Dear Prof Flake:
The only reason you are still employed here is because you carry significant seniority. In an untenured system, I guess that means something. Believe me, despite the fact that I "like you as a person" and that we get along well enough, I have absolutely no qualms about recommending that you no longer are employed here every single term.
I know that you are burned out, but there is absolutely no excuse for your behavior. We all joke about it not being necessary to read final papers and make comments because the students will never look at them and because it's pretty obvious who is going to pass or fail by that point--but that doesn't mean that you should actually not read any of the final essays turned in to you. Why? Well, after the term was over we caught several of your students bragging about blatant plagiarism. When these papers were reviewed, they did indeed include blatant plagiarism. And what did you do? You gave these students A's.
Then you turn around this term after being given a lecture by the school on "Grade Inflation" and began just failing everyone instead. Since there are still no comments on the essays I can't tell if they've even been read. As a Writing Center Maven, I can't tell you how unhappy I am trying to help students correct essays that I'm not even sure that you're going to read. If you don't read them, how can you tell if they've improved? Some of your students honestly need the help, and others are happy to learn, but in any case you're wasting our time.
When students confronted you about their utterly bizarre grades, asking them for money (literally) to answer their questions was distinctly uncool.
And lastly, when assigning your next essay it is not appropriate to tell your students that it's not your job to explain it to them. It is also not appropriate to tell them that it's not your job to teach them and to go to the Writing Center if they want to learn. Yes, we'll be happy to help! However, if I'm going to teach your classes, mine, and run the Writing Center I damn well better be getting your salary too.
When I confront you about this behavior and ask for you to explain the assignment to me so that I can explain it to your damn students, and you cannot explain the assignment at all because you have no idea what you are looking for, don't be surprised when I look "angry" about this.
I'm angry because your students are behaving more professionally than you are. When stuck in this situation, I have seen them consult people in other sections of your class to see if they got more info (they didn't). They made appointments to come see us. They worked in groups and did additional peer review. They also went and spoke to the nice folks in the Academic Building and myself. All in all, they did exactly what adults in such a situation should do before finally coming in and complaining. You are not doing what an adult with a job should be doing.
On the other hand, the influx of people from all your classes has created such a huge spike in our numbers that I can probably ask for more money from the administration. Should I thank you for this? Perhaps I should ask for your salary to be added to my Center's budget and suggest exactly where that money should come from.
No Love,
MyLittleProffie
A friend of mine tutors our athlete-students and is constantly amazed at the (a) hard work of the adjunct faculty and (b) the total lack of hard work on the part of the tenured silverbacks*. She also sometimes sends me copies of the paper topics from those silverbacks with notes saying "Any ideas? I got nothin.' "
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing on this most unfortunate phenomenon.
*There are also slacker adjuncts and hard-working T-Silverbacks. They are few, but they are extant.
*cough* this would be a slacker adjunct. On the other hand, at this institution I suppose she's the equivalent of a silverback for all intents and purposes since despite my best efforts nothing I have done or that she has done (including blatant racism) has dislodged her. *sigh*
ReplyDeleteMy Little Proffie:
ReplyDeleteWow, that really sucks. Have you tried a stain stick?
Hugs,
Sammy
Asking for kickbacks is grounds for revocation of tenure. Talk to this fool's department chair, or dean, if that gets you nowhere. Document everything.
ReplyDeleteIt will also help if you can be one of a group. Administrators often react fearfully to this, much more than with complaints from individuals. If you could get every one of the staff from the Writing Center to complain to the Dean together with you, it would help a lot.
Perhaps this old fool doesn't need to be fired, just yet. At minimum, though, it sounds to me like a period of leave, and referral to counseling (or psychiatric help) is in order.