whiteknight
Cool Customer
Senior member
Posts: 622
The Man Comes Around
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« Reply #10095 on: November 21, 2009, 09:17:27 AM » |
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Yes, I have to say I missed that part of the local news somehow. It's amazing how such bad luck has plagued this same poor student all semester. I have that student this semester. She has missed 4.5 weeks of class b/c of H1N1, the regular flu, a broken-down car, her mom's auto accident, her dad's poor health, her dad's friend's poor health, and a brand-new computer that she doesn't know how to use. Her grades are poor to middling, and the students in the class hate her b/c when she shows up, she has tries to go on at length about the topic we're discussing, usually repeating what I just said. IOW, she's the student who will challenge the "D" or "F" grade that she is likely to get based on all of the above, and I'll be made out as the mean prof who didn't work with her. Or, she'll love me for working with her, and she'll stay signed up for the class she's scheduled to take with me next semester. It's a lose-lose for me either way. |
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polly_mer
teaching science to the masses one person at a time
Distinguished Senior Member
Posts: 28,389
Do you want a career in science? Sure, you do!
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« Reply #10096 on: November 21, 2009, 10:03:30 AM » |
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I received a real gem this week. paraphrased to protect the guilty
Dear Polly Mer,
I read on a website that you studied with Prof. Dude so I want your help. I am applying to graduate school at Polly's Alma Mater. Is Prof. Dude still there? He's listed on the webpage, but I wrote to him yesterday and he hasn't gotten back to me. What could be the possible reasons that he hasn't done so? My name is First Last.
Thank you,
Firlasxx
Hmm, let's see you wrote to the chair of the department during one of the busiest times in the semester and didn't allow a whole 24 hours for him to respond so instead you tracked down someone who might know him to try to apply pressure? The reply I actually sent (bcc'ed to Prof. Dude) was
Dear Firlasxx,
Yes, Prof. Dude is still in the department. One day is a very short time in which to expect a busy professor to reply. Give him at least a week and then do a follow-up email to see if your first message got lost.
Dr. Mer
Prof. Dude's response to me was priceless, but I won't share it here. |
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It is only a match if you shout back. Otherwise it is your colleague acting like a lunatic.
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bibliothecula
Academic ronin
Distinguished Senior Member
Posts: 3,727
like Bunnicula, only with books
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« Reply #10097 on: November 21, 2009, 10:17:14 AM » |
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I received a real gem this week. paraphrased to protect the guilty
Dear Polly Mer,
I read on a website that you studied with Prof. Dude so I want your help. I am applying to graduate school at Polly's Alma Mater. Is Prof. Dude still there? He's listed on the webpage, but I wrote to him yesterday and he hasn't gotten back to me. What could be the possible reasons that he hasn't done so? My name is First Last.
Thank you,
Firlasxx
Hmm, let's see you wrote to the chair of the department during one of the busiest times in the semester and didn't allow a whole 24 hours for him to respond so instead you tracked down someone who might know him to try to apply pressure? The reply I actually sent (bcc'ed to Prof. Dude) was
Dear Firlasxx,
Yes, Prof. Dude is still in the department. One day is a very short time in which to expect a busy professor to reply. Give him at least a week and then do a follow-up email to see if your first message got lost.
Dr. Mer
Prof. Dude's response to me was priceless, but I won't share it here. Please??? |
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I came. I saw. I cited.
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llanfair
Village idiot and Very
Distinguished Senior Member
Posts: 22,211
Whither Canada?
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« Reply #10098 on: November 21, 2009, 11:29:49 AM » |
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I received a real gem this week. paraphrased to protect the guilty
Dear Polly Mer,
I read on a website that you studied with Prof. Dude so I want your help. I am applying to graduate school at Polly's Alma Mater. Is Prof. Dude still there? He's listed on the webpage, but I wrote to him yesterday and he hasn't gotten back to me. What could be the possible reasons that he hasn't done so? My name is First Last.
Thank you,
Firlasxx
Hmm, let's see you wrote to the chair of the department during one of the busiest times in the semester and didn't allow a whole 24 hours for him to respond so instead you tracked down someone who might know him to try to apply pressure? The reply I actually sent (bcc'ed to Prof. Dude) was
Dear Firlasxx,
Yes, Prof. Dude is still in the department. One day is a very short time in which to expect a busy professor to reply. Give him at least a week and then do a follow-up email to see if your first message got lost.
Dr. Mer
Prof. Dude's response to me was priceless, but I won't share it here. Please??? Come on, Polly. You wouldn't leave your partners in crime friends hanging, would you? |
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Because, you know, that stuff on the syllabus is like, in writing, and there are so many ways you can, like, read that, but when the guys who sit by you in class, like, you know, must know what's really going on, right? -- AmLitHist, channelling student
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gennimom
Somewhat Southern (Have I really posted that much?)
Distinguished Senior Member
Posts: 16,768
Let's get summer over with! Me want snow!
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« Reply #10099 on: November 21, 2009, 07:15:21 PM » |
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Okay, so I posted all of the grades to this point on MyCourses and sent out an email telling students to check their grades. This is one email I received: Dr. Gennimom,
I have a zero on my tech description paper I sent it by email and i am attaching it with this email could you please email me and let me know if you get it this time.. and it also shows i have a 1 on quiz number
two and i was wondering how i have a one on my quiz.
Clueless Student
I replied: I received it. The 1 on quiz two I'm assuming is because you were only on there a few minutes and I'm guessing you didn't save all of your answers. If you mark a bunch of answers but don't save them, the quiz
doesn't save them when you close it. The only answer saved was the last one you answered. You have to save each question. This quiz has been posted for a couple of weeks or more.
This is his reply: well i always hit the save all button at the end of the quiz and it is not my fault if it didn save...
There are just so many things I want to say here, but I can't. I'm thinking I'm safer not answering at all... |
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...only after reading gm's post, my new mantra is "always listen to gennimom".
Monday reeks! - Garfield The outside of a horse is good for the inside of a person (or something like that). |
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polly_mer
teaching science to the masses one person at a time
Distinguished Senior Member
Posts: 28,389
Do you want a career in science? Sure, you do!
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« Reply #10100 on: November 22, 2009, 09:36:54 AM » |
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Prof. Dude's response to me was priceless, but I won't share it here.
Fine, fine, I'll give you the short version. Basically, Prof. Dude was amazed that any prospective student would not let a whole day lapse before tracking down far junior people on the other side of the country to demand an explanation about why Prof. Dude (senior full professor who is department chair) hadn't responded within such a short time period. Clearly, it wasn't my responsibility to watch Prof. Dude when I was 1800 miles away and employed as a lecturer at a different institution with my own busy life problems. Then, because we are very good friends, Prof. Dude's email continued with a chatty discussion of his past two days that included administering multiple tests, a piece of big equipment delivery, his doctoral candidate's defense, project details of other students, looming proposal deadlines that required coordination between several institutions, stories of his kids' activities, and the books he was reading for pleasure. Clearly, answering a student in detail who was merely trying to do an end-run around the admissions process was not going to be top or even 37th priority in that less than 24 hours time. |
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It is only a match if you shout back. Otherwise it is your colleague acting like a lunatic.
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canuckois
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« Reply #10101 on: November 23, 2009, 01:38:12 PM » |
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Alright. Particularly snowflake-ish student sleeps through an informal panel discussion involving three faculty guests. Once class ended, I reprimanded the student, privately, for rudeness, lack of respect for our guests, etc. His response went along the lines of, "Who, me? Rude? I never sleep in class!" I pointed out that, actually, he's slept through portions of class many times. He continued to act puzzled and bemused, as if I've gone crazy or perhaps have mistaken him for someone else. I just sighed and walked out of the room.
I just got this:
To Professor Canuckois,
From the beginning of the year I was extremely interested in your class. I felt like I had a good relationship with you as a student in the beginning of the year. However, as the year has gone on, I get the impression that you consider me to be a sort of nuisance or slacker, and I wish to remedy that.
....<cut to a long and rambling "apology" in which he blames everything except himself for various problems>...
I just want you to know that I am acutally trying in your class, and that it is quite frustrating when you reprimand me for things I cannot control or when you treat me as some sort of delinquent. So I end by saying this: I am sorry for any troubles I have caused you for these past months, but I legititmately enjoy and work in class. I will do whatever you wish me to do to make things up again and show you that I am sincere in my plea. I hope that we can finish the year on a amicable note.
I love the strange mix of abject supplication with the insistence that I'm treating him unfairly.
Oy. This semester can't end quickly enough....
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I hate that you're rioting but I love that you're getting boa-encrusted bras.
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socktopus
New member
Posts: 11
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« Reply #10102 on: November 23, 2009, 04:11:18 PM » |
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I get the impression that you consider me to be a sort of nuisance Everyone knows that the best way to disavow a prof of thinking that you are a nuisance is to send a rambly, passive-aggressive email. |
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sagit
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« Reply #10103 on: November 23, 2009, 06:50:56 PM » |
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I believe this one falls under the category of giving one's self an extension:
Hello Professor Sagitta,
I know that this is a little last minute but
I left earlier than expected. I live in [Other State]
so its going to take me a while to get home.
I just wanted to let you know that I will be e-mailing
my paper to you so that I dont get late credit for it.
Have a Happy Thanksgiving
Thank you for this semester
Often-Late-Student
Notice that he says that he WILL be emailing me the paper. The paper was due in class today at 5PM. Yeah, not sure how NOT emailing me this paper by the start of class (it is now 2 hours later) means that you won't get counted as late. A full 25% of the class was absent (out of 20) today and only 1 actually emailed me their paper. I'm generous and give up to a C for late papers for up to 10 days after they are due.
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professor_pat
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« Reply #10104 on: November 23, 2009, 07:03:55 PM » |
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I believe this one falls under the category of giving one's self an extension:
Hello Professor Sagitta,
I know that this is a little last minute but
I left earlier than expected. I live in [Other State]
so its going to take me a while to get home.
I just wanted to let you know that I will be e-mailing
my paper to you so that I dont get late credit for it.
Have a Happy Thanksgiving
Thank you for this semester
Often-Late-Student
Perhaps he accurately wrote this as sort of a double negative? Maybe NOT (-) getting late CREDIT (+) = YES (+) getting late DEBIT (-)? So he succeeded in not getting late "credit," as he requested, right? OK, maybe I should have posted that under the "You know you've been grading too long when..." thread. I'm not even making sense to myself anymore. |
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To me, forums are more of a relaxing period in which the poster can allow himself or himself to be lost in a sea of wonder.
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alleyoxenfree
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« Reply #10105 on: November 23, 2009, 07:37:13 PM » |
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There will obviously be a follow-up excuse as to why it couldn't be emailed by the deadline. We should start a betting pool, based on the more likely excuses:
1) I couldn't find any wifi in Nebraska and when we got to Illinois, there was wifi but then I couldn't find my flashdrive cuz we left in the early morning and it got packed somewhere dark! but I know I have it and as soon as I get home I'll be emailing it to ya
2) the flight left early from the gate just as I was about to hit "send"
3) my roommate's dog, who was riding with us in the car, ate my flashdrive and we are waiting on the obvious retrieval of it
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luvstowrite
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« Reply #10106 on: November 24, 2009, 01:20:59 AM » |
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Once again everyone, the few seconds it takes to type "no late work accepted, printed papers only accepted" in the syllabus at the beginning of the semester is worth its weight in gold at the end of the semester. End of story. No whining, no late papers, no emailed papers, no excuses!
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"If you want to make enemies, try to change something." -- Woodrow Wilson
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alleyoxenfree
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« Reply #10107 on: November 24, 2009, 01:25:21 AM » |
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Ha! Are you kidding? We're talking about language in the syllabus, repeated review in class, and still......they try. Your uni may vary. I have more attempts here than ever before.
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polly_mer
teaching science to the masses one person at a time
Distinguished Senior Member
Posts: 28,389
Do you want a career in science? Sure, you do!
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« Reply #10108 on: November 24, 2009, 07:52:06 AM » |
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Ha! Are you kidding? We're talking about language in the syllabus, repeated review in class, and still......they try. Your uni may vary. I have more attempts here than ever before.
I happily accept emailed assignments, even if they are technically late because it's after class, and I tell students this. I get promises of emailed assignments, the emails almost never arrive, and then I pat myself on the back for appearing to be generous, yet having a smaller grading pile. |
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It is only a match if you shout back. Otherwise it is your colleague acting like a lunatic.
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sagit
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« Reply #10109 on: November 24, 2009, 10:11:02 AM » |
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There will obviously be a follow-up excuse as to why it couldn't be emailed by the deadline. We should start a betting pool, based on the more likely excuses:
1) I couldn't find any wifi in Nebraska and when we got to Illinois, there was wifi but then I couldn't find my flashdrive cuz we left in the early morning and it got packed somewhere dark! but I know I have it and as soon as I get home I'll be emailing it to ya
2) the flight left early from the gate just as I was about to hit "send"
3) my roommate's dog, who was riding with us in the car, ate my flashdrive and we are waiting on the obvious retrieval of it
Exactly. I still haven't received the elusive paper. The fact that he didn't send it with that email suggests to me that he hadn't even started it. A responsible student would have sent a draft just in case. |
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