The Fora: A Higher Education Community

Prof,
Why did I get a zero on the exam?
Stu

I don't have an exam with your name on it.  On any page.
FishProf

We have a very detailed policy here. 

The key points are:
The student is responsible for contacting their instructors and arranging a reasonable plan for how to make up any missing assignments no later than the 1st 2 weeks of class.  We do not ask for which religious holiday/observation/etc. 

And this cannot be retroactive. 


I personally make sure that any due dates or deadlines are either: in class (e.g. turn in your quiz before you leave) or before Friday at 5:00pm.  Nothing is due Friday night-Monday morning.  Partially to be accommodating of religious & family time, but mostly because I don't answer emails on weekends.

Good morning!

Somewhere past genius with pangram so far.  Yesterday husband got to QBABH, and I gave up with two words left: baobab, oddball.  At least I got rollbar, and we had team QB.

I finally got a 2fer which was the schmofficial multiplexes-show.

Ciao_yall, hope your trip is going well!  Glad you are getting to see such cool history.  A bientot! A tout a l'heure!

Cathwen, wow, that is a lot of driving around! I think just hearing "Maine" always makes me think of a long drive from all the times we drove up and back.  I guess you are a little closer, but still a hike! In any case, it sounds like it worked out in the long run.  I hope they find a new-to-them car that they love.

We had quite a bit of activity in the tree this morning, including a warbling vireo that was quite chatty.

Happy solving!

Quote from: downer on Today at 08:07:04 AM

QuoteI'm not going to lie you have been one of my toughest professors! I feel that's a good thing because it challenged me to do better however like I said before I still feel I'm not a C+ student in these types of classes.

I am a bit concerned about this student's other professors. But maybe it's me.

Stu's writing suggests that C would be a very generous grade.

Submitting missed work after grades have been submitted and posted isn't fair to the other students in the class and also to the instructors concerned. Adjuncts would be grading and revising the grade roster on their time as most of them wouldn't be on the payroll after the end of the semester.

QuoteI still wonder what diversity officers spend their time doing.

Some of them send emails defining privilege, which according to the former Diversity Officer at Johns Hopkins, includes among others "white people, heterosexuals, cisgender people, men, and Christians". 

QuoteChief Diversity Officer Steps Down Amid Backlash Over 'Privilege' Email

QuoteDr. Sherita Hill Golden has stepped down from her role as vice president and chief diversity officer at Johns Hopkins Medicine.

The act comes two months after backlash for an email newsletter in which Golden explained the concept of privilege, according to reporting from The Baltimore Sun. In the January newsletter from the Baltimore hospital and research center's diversity office, Golden wrote that "privilege" was the "word of the month," defining it as "a set of unearned benefits given to people who are in a specific social group." The social groups were categorized, in part, as white people, heterosexuals, cisgender people, men, and Christians.

Quote from: Hibush on Today at 02:46:30 AM

Quote from: Wahoo Redux on May 07, 2024, 07:52:37 PM

Quote from: Hibush on May 07, 2024, 10:36:08 AMI wonder how MIT worded the request so that it appeared to be compelled speech.

I think it actually has to do with the answer: you must answer in a very specific way, with specific jargon, and agree to a specific ideology, to get the job.  That is my takeaway from the mass of articles and complaints out there.

Is there evidence that MIT was actually doing that?
Our DEI/HR reps are clear that doing so is completely unacceptable. We're trying to hire the best people, and some skills in serving a diverse audience are valuable but subscribing to a particular ideology is definitely not.

As apl said, there is a lot of perception going on here. 

And I'm not sure that people are always aware that they have a mindset or ideology at work. I've been through enough aggressive, angry, person-shaming trainings to have seen this in action.  As I've said, and ciao has also said, simply trying to be a good person is not enough. And when I look up "DEI" online, I find some pretty declaratory statements about what it is, but does anyone have a specific method for making sure it works?

I still wonder what diversity officers spend their time doing.

QuoteI'm not going to lie you have been one of my toughest professors! I feel that's a good thing because it challenged me to do better however like I said before I still feel I'm not a C+ student in these types of classes.

I am a bit concerned about this student's other professors. But maybe it's me.

Quote from: Wahoo Redux on May 07, 2024, 09:14:00 AM

Quote from: ciao_yall on May 07, 2024, 09:08:56 AM

Quote from: dismalist on May 07, 2024, 08:31:28 AM

QuoteIn announcing the change, M.I.T.'s president, Sally Kornbluth, said diversity statements constituted a form of compelled speech that do not work.

If they don't work, they wouldn't have to be abolished. Problem is they do work in selecting faculty.

I disagree. I have seen some that were so cringeworthy we were able to avoid wasting our time interviewing the candidate.

Why were they cringeworthy?  What does someone say in a DEI statement that is so wrong it eliminates them as a job candidate?

Trying to remember specifics.

• One just wrote "I have no idea what to say here."
• Another made a point about making sure to compliment immigrants on their English.
• "I talk to everyone, CEO to janitor, top to bottom."

That sort of thing. People who are more about making the point that they see humanity in those others might see as sub-human or inferior as opposed to being reasonably educated about why a college with a diverse student population might be asking such a question.