tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2883226237165701608.post6960035498748534768..comments2023-10-15T04:23:50.187-04:00Comments on College Misery: Mercy.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger50125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2883226237165701608.post-62842937681610971542016-05-11T21:27:03.701-04:002016-05-11T21:27:03.701-04:00Rounding from 79.5 to 80 is mathematically sound. ...Rounding from 79.5 to 80 is mathematically sound. You are essentially saying that the score is only good to 2 significant digits, and 8.0 x 10^1 (not 80.0) is the cutoff. But if you TELL the flakes you'll round 79.5 to 80, what they hear is 79.5 is the cutoff, and they'll whine about the 79.3 (which rounds to 79) being "only 0.2 away" as you've seen.<br /><br />They are alsoOgre Proctor Hephttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17428431147495287413noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2883226237165701608.post-58222683650045236412016-05-11T15:16:54.394-04:002016-05-11T15:16:54.394-04:00I used to state on my syllabus that I would round ...I used to state on my syllabus that I would round up on the 0.5%, but I had to take that statement out after I started to get more and more emails consisting of "...but I got a 79.3%, only 0.2% away from an A- with the 0.5% rounding, THIS ISN'T FAIR IT IS ONLY 0.2%!!" and they were wholly unsatisfied with my reply that they were actually 0.7% away from an A-, which is quite a Prof Poopieheadhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00997969128824319914noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2883226237165701608.post-8040897208686305762016-05-11T09:31:00.392-04:002016-05-11T09:31:00.392-04:00I generally just make all the 89.x%s A-s, and so o...I generally just make all the 89.x%s A-s, and so on (my syllabus already says I'll round up from .5 on up). I may grade just a bit harder to compensate. Being just a bit generous saves a lot of quibbling over tenths of points, and I'm all about not spending time on stuff that doesn't really have a pedagogical purpose, especially at this time of year. <br /><br />This may work Contingent Cassandrahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08161652083031423415noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2883226237165701608.post-36931060390118617882016-05-10T15:55:57.580-04:002016-05-10T15:55:57.580-04:00As an evil mad scientist, I enjoy this time of yea...As an evil mad scientist, I enjoy this time of year, as I cackle:<br /><br />"MUUUAAAA-HAAA-HAAA!!!! I've got you NOW, my little pretties!<br /><br />"And your LITTLE DOG, TOO!!!"<br /><br />I especially think this after reading negative reviews of me on the-site-that-shall-not-be-named.<br />Froderick Frankenstien from Fresnohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11653942918068535424noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2883226237165701608.post-29892974168898065242016-05-09T20:27:27.436-04:002016-05-09T20:27:27.436-04:00That's a classic. I've posted a copy on m...That's a classic. I've posted a copy on my office door. For the first couple of years I had it, kids stole it 3 times.Fulton Frednoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2883226237165701608.post-13056114495470333142016-05-09T19:53:41.470-04:002016-05-09T19:53:41.470-04:00Not a new phenomenon, if that's any comfort. ...Not a new phenomenon, if that's any comfort. See Kurt Wiesenfeld, "Making the Grade," Newsweek, June 17, 1996.CDPhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12817680759277860662noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2883226237165701608.post-29885031585969472132016-05-09T10:01:54.983-04:002016-05-09T10:01:54.983-04:00A student made a compelling case for me bumping up...A student made a compelling case for me bumping up his 89.5% to a 90%. I said I would do it if he debated me in front of our class recording system so that I could use it for future classes.<br /><br />I have done this before and forced my students to defend untenable, unpopular positions or positions they disagreed with. This time I wanted to prove another point so I made him debate that dogs Annie from Abelardhttp://www.webuyanycar.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2883226237165701608.post-35749888977454669772016-05-09T06:55:13.279-04:002016-05-09T06:55:13.279-04:00Well, not quite right, or not this world.Well, not quite right, or not this world.Ogre Proctor Hephttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17428431147495287413noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2883226237165701608.post-83936753256211033412016-05-09T06:51:42.789-04:002016-05-09T06:51:42.789-04:00I read up on him a bit beyond the pill pricing thi...I read up on him a bit beyond the pill pricing thing, which was of course the most notorious thing till it was replaced by those other things. If they get any of the charges to stick, he's in for a world of hurt.Ogre Proctor Hephttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17428431147495287413noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2883226237165701608.post-16352139940133765752016-05-09T06:32:26.386-04:002016-05-09T06:32:26.386-04:00"Does that ever work?" Sadly, with some..."Does that ever work?" Sadly, with some of my colleagues, it probably does. We have plenty of faculty who just mindlessly cave in and the students surely write them good evals and all is right with the world.Fulton Frednoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2883226237165701608.post-23521409301536291902016-05-08T23:32:08.943-04:002016-05-08T23:32:08.943-04:00"At this time" and "please be advis..."At this time" and "please be advised" are creeping into the lexicon as throw-away lines to connote "I want this to sound official."Ogre Proctor Hephttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17428431147495287413noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2883226237165701608.post-38853395146907845082016-05-08T22:27:52.434-04:002016-05-08T22:27:52.434-04:00Yes, the end-of-term pleas. I've had very nic...Yes, the end-of-term pleas. I've had very nice students come to my office and ask "Is there anything I can do to get that last 5% bump up to the next letter grade?"<br /><br />My thoughts usually run to "I dunno, wash my car? Paint my fence?" What I really want to ask is "Does that ever work?"<br /><br />Thankfully no one was 0.75% away from the next letter Professor Dumashttps://www.reddit.com/user/professordumasnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2883226237165701608.post-58175603232808050252016-05-08T20:32:35.831-04:002016-05-08T20:32:35.831-04:00Here's a case where I agree with Monica.
......Here's a case where I agree with Monica. <br /><br />....can not be accommodated, period (or full stop, as the Brits say). Contingent Cassandrahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08161652083031423415noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2883226237165701608.post-17598212154728109782016-05-08T19:51:44.159-04:002016-05-08T19:51:44.159-04:00Car payments are negotiable? My bank doesn't s...Car payments are negotiable? My bank doesn't seem to think so. (But still a good line; car prices certainly are negotiable). Contingent Cassandrahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08161652083031423415noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2883226237165701608.post-90521265041542101182016-05-08T16:46:06.413-04:002016-05-08T16:46:06.413-04:00I don’t always diss millennials, but when I do…
P...I don’t always diss millennials, but when I do…<br /><br />Personally, I wouldn’t be unhappy if this guy were to do time, and – just in his cell – the cost of toilet paper went up to $750 per single ply sheet.<br />EC1https://www.blogger.com/profile/13414931249618049097noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2883226237165701608.post-46819468550274979792016-05-08T14:48:10.457-04:002016-05-08T14:48:10.457-04:00I'm not a big fan of making attendance alone c...I'm not a big fan of making attendance alone count for a significant part of a course grade (either percentage-wise or penalty-wise). That might be in part because I've taught for a long time at an institution that once upon a time had a policy against grading on attendance alone (though not on participation that could only be accomplished in class -- a fine, perhaps even meaningless, Contingent Cassandrahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08161652083031423415noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2883226237165701608.post-86830827909373041742016-05-08T10:58:31.016-04:002016-05-08T10:58:31.016-04:00When a student brings up the spectre of another st...When a student brings up the spectre of another student having received a second chance, I have a fairly canned response:<br /><br />"I won't discuss another student's situation with you, even to help you see that I am not treating you unfairly; for one thing, it would be illegal for me to do so. Therefore, you'll have to assume that you don't know all the facts of any such Ogre Proctor Hephttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17428431147495287413noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2883226237165701608.post-32337996080860595472016-05-08T10:40:09.214-04:002016-05-08T10:40:09.214-04:00I think your faculty should have as many second ch...I think your faculty should have as many second chances as needed to remove your idiot dean from office. Zhe is doing real damage to your institution.<br /><br />I'll say this much for my dean: he has collaborated with faculty to make it harder for students to expect (or receive) unwarranted second chances, and he has at least dispensed second chances very sparingly himself. The latter has Ogre Proctor Hephttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17428431147495287413noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2883226237165701608.post-55803474087220099382016-05-08T10:19:08.252-04:002016-05-08T10:19:08.252-04:00Anonymous, Ben, and anyone else who is interested:...Anonymous, Ben, and anyone else who is interested:<br /><br />We've been down <a href="http://collegemisery.blogspot.com/2015/01/suing-over-c-from-npr.html" rel="nofollow">a very similar path before.</a>Ogre Proctor Hephttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17428431147495287413noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2883226237165701608.post-12247054321642428702016-05-08T10:15:40.680-04:002016-05-08T10:15:40.680-04:00My own dean-of-the-faculty is on record as stating...My own dean-of-the-faculty is on record as stating that every student should be given as many second chances as needed, and that they should also be sought out and begged to take those second (second hundredth) chances. I never know how to explain this to the students who abide by the course standards, but are aware of friends who didn't but demanded off-syllabus opportunities: "Yes, Ego in Arcadianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2883226237165701608.post-55740936905573298622016-05-08T08:38:55.158-04:002016-05-08T08:38:55.158-04:00In case it wasn't clear, my "since you se...In case it wasn't clear, my "since you seem unsure..." was in response to Anonymous two comments up, not Ben.Ogre Proctor Hephttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17428431147495287413noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2883226237165701608.post-50468936273220561462016-05-08T08:35:18.317-04:002016-05-08T08:35:18.317-04:00At the advice of my attorney, I am cleaning the co...At the advice of my attorney, I am cleaning the coffee from my monitor screen.Ogre Proctor Hephttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17428431147495287413noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2883226237165701608.post-35420688194168354992016-05-08T08:34:28.424-04:002016-05-08T08:34:28.424-04:00This comment has been removed by the author.Ogre Proctor Hephttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17428431147495287413noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2883226237165701608.post-15800196980201307992016-05-08T08:23:17.348-04:002016-05-08T08:23:17.348-04:00Since you seem unsure, a good reason to have point...Since you seem unsure, a good reason to have pointed that out is to help newer readers who might not have been aware of that information. Thanks.Ogre Proctor Hephttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17428431147495287413noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2883226237165701608.post-25570516318424465102016-05-08T08:06:43.758-04:002016-05-08T08:06:43.758-04:00Yes, but she brings up points which are worth refu...Yes, but she brings up points which are worth refuting. I like her, even if I don't usually agree with her.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com