By All Means, Cancel The Whole Fucking Week So The Students Who Are Expected to Come to Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday Classes Can See Me For the Complete Dictatorial Asshole They Already Think I Am Because I Expect Them to Staple Their Shit Together and Turn Things In On Time.
I find this whole thing intriguing, like the early semester cancelled classes.
I don't know enough about Twitter to know how widespread these events are, as, shit, there are so many goddamned professors and instructors in the country.
Still, what kind of bullshit is this? Is it because the faculty is lazy? Is it because of the complaints of Penny Parents and endless years of fighting students who don't show anyway?
Sure, there are some times I'd like to cancel my Thanksgiving week, but I've also had great classes with 7 students who decided that attending A NORMALLY SCHEDULED CLASS 1, 2, or 3 DAYS BEFORE THE ACTUAL FUCKING SCHOOL HOLIDAY is okay and expected.
I always meet on days when the school is open UNLESS I'm sick. I've never had a car accident or missed a bus. I've been unable to get to school for weather, but those have also been days when the school closed.
I've missed class VERY rarely for an out of town conference, but I had subs and lessons and all of that which seems to be what most of my normal colleagues.
But just cancelling completely on one's own seems to be to be so incredibly selfish. I guess I'm old enough to think that one does the job hired for. I have all kinds of evil thoughts about THE UNIVERSITY and all that, but I signed up for the gig and if the school's open for business, well, I'm there, and I do things as if I expect my students to attend school on days we're open as well.
Anything else, and your mileage may vary, is a copout.
I am thankful that the culture in my department does not put up with this type of behavior. We had a new, big-time researcher join our department recently. He's nice enough but he did cancel his class because of soem lame excuse. The rest of thr faculty made it clear, in a polite way, that cancelling any clas is unacceptable. We all volunteer to aubstitute for each other.
I'm torn. I absolutely agree that it's wrong to cancel class because three days from now is a scheduled break. But I've worked in a department where canceling class is considered totally inappropriate under almost any circumstances, and we have to "substitute" for each other, as Ben says.
What that has meant, in practice, is a culture in which you teach no matter how sick you are, no matter what is going on in your personal life. Of course, we have sick leave, and we're "encouraged" to use it. Provided someone can be found to cover the class - to add to their existing 12+ hour load. The result is, of course, enormous pressure to just teach the damn class, no matter what. After working in a U with this abusive employment expectation for decades, I find it increasingly difficult to condemn colleagues who say "fuck it".
I'm paid to be there, so I am there. I don't cancel class. Students can opt not to attend a class prior to a holiday, but I allow a limited number of absences. Going over that limit lowers a student's final grade.
When I do (very occasionally) miss class, I notify my dept chair and my dean, and I manage classwork via our LMS. Although colleagues and I do occasionally substitute for one another.
That said, there was one time when I simply zoned out and thought classes didn't start until the following week. A student went to our dept secretary and she called me. I live only a few minutes away, so was there in 10 minutes and held class. The students thought it was pretty funny (knowing that I'm generally very conscientious). So... once in 20 years.
Since the class I teach most of the time is regularly taught in hybrid and online as well as face to face forms (and I teach all three), my default solution to being too ill to teach, weather interruptions, being away at a conference, etc., is to move things online.
As far as Thanksgiving goes, my present institution (unlike my undergrad one) takes Weds. off, and that does lead to sparse attendance on Mon and Tues. Since it's nearly always draft-conferencing season anyway (and since we're allowed to cancel a certain number of classes to allow time for conferences), I usually just schedule conferences for Mon. and/or Tues. anyway, with other options the week before or after, and generally get plenty of takers. If I'm teaching a lit. class, I just go ahead and hold class (but probably wouldn't schedule a test, knowing that would lead to excuses and makeup hassles).
I was the student who attended her 3 p.m. discussion section on the Weds. before Thanksgiving, and booked a 7 p.m. flight to make that possible, even though she was the one cooking Thanksgiving dinner the day after that (and collapsing Thurs. afternoon/Friday). In retrospect, I'm not sure my T.A.s were always thrilled at my diligence, but I played by the rules, and if you told me class was meeting, I came. As a proffie, I'll still arrange my schedule so I can be there, and I'll teach a substantive class to whoever shows up, but I don't get upset by low attendance. Life is too short, and students get to make their own decisions about this stuff.
Another thought: given the trend toward shortening Thanksgiving week (officially or via the individual decisions of students and proffies) and the trend toward trying to make up budget shortfalls by attracting international students, I wonder whether (assuming the international-student flow doesn't slow to a trickle due to fear of the incoming administration) we will soon see schools taking all of Thanksgiving week off? The major counterweight I can see is that schools have to get in a certain number of class meetings for accreditation purposes, and most don't want to start any earlier or end the semester any closer to Christmas.
Most of the local public schools where I live have moved to the full week off for Thanksgiving. My college just two years ago added Wednesday as a day off (W-F is what the local schools used to give), and I feel for faculty and staff who now have kids at home to worry about on Monday and Tuesday. Plus students with younger sibs often have parents who make travel plans for the whole week and an 18-year-old can't really gainsay that. As the parent of college students myself, I do find it irritating that some profs give extra days off and some don't, and some wait until the bitter end to decide to acceding to pressure and ditch Wednesday, so my daughter (who doesn't skip class) can't arrange her travel plans in advance.
The most annoying development here at Ambitious State is the Vice President or associate Provost in charge of something.... I don't remember her title.... has emailed all faculty and students sternly stating that classes must be held and students are expected to attend BUT professors should not take attendance.
What HURTS this semester is a Master Sergeant in the Air Force who has learned to act like the kidlets who normally inhabit the class, because he thinks he can get away with it. I ought to write to his C.O.
You know what, when I was in grad school, I often stayed in town until Wednesday night, when I fought for a seat on the Greyhound bus to get home before Turkey Day. One year, I missed the bus and had to travel on Turkey Day itself; it was actually quite spare on the bus but I was sick as a dog.
When I started adjuncting, I started canceling on Wednesday. Why? Not only did it make MY life easier, but I also knew that the LARGELY COMMUTER campus emptied as the week went on. Yeah, I'd happily teach the 7 who showed up, but... meh... they were paying too little to care that much. They all usually had an assignment due the week after break they could be working on anyway (yeah... right!)
Personally, I think Wednesday classes should be canceled as part of the holiday, but Monday and Tuesday should have mandatory attendance.
I'd be happy to cancel classes Thanksgiving week, if the students promised (and followed through on their promise) to do the reading in the textbook, reflect carefully on the main points of the text, and then do their homework thoughtfully and thoroughly. But hell, that's never gonna happen, so I don't cancel classes, even if I have a Tuesday evening class at 6:00 pm.
If you have a day off in the middle of a week, and that is a day off that comes with a lot of social pressure to be in a particular place that may well be a continent away, it seems stupid to have lectures that week at all. Just call the week a wash, and stick the missing days at the start of the term. Let everyone definitely be able to go home for the holiday and have no excuses to miss any of the actually scheduled days.
For me, it all comes down to what the priority is: getting a college degree or making sure one's path to friends and family is unfettered at all times. I know what it was for me when I was in school.
I find this whole thing intriguing, like the early semester cancelled classes.
ReplyDeleteI don't know enough about Twitter to know how widespread these events are, as, shit, there are so many goddamned professors and instructors in the country.
Still, what kind of bullshit is this? Is it because the faculty is lazy? Is it because of the complaints of Penny Parents and endless years of fighting students who don't show anyway?
Sure, there are some times I'd like to cancel my Thanksgiving week, but I've also had great classes with 7 students who decided that attending A NORMALLY SCHEDULED CLASS 1, 2, or 3 DAYS BEFORE THE ACTUAL FUCKING SCHOOL HOLIDAY is okay and expected.
I always meet on days when the school is open UNLESS I'm sick. I've never had a car accident or missed a bus. I've been unable to get to school for weather, but those have also been days when the school closed.
I've missed class VERY rarely for an out of town conference, but I had subs and lessons and all of that which seems to be what most of my normal colleagues.
But just cancelling completely on one's own seems to be to be so incredibly selfish. I guess I'm old enough to think that one does the job hired for. I have all kinds of evil thoughts about THE UNIVERSITY and all that, but I signed up for the gig and if the school's open for business, well, I'm there, and I do things as if I expect my students to attend school on days we're open as well.
Anything else, and your mileage may vary, is a copout.
I am thankful that the culture in my department does not put up with this type of behavior. We had a new, big-time researcher join our department recently. He's nice enough but he did cancel his class because of soem lame excuse. The rest of thr faculty made it clear, in a polite way, that cancelling any clas is unacceptable. We all volunteer to aubstitute for each other.
ReplyDeleteI'm torn. I absolutely agree that it's wrong to cancel class because three days from now is a scheduled break. But I've worked in a department where canceling class is considered totally inappropriate under almost any circumstances, and we have to "substitute" for each other, as Ben says.
ReplyDeleteWhat that has meant, in practice, is a culture in which you teach no matter how sick you are, no matter what is going on in your personal life. Of course, we have sick leave, and we're "encouraged" to use it. Provided someone can be found to cover the class - to add to their existing 12+ hour load. The result is, of course, enormous pressure to just teach the damn class, no matter what. After working in a U with this abusive employment expectation for decades, I find it increasingly difficult to condemn colleagues who say "fuck it".
I'm paid to be there, so I am there. I don't cancel class. Students can opt not to attend a class prior to a holiday, but I allow a limited number of absences. Going over that limit lowers a student's final grade.
ReplyDeleteWhen I do (very occasionally) miss class, I notify my dept chair and my dean, and I manage classwork via our LMS. Although colleagues and I do occasionally substitute for one another.
That said, there was one time when I simply zoned out and thought classes didn't start until the following week. A student went to our dept secretary and she called me. I live only a few minutes away, so was there in 10 minutes and held class. The students thought it was pretty funny (knowing that I'm generally very conscientious). So... once in 20 years.
Since the class I teach most of the time is regularly taught in hybrid and online as well as face to face forms (and I teach all three), my default solution to being too ill to teach, weather interruptions, being away at a conference, etc., is to move things online.
ReplyDeleteAs far as Thanksgiving goes, my present institution (unlike my undergrad one) takes Weds. off, and that does lead to sparse attendance on Mon and Tues. Since it's nearly always draft-conferencing season anyway (and since we're allowed to cancel a certain number of classes to allow time for conferences), I usually just schedule conferences for Mon. and/or Tues. anyway, with other options the week before or after, and generally get plenty of takers. If I'm teaching a lit. class, I just go ahead and hold class (but probably wouldn't schedule a test, knowing that would lead to excuses and makeup hassles).
I was the student who attended her 3 p.m. discussion section on the Weds. before Thanksgiving, and booked a 7 p.m. flight to make that possible, even though she was the one cooking Thanksgiving dinner the day after that (and collapsing Thurs. afternoon/Friday). In retrospect, I'm not sure my T.A.s were always thrilled at my diligence, but I played by the rules, and if you told me class was meeting, I came. As a proffie, I'll still arrange my schedule so I can be there, and I'll teach a substantive class to whoever shows up, but I don't get upset by low attendance. Life is too short, and students get to make their own decisions about this stuff.
Another thought: given the trend toward shortening Thanksgiving week (officially or via the individual decisions of students and proffies) and the trend toward trying to make up budget shortfalls by attracting international students, I wonder whether (assuming the international-student flow doesn't slow to a trickle due to fear of the incoming administration) we will soon see schools taking all of Thanksgiving week off? The major counterweight I can see is that schools have to get in a certain number of class meetings for accreditation purposes, and most don't want to start any earlier or end the semester any closer to Christmas.
ReplyDeleteMost of the local public schools where I live have moved to the full week off for Thanksgiving. My college just two years ago added Wednesday as a day off (W-F is what the local schools used to give), and I feel for faculty and staff who now have kids at home to worry about on Monday and Tuesday. Plus students with younger sibs often have parents who make travel plans for the whole week and an 18-year-old can't really gainsay that. As the parent of college students myself, I do find it irritating that some profs give extra days off and some don't, and some wait until the bitter end to decide to acceding to pressure and ditch Wednesday, so my daughter (who doesn't skip class) can't arrange her travel plans in advance.
ReplyDeleteThe most annoying development here at Ambitious State is the Vice President or associate Provost in charge of something.... I don't remember her title.... has emailed all faculty and students sternly stating that classes must be held and students are expected to attend BUT professors should not take attendance.
ReplyDeleteSTAPLES!!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteWhat HURTS this semester is a Master Sergeant in the Air Force who has learned to act like the kidlets who normally inhabit the class, because he thinks he can get away with it. I ought to write to his C.O.
You know what, when I was in grad school, I often stayed in town until Wednesday night, when I fought for a seat on the Greyhound bus to get home before Turkey Day. One year, I missed the bus and had to travel on Turkey Day itself; it was actually quite spare on the bus but I was sick as a dog.
ReplyDeleteWhen I started adjuncting, I started canceling on Wednesday. Why? Not only did it make MY life easier, but I also knew that the LARGELY COMMUTER campus emptied as the week went on. Yeah, I'd happily teach the 7 who showed up, but... meh... they were paying too little to care that much. They all usually had an assignment due the week after break they could be working on anyway (yeah... right!)
Personally, I think Wednesday classes should be canceled as part of the holiday, but Monday and Tuesday should have mandatory attendance.
---anon y mouse
I'd be happy to cancel classes Thanksgiving week, if the students promised (and followed through on their promise) to do the reading in the textbook, reflect carefully on the main points of the text, and then do their homework thoughtfully and thoroughly. But hell, that's never gonna happen, so I don't cancel classes, even if I have a Tuesday evening class at 6:00 pm.
ReplyDeleteIf you have a day off in the middle of a week, and that is a day off that comes with a lot of social pressure to be in a particular place that may well be a continent away, it seems stupid to have lectures that week at all. Just call the week a wash, and stick the missing days at the start of the term. Let everyone definitely be able to go home for the holiday and have no excuses to miss any of the actually scheduled days.
ReplyDeleteIf you stick the missing Thanksgiving days at the start of term, any snow days will be dealt with exactly as they currently are.
DeleteFor me, it all comes down to what the priority is: getting a college degree or making sure one's path to friends and family is unfettered at all times. I know what it was for me when I was in school.
ReplyDelete