anon11
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« on: January 16, 2009, 01:46:18 PM » |
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I am adjuncting at a different college this semester, and was told that, due to budget issues, no paper syllabi or schedules would be issued. Faculty are to send them to students' college email addresses.
How widespread is this practice? Most important, how well does this system work? It seems to me that it is a wreck waiting to happen ("but you never sent me the syllabus, I couldn't download it and am many miles from campus so I did not know..." - that sort of thing). I'm ready to hit Kinko's at my own expense to avoid hassles.
What do you think?
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neutralname
A person without qualities, except for being a
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« Reply #1 on: January 16, 2009, 01:56:01 PM » |
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There could be problems, but you can bypass them. One solution would be to put your syllabus online -- on Blackboard or similar software package, on a school webpage if they will give you one, or else on a free one. I have used geocities in the past, which works ok, having a miniumum of pop-ups and advertising. Then the syllabus is always available to students, even if they lose the paper version. They can print out the syllabi themselves if they want.
Students had all sorts of excuses for mislaying or misreading paper syllabi. They will have excuses for messing up with electronic ones. It's the nature of the beast.
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"My loathings are simple: stupidity, oppression, crime, cruelty, soft music." Vladimir Nabokov
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profh
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« Reply #2 on: January 16, 2009, 02:12:28 PM » |
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I've never heard of this. We have no limitations on what and how much we can print at my CC. Rather than e-mail the students, I would put all of the course documents on Blackboard. This works well. Can't say they didn't get the e-mail, or the attachment wouldn't open, and so on. I use Blackboard as a supplemental site with my traditional courses and it helps to cut down on the e-mails and endless requests for "lost" course docs.
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« Last Edit: January 16, 2009, 02:13:13 PM by profh »
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concordancia
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« Reply #3 on: January 16, 2009, 02:57:52 PM » |
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As someone who likes trees and was nearly hopeless about keeping track of syllabuseses as an undergrad, I have been putting my own on the classroom management system for three years. In that time, the only complaint I have received is when it got pushed to the second page of announcements. Even those students were properly chagrined when I pointed out that they just need to click on "more" to get the earliest announcements.
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kedves
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« Reply #4 on: January 16, 2009, 03:15:28 PM » |
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One liberal arts department at my university has had this requirement for a few years; in my department, we can still distribute a paper syllabus but that's about it. I post a copy of the syllabus, as well as my assignments, citation style guide, model papers, lecture supplements, theory guides, and all sorts of other documents on Blackboard. If I tell students it's necessary and to print it out, they will. If it's a really important new document, I usually email them as well as post an announcement about it.
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jwormold
Gin-swillin'
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Posts: 706
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« Reply #5 on: January 16, 2009, 05:28:28 PM » |
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This just happened at my institution (big state U): due to budget cuts, the wise ones in the administration declared this was a wonderful way for us to save money. I've yet to ask if I'll be allowed to print off copies of my exams!
Anyway, I hate it. I posted it to WebCT, and on the first day I went over major assignments, and told them about 8 times to print off the syllabus asap. On the second meeting (our classes started this week), I asked everyone if they had questions. Not one person-- in either of my classes-- did. Nor did anyone seem to have a print out of the syllabus with them. One of my classes has some fairly complicated writing assignments, but still, no questions. So I made a statement in class: "Great! No one will come to me at the end of the semester with the excuse that they didn't understand the assignments. Wonderful. You guys are so on the ball and this will be a great semester." So, we'll see...
Oh, yeah, totally a policy implemented by bean counter who don't actually teach. Last time I heard, there aren't any copying prohibitions in the administrative offices...
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Be Bulgarian, Jeeves.
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concordancia
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« Reply #6 on: January 16, 2009, 05:49:54 PM » |
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As for being an economic policy, at a large number of universities, students are no long charged per page printed. It costs more to print a page than to copy the same page...
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I like money. I like to buy stuff and experiences with money.
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goldenapple
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« Reply #7 on: January 16, 2009, 05:57:39 PM » |
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Hey, do we teach at the same place? This does save me from having to do a lot of copying this weekend. On the other hand, this is one of those directives from on high that should be . . . open to interpretation. People in my department, for example, make lots and lots of copies. We have small classes, but we make many copies for our students. The syllabus should not be at the top of our list of things not to copy.
I'll be posting my syllabus on our version of Blackboard. And passing out paper copies of a thing called the "schedule of assignments and exams."
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educator1
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« Reply #8 on: January 18, 2009, 10:11:07 AM » |
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We have no such "no print" policy so Concordia's comment applies.
I have had great success with posting the syllabus, review problems from intro course (T teach the intermediate level course), solutions manual, sample reports, etc. on Blackboard well before classes begin. I then send an e-mail to all of my students (this term sent Jan 5, classes begin Jan 20) suggesting that they review the syllabus and try the practice problems. So far, over half have reviewed the materials and I am about to send out another reminder.
Typically, 80% or more of the students show up for the first class meeting with the syllabus in hand.
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luvstowrite
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« Reply #9 on: January 19, 2009, 12:36:09 PM » |
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We're "advised" to put them on Blackboard for classes larger than 10 students (if the syllabus is short, <5 pgs., then we can print them). I put all of mine in PDF on Bb.
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"If you want to make enemies, try to change something." -- Woodrow Wilson
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svenc
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« Reply #10 on: January 19, 2009, 12:40:43 PM » |
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I distribute almost everything online (both through emails and the course website), but the syllabus is the one thing I make sure to hand out on paper in each course as well. OK, that and the final exam.
If I were in this situation, I'd probably copy them on my own dime, if only to assuage my own compulsions. I'm just kind of hung up on making sure everyone has the syllabus in front of them in the first class.
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« Last Edit: January 19, 2009, 12:41:06 PM by svenc »
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In foris veritas.
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bluesocks
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« Reply #11 on: January 19, 2009, 05:57:53 PM » |
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I am getting closer and closer to being paperless. Last semester, I didn't quite trust that posting my syllabus would be enough. So, I posted it and ran copies. Turned out that over half my students had printed their own copies. And, well, my syllabus is long so that was a lot of wasted paper.
I teacher upper division courses, though. I have emailed my students twice with the link of where to get the syllabus (this semester I am trying a wikispaces page and putting up a PDF file). I think at least half will show up with the syllabus. Well, the other half? They can hurry and find out that I am serious about being prepared and that includes getting any/all materials that they need online. I'll find out tomorrow!
A caveat...I would probably be less likely to do this in an intro class unless I planned on showing them how to access the system and then talking about it in the second class.
I say it is worth a try to go paperless. If it doesn't seem to work, then I would go to plan B. All you need is a few obvious students following directions to set the trend!
blue
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jwormold
Gin-swillin'
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« Reply #12 on: January 19, 2009, 06:05:08 PM » |
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I say it is worth a try to go paperless. If it doesn't seem to work, then I would go to plan B. All you need is a few obvious students following directions to set the trend!
Unfortunately, I (and our OP) don't have a choice. We've been told that we're not allowed to print off copies due to budget cuts. Even for intro classes, even for the most unprepared. And I'm not about to spend my own money to print these things that the university (or students) ought to be doing. Ugh. Sorry. Just finished reading several craptacular short papers from students who clearly didn't bother to look at the extremely detailed instructions posted to WebCT. Phooey. |
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Be Bulgarian, Jeeves.
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concordancia
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« Reply #13 on: January 19, 2009, 06:13:51 PM » |
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I say it is worth a try to go paperless. If it doesn't seem to work, then I would go to plan B. All you need is a few obvious students following directions to set the trend!
Unfortunately, I (and our OP) don't have a choice. We've been told that we're not allowed to print off copies due to budget cuts. Even for intro classes, even for the most unprepared. And I'm not about to spend my own money to print these things that the university (or students) ought to be doing. Ugh. Sorry. Just finished reading several craptacular short papers from students who clearly didn't bother to look at the extremely detailed instructions posted to WebCT. Phooey. I have gone paperless AND I have clueless students. I introduce both the CMS and the syllabus via classroom technology on the first day. I have yet to notice a single student who brings a print out to class on that first day, but neither has anyone complained about it. |
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I like money. I like to buy stuff and experiences with money.
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csguy
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« Reply #14 on: January 19, 2009, 10:42:28 PM » |
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I've been paperless for ages. But my syllabi are relatively short. Assignments & tests are on the course management system. I don't really see why the students would print them out anyway (though some do).
The biggest pain is to turn a bunch of web pages in to a word processed document so I can send it to the administration (who also don't read it).
Students lose paper syllabi all the time.
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