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[yemaya]

The funniest was when I realized that one never did anything with the early syllabus, she thought *having* it was enough to "help" her. The ultimate in magical thinking as one colleague called it.

\

The advanced syllabus as talisman.  I love it.

I got a request today for one. I told the student I wasn't teaching that course again until Spring 2009. He asked again for a copy then for that semester. I replied that it would not be ready until December.  His reply was that he probably would not take the course because he worried that I didn't "plan ahead."  Yep, I found that they were told that the inability to get one of these "advance" syllabus copies when registration opened for the next semester (say, April 1 for Sept classes...)  was a "warning sign" of a "disorganized professor."

Heh.  I wondering when Mr. Authority On All Things Organization begins doing his reading and writing his papers.

[octoprof]

Yesterday:

Good grief, there must be something in the water. The last student to finish (after time was up) the exam I just gave wanted me to grade his right there in the classroom and failing that, grade it this afternoon and give him the results. 

Then, I get back to my office and there's already an email from another student:

Dr. Octoprof,
I know I just took my test...and I feel better about this one that the second one. I am getting ready to send out my graduation invitations but I am waiting on getting this test grade back.? Your class is the only one I have a border line C in and that makes me nervous. I know this is a big request, but I am wanting to send them out by? saturday and I was wondering if you could email me my grade for this test. I know I need a 71 to keep a C in your class. I guess Im just nervous and dont want to send out invitations and then have something happen in your class. Thanks for helping, I know this puts you out but I GREATLY appreciate it!
Jane Smith

So on this one exam (never mind the final 10 days away that counts 25%) hinges her graduation? Huh?  I think not...

Also, she didn't send her email from the university email, but from an aol address, which makes it even less likely (given FERPA) that I would even think about giving her information other students do not have.

Today:

Hey Dr. Octoprof,
This is Kevin Snow :-) I was wondering when you were going to grade the exams ( I assume this weekend but--who knows) because I'm not sure if I'm going to make it to class on Tuesday of next week, due to a dentist appointment. So, I was hoping you can email me my grade for the exam? If not, I can reschedule my appointment; that goes to show you how much I LOVE ACC :-)
Thanks,
Kevin

For the record, I always return exams in the next class period, which for this group is Tuesday. If you can't be bothered to come to class and get it, well, you'll have to come by my office.  I do not give exam grades out by email, most certainly not before they've been giving to the rest of the class, either.

[profxfiles]

I got a request today for one. I told the student I wasn't teaching that course again until Spring 2009. He asked again for a copy then for that semester. I replied that it would not be ready until December.  His reply was that he probably would not take the course because he worried that I didn't "plan ahead."  Yep, I found that they were told that the inability to get one of these "advance" syllabus copies when registration opened for the next semester (say, April 1 for Sept classes...)  was a "warning sign" of a "disorganized professor."

The advising/orientation people here are always promoting nutty stuff like that.

That is hysterical--after that silliness, I would find an old mimeograph machine and backdate a syllabus to the 1980s to hand out to everyone who asks. When they ask about why it is so out of date, I would say something like, "Well, I just haven't felt the need to update this course in a few years, and besides, nothing has changed in the field since the seventies anyway!" And then I would send a SERIOUSLY nasty e-mail to the orientation people.

[concordancia]

the inability to get one of these "advance" syllabus copies when registration opened for the next semester (say, April 1 for Sept classes...)  was a "warning sign" of a "disorganized professor."

You. Have. Got. To. Be. Kidding. Me.

Oh, well, I play the role of the absent minded prof well. And my students seem to like it.

[seventhyear]

What a great way to keep enrollments low!  Sign me up (but late, and lose the piece of paper)!

[namazu]

It's one thing not to have a syllabus months in advance.  But not having a syllabus the week before class begins, or being unable/unwilling to provide the name of the textbook a couple of weeks in advance, probably is a sign of a disorganized or grumpy professor, and it makes things difficult for students with disabilities who need to obtain materials in alternative formats.

[yemaya]

It's one thing not to have a syllabus months in advance.  But not having a syllabus the week before class begins, or being unable/unwilling to provide the name of the textbook a couple of weeks in advance, probably is a sign of a disorganized or grumpy professor, and it makes things difficult for students with disabilities who need to obtain materials in alternative formats.

Perhaps.  Normally, I will pass along information about books and a syllabus if it is ready.   I will say that when a student is a complete pratt about a request and behaves in a manner that signals to me that said student is an obnoxious, entitled snot, I'm far less inclined to help them.

[barrelofmonkeys]

From a senior, working with hus group on a field-based project.  BTW, they have had three (3) weeks now (during class time!) to do their field work and all semester to put together their papers. 

hi

I was going to ask you Thursday when we went for a sampling, but since we briefly seen you in the parking lot I forgot to, and I did not see you on friday.  What I was going to ask was as of last thursday we had nothing to write up in a progress report because we had no sampling done due to weather and things.  I was also wondering if we still had a rough draft of our paper due this thursday along with a progress report on our projects, since that is when we are planning on getting our second sampling if you get <Site X> checked out on
Tuesday.  I was also wondering when we would recieve our final exam since it is due on may 3rd.

[concordancia]

It's one thing not to have a syllabus months in advance.  But not having a syllabus the week before class begins, or being unable/unwilling to provide the name of the textbook a couple of weeks in advance, probably is a sign of a disorganized or grumpy professor, and it makes things difficult for students with disabilities who need to obtain materials in alternative formats.

Oh, I order the textbooks well in advance. Which made my life miserable last semester. We often get about 48 hours from when the schedule comes out to the final date to order textbooks. A fun 48 hours when you get assigned a new class, let me tell you.

So, for students who need an alternative format... I am teaching a class next semester without a text, all readings will be available of the classroom management system. How does this affect them?

[namazu]

So, for students who need an alternative format... I am teaching a class next semester without a text, all readings will be available of the classroom management system. How does this affect them?

It depends on the students' needs and the file format...some students are able to use equipment to enlarge and/or scan and/or read back (via text-to-speech software) the readings.  Some may need to have the material recorded onto tape or brailled (particularly if the readings provided were poorly scanned in the first place and are therefore illegible to an optical character recognition system), which takes longer.  The more advance notice (and access to readings) you can give, the better. 

Making the syllabus available in advance is helpful both to students with disabilities who need to plan their time particularly carefully, and to other students, who may be looking for flights home for vacations, etc., and need to know when exams are.  (<--That last statement assumes students actually a) plan, and b) care when exams are, and won't try to wheedle out of them or beg you to reschedule, which is admittedly optimistic!)

[concordancia]

Making the syllabus available in advance is helpful both to students with disabilities who need to plan their time particularly carefully, and to other students, who may be looking for flights home for vacations, etc., and need to know when exams are.  (<--That last statement assumes students actually a) plan, and b) care when exams are, and won't try to wheedle out of them or beg you to reschedule, which is admittedly optimistic!)

See, when I was a student, I just assumed that I had to be on campus until the last final exam. (Or at least the last one for the classes I had registered for)

[namazu]

See, when I was a student, I just assumed that I had to be on campus until the last final exam. (Or at least the last one for the classes I had registered for)

Oh, I did, too.  But unless your school had a well-defined final exam schedule, how would you have known when the last final exam was, or if there was going to be a paper due on the last day, if you couldn't get a syllabus?

[gennimom]

Because I didn't have a car in college and went to school 800 miles away, I planned flights and my parents' arrivals for the day AFTER my last final. Except for once. Then my last final was supposed to be at 10 am Wednesday and my flight was at 6 pm.

How was I supposed to know it would snow for 2 days and cancel finals Monday and Tuesday? I ended up taking finals at 8 am, 10 am, 11 am and 2 pm. Then I packed hurriedly, dragged my bicycle upstairs and parked it on dirty towels (to melt) in my room, threw everything in a friend's car and we took the hour-and-a-half trip to the airport (which usually took 45 minutes).

I know if I could handle it, these students could, if they wanted to. They just don't care.

[octoprof]

See, when I was a student, I just assumed that I had to be on campus until the last final exam. (Or at least the last one for the classes I had registered for)

Oh, I did, too.  But unless your school had a well-defined final exam schedule, how would you have known when the last final exam was, or if there was going to be a paper due on the last day, if you couldn't get a syllabus?

Don't all schools have well-defined exam schedules (obviously not, given your comment). At most every school where I have taught, the exam schedule is available prior to the start of the term.  For example, we have not yet started Spring 2008 finals, and the final exam schedule for Summer 2008 is already available on the website.  Don't most schools do this these days?

[infopri]

See, when I was a student, I just assumed that I had to be on campus until the last final exam. (Or at least the last one for the classes I had registered for)

Oh, I did, too.  But unless your school had a well-defined final exam schedule, how would you have known when the last final exam was, or if there was going to be a paper due on the last day, if you couldn't get a syllabus?

Don't all schools have well-defined exam schedules (obviously not, given your comment). At most every school where I have taught, the exam schedule is available prior to the start of the term.  For example, we have not yet started Spring 2008 finals, and the final exam schedule for Summer 2008 is already available on the website.  Don't most schools do this these days?

My school posts its final exam schedules (actually, the entire academic calendar) five years in advance.  No joke.