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frogfactory
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« on: May 21, 2009, 08:40:16 PM » |
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This is getting silly. The final deadline for my 'previous' degree (an MSc in the UK at a respectable but non-Russell Group uni that apparently offers online degrees in film [interthreaduality]) was January 14th, which I met with time to spare. Five pieces of work were turned in - a 5000 word essay, two video presentations (I had already left the country when the presentations were being held), a thesis (8000 word write up of a lab research project - don't know what that would be called here) and a research poster. So far I have received a grade for exactly one of those, the 5k word essay - yesterday.
Okay, so the guy who runs the MSc is on sabbatical, which he is apparently largely spending on a boat taking samples, without daily internet access. Surely he could have passed on the grading to someone else? I'd kind of like to graduate this summer - otherwise my CV is going to show a 2 year MSc (the next graduation being in December), which will require some annoying explaining in the future.
I'm lucky that I have a previous Master's (where does the apostrophe go, again?), so I don't need this degree for course credit towards my current PhD, but isn't this situation unreasonable? Do you think this warrants a formal complaint to the university? Thing is, I like the guy as a person and respect him as a scientist, and he was a good project supervisor and referee for me. He just sucks at the boring parts of teaching (organisation and grading in a timely fashion in particular). The cohort also had to wait between three and four months for an exam and essays to be graded when this guy was in the country.
Thoughts? Should I send a letter? If not, please include reasoning. I don't want to ruin this guy or his (new) degree program, but I'm posting because I think I should have been treated better. If so, do you have any suggestions as to what I should write?
Thanks in advance, wise forumites.
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At the end of the day, sometimes you just have to masturbate in the bathroom.
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notaprof
Not a
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Posts: 10,925
Notaclique: You can only join if you don't want to
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« Reply #1 on: May 21, 2009, 08:46:32 PM » |
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Some of the UK universities that I worked with in the past didn't do the marking until June, no matter when the work is finished. US students who study abroad in the first term in the fall, don't get their grades until July. Not sure but it could be the case with your situation.
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I am sick and tired of following my dreams. I think I'll just ask them where they are going and catch up with them later. Mitch Hedberg
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frogfactory
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« Reply #2 on: May 21, 2009, 08:50:54 PM » |
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Some of the UK universities that I worked with in the past didn't do the marking until June, no matter when the work is finished. US students who study abroad in the first term in the fall, don't get their grades until July. Not sure but it could be the case with your situation.
No, this is not the situation here. I was told to expect my marks in February. |
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At the end of the day, sometimes you just have to masturbate in the bathroom.
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prephd
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« Reply #3 on: May 21, 2009, 09:19:59 PM » |
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Well, ouch.
I have no advice, but I know it feels crummy. I'm still waiting on something I sent off at the end of January, though it's more painful in your case since it's possibly holding up your degree.
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Prephd, in all that black, you are like the anti-pink-me. Freewill is a beeyaaatch
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sciencephd
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« Reply #4 on: May 21, 2009, 09:34:57 PM » |
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Yes, why not talk to whoever is in charge of the program ?
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I just hate it that I constantly have to like everyone and everything. -- moonstone
O, what a hateful feminist concoction!
Jews, communists, "lesbians", feminists and marihuana addicts --Pyshnov
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frogfactory
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« Reply #5 on: May 21, 2009, 09:36:22 PM » |
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Yes, why not talk to whoever is in charge of the program ?
That's the guy who's meant to be doing the marking. |
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At the end of the day, sometimes you just have to masturbate in the bathroom.
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sciencephd
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« Reply #6 on: May 21, 2009, 09:37:59 PM » |
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Yes, why not talk to whoever is in charge of the program ?
That's the guy who's meant to be doing the marking. Does he have a 2nd in command ? |
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I just hate it that I constantly have to like everyone and everything. -- moonstone
O, what a hateful feminist concoction!
Jews, communists, "lesbians", feminists and marihuana addicts --Pyshnov
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spectacle
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« Reply #7 on: May 21, 2009, 09:43:45 PM » |
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If he's on sabbatical, someone else has to be running the show, yes?
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I think this thread is going well. Don't you think this thread is going well?
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frogfactory
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« Reply #8 on: May 21, 2009, 09:49:11 PM » |
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You'd think, wouldn't you?
The course is going on; I assume/hope someone is grading the current crop's work and teaching the lectures he gave (about 10% of all lectures last year, most of which were other faculty or guest)
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At the end of the day, sometimes you just have to masturbate in the bathroom.
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scotia
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« Reply #9 on: May 22, 2009, 09:34:38 AM » |
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Some of the UK universities that I worked with in the past didn't do the marking until June, no matter when the work is finished. US students who study abroad in the first term in the fall, don't get their grades until July. Not sure but it could be the case with your situation.
I suspect that this is not that universities don't mark until June, but that grades are not released to students until after examination boards, which are held in June. All grades have to be ratified by exam boards because of the quality control systems that (should) operate in UK universities. Although we release assignment grades during the semester (as did my previous U) we warn the students that they are provisional until after the exam board has met. I know that students will not know their final course grades here until after the 19th of June here because that is when I have to spend a miserable day in exam boards. We have great difficulty explaining to exchange students why this is case (and this year I have the delightful prospect of grading several hundred exam questions in 2 weeks because I have two big student number courses that some idiot has timetabled late in the exam period) but it is embedded in the system that tries to ensure some consistency of standards. frogfactory - is it possible that the work has been graded and is awaiting ratification at the exam board? In your shoes I would be tempted to phone a senior administrator in the department and ask when the grades are likely to be available because you "assume that they are not being released until after the exam board". I know that most administrators would prefer to know now that there is in fact a problem rather than the day before the boards when they realize that a lot of students have grades missing. If the work has been graded you should at least have a date when you can expect to hear, and if it hasn't presumably someone in Film Studies U will want to start chasing now. |
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frogfactory
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« Reply #10 on: May 22, 2009, 06:40:43 PM » |
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scotia - no, the work is being returned to me (scans) as it is graded. It will have to be reviewed by an independent exam board too, so the marks I do have aren't the final ones - provisional marks are released. Also - I'm the only person with grades pending - everyone else in my cohort has graduated. I was given an extension on these five pieces of work because I had to leave the country two and a half months before the programme ended to start my current, full-time PhD.
This was very generous of them, but this tardiness is driving me nuts. Especially as the guy in question is actually not that hard to get hold of if I need his input on a paper he and I have just submitted for publication. It's the department admin I've been badgering, and she's been very clear on the fact that the marking just hasn't been done yet.
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At the end of the day, sometimes you just have to masturbate in the bathroom.
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bread_pirate_naan
Preposterous
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Posts: 5,255
softwears
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« Reply #11 on: May 23, 2009, 12:05:02 PM » |
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Do you think this warrants a formal complaint to the university?
No. |
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In unrelated news, I'd like a slice of cake. --corny / It will go great. --jackalope
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scotia
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« Reply #12 on: May 23, 2009, 02:00:33 PM » |
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Do you think this warrants a formal complaint to the university?
No. I am going to disagree and suggest that you at least contact the replacement (or acting) director of the program or even the department head, explaining that you are anxious to graduate in July and can they please chase up the grades. It is possible that someone else has been asked to do the grading and if they haven't, at this late stage they should be. Students should not be prevented from graduating because faculty take months to turn around grades. |
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bread_pirate_naan
Preposterous
Distinguished Senior Member
Posts: 5,255
softwears
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« Reply #13 on: May 23, 2009, 02:12:26 PM » |
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Do you think this warrants a formal complaint to the university?
No. I am going to disagree and suggest that you at least contact the replacement (or acting) director of the program or even the department head, explaining that you are anxious to graduate in July and can they please chase up the grades. It is possible that someone else has been asked to do the grading and if they haven't, at this late stage they should be. Students should not be prevented from graduating because faculty take months to turn around grades. The OP is already in a Phd program and her CV will always show it. The slow professor is an attentive collaborator and writes letters on her behalf. I don't see why a formal complaint is warranted against such a person, especially when the delay has zero bearing on the Phd. I don't seen any substantial upside that outweighs risking multiple downsides, mainly alienating a desirable mentor. |
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In unrelated news, I'd like a slice of cake. --corny / It will go great. --jackalope
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frogfactory
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« Reply #14 on: May 23, 2009, 02:16:47 PM » |
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Do you think this warrants a formal complaint to the university?
No. I am going to disagree and suggest that you at least contact the replacement (or acting) director of the program or even the department head, explaining that you are anxious to graduate in July and can they please chase up the grades. It is possible that someone else has been asked to do the grading and if they haven't, at this late stage they should be. Students should not be prevented from graduating because faculty take months to turn around grades. The OP is already in a Phd program and her CV will always show it. The slow professor is an attentive collaborator and writes letters on her behalf. I don't see why a formal complaint is warranted against such a person, especially when the delay has zero bearing on the Phd. I don't seen any substantial upside that outweighs risking multiple downsides, mainly alienating a desirable mentor. These are more or less my sources of doubt. I think you're right that these are more important considerations than my frustration with his turnaround time. I'm going to sit on it, I think. |
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At the end of the day, sometimes you just have to masturbate in the bathroom.
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