copy and paste in all the > assignments and e-mail them to > her. It is still up to her to get the work in on > time, right? > > Another twist you might use (as long as it's true): > you cannot give her > work which has not yet been made up, and frequently > there are impromptu > quizzes, new subject matter added in response to > student requests, > additional assignments given to clarify subject > matter, etc. You can't > give her those in advance, and if she isn't there to > get them, she's out > of luck. Sounds hard-hearted, but you could also > compare this to > meeting the requirements of a job. > > Hope these ideas help. Our institution has an > attendance policy stating > that students are responsible for all work in a > course, regardless of > the reasons for absence (I actually chaired the > committee that drafted > that rule in an earlier version). This rule has > been of enormous help > in such cases over the years, and I highly recommend > adoption of a > college-wide policy like that. Good luck. > > --- Eric > > > Sarah Murray wrote at 11:00 AM on 22 February 2006: > > > Hi all... > > I'm just wondering what might be the most > constructive way to respond > > to a student e-mail stating that the student was > missing the first 6 > > weeks of class (there are 14 weeks in the > semester), and could I > > please give her all the work for those weeks in > advance. (I mentioned > > this story light-heartedly yesterday.) She was > traveling for > > pleasure, she told me. Her other profs. obliged > with the work, as did > > I. Yet I'm not so sure this was fair to the other > students, since > > there is an attendance policy. > > > > Sarah > > > > > > -- > * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * > * * * * > NOTE: If e-mail to me is rejected or not answered > promptly, please re-send to my other e-mail > addresses: > [EMAIL PROTECTED] or [EMAIL PROTECTED] > * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * > * * * * > Eric P. Godfrey, Professor Emeritus of Sociology > Ripon College, P. O. Box 248 (mail), 300 Seward St. > (courier) > Ripon, Wisconsin 54971-0248 > 920.748.6789 (home) > Home US Mail: P. O. Box 75, Ripon, WI 54971-0075 > > "Save the earth, we don't have a backup copy" > (made up by my son Forest at age 16) > * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * > * * * * > > > > > -------------------------------- Denise A. Copelton, Ph.D. Assistant Professor of Sociology SUNY Brockport 350 New Campus Drive Brockport, NY 14420 __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Teaching Sociology" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/teachsoc -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
