The Fora: A Higher Education Community

Closure announcements today:

Wells College, NY

University of Saint Katherine, CA

I didn't qualify with the word "just."
But your point is both valid and taken.

Quote from: jimbogumbo on April 26, 2024, 12:29:53 PM

Quote from: Ruralguy on April 26, 2024, 11:50:53 AMOf course its a horrible idea. But some people will call for horrible solutions knowing that its the way to get attention.

It is in my opinion a serious mistake to think that this was just a way to get attention. The GOP has a non trivial number of supporters and elected officials that want to do this and similar things as policy. I believe he and others (see my earlier post about Governor Abbott in Texas) want to and have done exactly this.

Quote from: FishProf on Today at 09:53:58 AMSame old story.  Online course, all materials available on Day 1, all due next monday.  Final is 40% of grade.

1/3 cannot pass, 1/3 will likely not pass, and 1/3 would have to fail the final to not pass.

Every damn semester.

I just sent out the pre-emptive "no extensions, no incompletes*" email.

*technically: no incompletes if they aren't passing at the time of the request.

The bolded is actually REALLY important for faculty to know.  If the student isn't passing/it's not mathematically possible for them to pass the class, it's actually cruel* to allow an Incomplete.  Give them the failing grade they earned so they can quickly decide what to do next & not be stuck in "Incomplete limbo".
They can't re-take the class because they haven't failed it (yet, technically).
They can't register for any classes that require [Incomplete course] as a co-requisite or pre-requisite.
And the longer it takes to resolve the Incomplete, the longer they are delayed in completing their courses.

*and against university policy.

Treat people the way they want to be treated?  Outrageous!

We watched more Prime movies this past weekend.  Friday was Hot Potato: The Story of the Wiggles (2023).  I was googling after to see whatever happened with some of the other characters who weren't featured and found that there is quite a bit of dirt out there! I had no idea.  I guess there have been other docs as well.  Anyway, as a parent of a kid who watched them extensively, I also watched them extensively.  I really enjoyed it and felt a lot of nostalgia.  I still know all the songs! It was interesting to see how they started out in early childhood education, how they applied that theory in designing everything about the group and shows.  I am way out of date and hadn't realized they have a much more diverse cast now, which is great.  I'm sure just including a female Wiggle was a big deal at first.  Just neat to see some behind the scenes info.  Too bad they couldn't or didn't want to include the most awesome mashup that shows just how much of an impact they have made on culture: https://youtu.be/Wtxm8HdmJBw?si=M2wDX2WagIDBJFC2

Saturday was The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974).  This one has been remade a few times but is about a group of guys who take some folks hostage on the NYC subway in order to get a million dollars.  There are plenty of tense scenes, as the transit police, police, and government figure out whether to pay and how to make that happen within the timeline provided by the thugs (one hour, before the executions begin).  Most recognizable to me were Walter Matthau and Jerry Stiller.  It was pretty good, though definitely dated!

Pixar's Elemental. A story of a fire-girl, who falls in love with a water-boy in a world where the elements don't mix.  Well, the other three mix but not fire.

It was good.  I enjoyed it.  I can't see watching it again (no catchy tunes, the jokes won't be funny next time), but it was fine.

The animation was impressive.

Same old story.  Online course, all materials available on Day 1, all due next monday.  Final is 40% of grade.

1/3 cannot pass, 1/3 will likely not pass, and 1/3 would have to fail the final to not pass.

Every damn semester.

I just sent out the pre-emptive "no extensions, no incompletes*" email.

*technically: no incompletes if they aren't passing at the time of the request.

Good morning!

Glad to see the forum is back up (again).  I posted yesterday evening, but apparently that is gone.  No big deal.  When I posted, the most recent post on the forum was from 4/20, so at least there are more recent posts back now, even minus that one.

Past genius with pangram at the moment.  Yesterday we had team QB.  I think I needed lacteal, catcall, cattail?

For LB, I had encumbrances-simple.  Definitely some variety!

More good wishes for your computer's health, ciao_yall!

Happy solving!

Quote from: Parasaurolophus on April 28, 2024, 11:21:31 PMWell, I got the call. I'm giving too many As and failing too few students.

My numbers are very skewed by the one upper-level course I taught this year, where everyone did very well because of a generous concentration of points in low-stakes assessments--definitely too generous for a group who's actually going to regularly do the work.

But even so. Guess I have to be a hardass for the next few semesters.

I'm always waiting on the opposite email:  too many D/Fs, and too few passing grades.

Last night we got storms and heavy rain across our already damp region.  This morning we had huge mushrooms growing in the library's yard.  I grubbed them up and got rid of them.  For all I know they might have been edible, but not being a mushroom fan I didn't think they looked too delectable.

We've also been notified that there's "something tall and green" growing in the gutters on the north end of our building.  Wonder if we could try to pass that off as a "green roof"....