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[anthroid]

Oh, my integrity... sigh...

"My integrity"?  No, I don't think so.  As you continue to post about this, you seem to have less than a good fit with the students you are teaching.  You also seem to think this is about you.  Perhaps you ought to consider moving to a different institution.  I do NOT want an adjunct around who seems to think that she or he is somehow compromising standards to teach our students.  I don't need you--you'll offend the students, you won't be an effective teacher, and I'll have to clean up after you.

How about if you just move on to the Ivy Leagues, where everyone will meet every single one of your impossibly high standards?

I'm thinking OP is actually probably a pretty poor teacher who needs to be monitored by the chair, at least based on later posts.

(Sorry, but OP is ticking me off.)

Holy Jesus... PMS?

Are you serious?  No, darlin', PMS left me several years ago. 

I am so very, very happy you do not work for me.  You seem to have a bullying problem, all right.  You are trying to be the bully.  You clearly are a bad fit for wherever it is you work.  Certainly you won't be working for me, or for most of the colleges in this country.  Your comment also reflects a serious sexist outlook.  No wonder no one can pass your class.  You seem to have an odd set of rules.  It's a good thing your chair is taking a look at your performance.

[daniel_von_flanagan]

On reflection: 30% D and F in an intro class is pretty normal, no?  Assuming "C"="average"?  Of course, any department has the right to set their average where they like, and it is the chairs prerogative/job to make sure the faculty are aware of these norms. - DvF

[adjunctprincipessa]

Actually, it is quite possible that the chair is trying to help the OP by giving him a chance to keep his job.  At some schools, adjuncts who fail too many students are just quietly not rehired, since some schools value retention rates above maintaining academic standards.  And they only find out when the next semester's schedule is published, and they are not included.  At least now the OP has the opportunity to make a decision as to whether or not he would rather keep his standards or his job.  Without knowing the field, I am not comfortable judging the pass rate, but if the OP is as disrespectful at work as he is to others on these forums, this won't be the last problem he will have keeping his job.

[dr_know]

OP, I was trying to hang in there with you, because I've had similar problems with failure rates.  Although most of the failure rates in my class this year was due to lack of attendance, I had to admit that maybe I could do some things better for those who actually did show up.  But you totally lost me with the PMS comment.  I had a student say that to me.  She'll never make that mistake with anyone else.  I suggest you follow her lead.

[polenta]

For the record:

1. Seeing that people have referred to me as a "he" and a "him", perhaps I should clarify that I am a woman. And may I point out that Anthroid's unpleasant lashing out against me is a symptom manifested by some women at certain days in their cycle. I do not apologize for my response to Anthroid's insult. Further, I am a psychological anthropologist and believe that I have an understanding of this phenomenon.

2. For all that I am an adjunct, I have been supervisor for students on honor's theses, and helped to cultivate them all the way to grad school. And my student evaluations are stellar. But I suppose none of this matters, as I am a whiner who doesn't "fit" in her department. Instead of receiving a bit of sympathy from strangers who might be in a similar position, I get flamed.

In sum, I'm out of here.

And thanks to those of you who did offer thoughtful replies, I much appreciated them. =)

[galactic_hedgehog]

And my student evaluations are stellar.

With 30-40% of your students with grades below C?

[tenured_feminist]

I'm somewhat skeptical too, G_H, but it is possible to game these things, particularly with first-year students.

1. Administer the evals the class before Thanksgiving break.

2. As they are distributed, thank the students for the seriousness and dedication they put into your class and by implication disparage the students who are not there.

3. Frame yourself and your present students as Übermenschen struggling together toward a common goal, with a light overtone of Louis Gossett, Jr. in that horrible sappy movie with Debra Winger and Richard Gere.

4. Tell them that you, unlike other faculty, take evaluations very seriously because you really care about teaching.

If your response rate dips under 40% and includes only the grinds who won't skip class under any circumstances, this will work.

[the_honey_badger]

I'm somewhat skeptical too, G_H, but it is possible to game these things, particularly with first-year students.

1. Administer the evals the class before Thanksgiving break.

2. As they are distributed, thank the students for the seriousness and dedication they put into your class and by implication disparage the students who are not there.

3. Frame yourself and your present students as Übermenschen struggling together toward a common goal, with a light overtone of Louis Gossett, Jr. in that horrible sappy movie with Debra Winger and Richard Gere.

4. Tell them that you, unlike other faculty, take evaluations very seriously because you really care about teaching.

If your response rate dips under 40% and includes only the grinds who won't skip class under any circumstances, this will work.

One refinement to this excellent plan to assure you get the desired result:  give some small "extra credit" in-class exercise. Responding  to a video clip with an opinion is always good. Or, give a lecture on some popular culture sort of theme. Or, announce that question X will be on the final and "gee whiz, those not here today will lose those points because I'm not repeating this factoid! You good students here with me on T'giving Tuesday get this reward!"

Works like a charm for the guy who is probably the worst instructor in my department. He has a whole theory about evals and despite the fact he has complaining students all semester, every semester, he always has pretty good eval numbers because he games it to death and times them meticulously. 

[polenta]

I'm somewhat skeptical too, G_H, but it is possible to game these things, particularly with first-year students.

1. Administer the evals the class before Thanksgiving break.

2. As they are distributed, thank the students for the seriousness and dedication they put into your class and by implication disparage the students who are not there.

3. Frame yourself and your present students as Übermenschen struggling together toward a common goal, with a light overtone of Louis Gossett, Jr. in that horrible sappy movie with Debra Winger and Richard Gere.

4. Tell them that you, unlike other faculty, take evaluations very seriously because you really care about teaching.

If your response rate dips under 40% and includes only the grinds who won't skip class under any circumstances, this will work.

One refinement to this excellent plan to assure you get the desired result:  give some small "extra credit" in-class exercise. Responding  to a video clip with an opinion is always good. Or, give a lecture on some popular culture sort of theme. Or, announce that question X will be on the final and "gee whiz, those not here today will lose those points because I'm not repeating this factoid! You good students here with me on T'giving Tuesday get this reward!"

Works like a charm for the guy who is probably the worst instructor in my department. He has a whole theory about evals and despite the fact he has complaining students all semester, every semester, he always has pretty good eval numbers because he games it to death and times them meticulously. 

You people are sordid. Have fun insulting people on these fora!

[tenured_feminist]

Irony much?

[mad_doctor]

I made the same mistake when I was a young professor in my first assignment.  Even back then, grading students by the same standards our professors held us to would have resulted in about 30% - 40% of my students failing the class.  Today the number would be more like 50% - 60%.  You simply have to dumb things down for modern students.

[polenta]

For the record, my characteristic grade distribution is roughly as follows (that is, before my boss told me to inflate the lower grades, that is):

A-range: 15%
B-range: 25%
C-range: 30%
D-range: 15%
F: 15%


There. Full disclosure. These are not screwy distributions, they are fairly average for my whole faculty. All I initially wanted to do was share my experiences with a pushy chair who threatened my livelihood over this. Instead, I get people jumping down my throat.


However, what really bothers me, from what I have seen on these fora, is that there are several self-appointed guardians-of-the-realm who regard it their duty to keep newbies in line, or something. This is nothing new. I have used these fora in the past with a different name, and left over two years ago. The regulars are still here, with thousands more posts to their credit, still being the regular nasty and petty people that they are, holding court over their pathetic little kingdoms that are these fora. I really wonder how many of these people have any identity that goes beyond the CHE fora, how many of them actually do any research, and what percentage are simply sitting on their laurels, collecting six-figure salaries, and holding to a delusional sense of their greatness. Surely, judging  by the superior, snarky, arrogant, and imperious tone of certain of these posts, one feels dropped in the middle of a temperance society meeting, or something.

But at any rate, I am sure that several of you will reply with what you regard as sharp witticisms, but know that if you do so, you simply show yourselves to be the sad and pathetic lot you really are.

[polenta]

I made the same mistake when I was a young professor in my first assignment.  Even back then, grading students by the same standards our professors held us to would have resulted in about 30% - 40% of my students failing the class.  Today the number would be more like 50% - 60%.  You simply have to dumb things down for modern students.

Yes, this is very much the sense that I get.

[charlesr]

How does the grade distribution in you sections compare with distribution in sections taught by others?  

[anthroid]

You people are sordid. Have fun insulting people on these fora!

Well, you are provoking it.  You might be better served working on your dissertation and practicing your people skills for all the interviews you'll be getting at AAA rather than insulting people here with sexist remarks about PMS when a little truth telling is done.

DvF, I would be as concerned about 30-40% Ds and Fs in an intro class at a SLAC as I would be 30-40% As.  If OP was at a large institution, that would be one thing.  But grades at SLACs, in my experience across the Carnegie classifications, do not meet a normal curve, by the very definition of SLAC.

On review:  my remarks stand.  I wish you very great good luck.  You and I are VERY different kinds of psychological anthropologist.