the "things you wish you could say" thread

[mamselle]

I just love your moniker, snorkmaiden. Welcome, and happy snorking here.

Didn't we have a thread to welcome new members?

Good question--we should.

(And I agree, like the moniker).

Mods?

M.

[fishbrains]

You, madam, are a f*cking self-centered idiot. We've explained to you why we wanted to stay focused on three or four main faculty issues when talking to the president.

But, nooooooooooooooooooooooooo!

You had to hijack the meeting by talking about some bull$hit about how hot your office is or how we need more light bulbs in the classrooms. Now all the president has to do is have his secretary call maintenance--something you're lazy ass should have done in the first place, get them to fix your stupid little problems, and then claim that he has addressed faculty concerns without even touching the main issues we wanted him to seriously address. You know, minor issues like maintaining salary equity, increasing adjunct pay with funds we already have, maintaining the academic integrity of our programs as we create "partnerships" with entities with differing interests . . . little piddling things compared to the two degrees worth of air conditioning in that office you're never really working in. So enjoy the chill, f*ckface. You suck.

[mamselle]

Some people have to make it all about themselves.

Sorry that happened. Clearly a lost opportunity.

M.

[the_geneticist]

Every place is different, but I've successfully pushed back on unreasonable accommodations on multiple occasions, and found our student support office people to be quite, well, reasonable, about it. They often just don't know what is reasonable for particular classes, and usually it is just a blanket letter for all classes anyway. I've found the key phrase to be saying that with the suggested accommodations the student  "cannot meet the learning objectives of this course", as that is a key criterion for "reasonable accommodation". Pretty clearly, a student cannot meet the learning objectives of a lab course without attending the lab course in person.

I'm quite relieved that my dean has just sent a statement stating that remote participation and recordings are no longer an option for any in person class, and faculty can go back to normal policies for making up absences. We will also be notified by student health if a student is required to isolate so it is verified rather than the go-to excuse for missing class that it has become.

You must work at a saner place than I. I've given up for lecture classes. They are all hyflex, just like last year. And I've now lost the battle for lab. Apparently, even though the class is designated in-person and I, as the instructor, do not think it's reasonable to deliver virtually, I'm being expected to. I'm still in problem-solving mode, but all of the work-arounds are infinitely more work for me. Apparently b/c we offered this class virtually during the pandemic, we have demonstrated it can be done. Thus, it is not reasonable for me to expect a student with a disability accommodation to attend in person. I'm being "ableist" if I suggest such a thing.

What disabilities are best addressed by offering a virtual lab?  The student is by definition going to miss out on the hands-on lab experience AND nearly all peer-to-peer interactions.  Students who have medical concerns (e.g. immunocompromised) can be allowed to use only non-shared equipment, wear a face shield, etc.  If the concern is something like anxiety, no reasonable therapist would say that all remote classes & avoiding all in-person learning is a strategy for success. 
You might argue that the peer-to-peer interaction is an essential part of the class.  Do you have any Course Goals about working in teams or similar?  Kick this one up to your department chair.  Your time is also an important consideration.  Asking you to teach this class twice to accommodate one student is not reasonable.

[marshwiggle]

I've given up for lecture classes. They are all hyflex, just like last year. And I've now lost the battle for lab. Apparently, even though the class is designated in-person and I, as the instructor, do not think it's reasonable to deliver virtually, I'm being expected to. I'm still in problem-solving mode, but all of the work-arounds are infinitely more work for me. Apparently b/c we offered this class virtually during the pandemic, we have demonstrated it can be done. Thus, it is not reasonable for me to expect a student with a disability accommodation to attend in person. I'm being "ableist" if I suggest such a thing.

What disabilities are best addressed by offering a virtual lab?  The student is by definition going to miss out on the hands-on lab experience AND nearly all peer-to-peer interactions.

Is there any equipment or infrastructure that is only available in the lab? While I think I  did a decent job going remote for covid, there were definitely things that I couldn't have as part of the virtual experience that is part of the in-person experience. When that was the best I could offer anyone, that was a lot different from it being the best I can offer some people in the "same lab" as others who get the "complete" experience.

[Puget]

Dear senior colleague, you know I generally hold you in high esteem, but I'm increasingly annoyed that you have your trainees send drafts to co-authors (including me) in a state that I would *never* let a trainee send a draft outside the lab, and leave us to do the hard work of trying to mentor *your* trainee through fixing the draft.

[OneMoreYear]

Thank you all for your thoughts and commiseration in my virtual lab situation. At this point I have no choice, as I'm the only class on the student's schedule that had concerns about going virtual (due to the specifics of the class content in this class, not my unwillingness to teach hyflex; I'm doing that for other courses). I made the argument that the virtual class we did during COVID is not the same class we teach in person (this was recognized by our discipline-specific accrediting body, which gave special dispensation during the height of COVID). This student has multiple disabilities with multiple time-consuming accommodations, in addition to the virtualness, that are somewhat specific to my course given the course material.  I've never been so tired at week 2. If all I have to do was create a session in our video system for the student to join, I would not be on this thread.

[the_geneticist]

Thank you all for your thoughts and commiseration in my virtual lab situation. At this point I have no choice, as I'm the only class on the student's schedule that had concerns about going virtual (due to the specifics of the class content in this class, not my unwillingness to teach hyflex; I'm doing that for other courses). I made the argument that the virtual class we did during COVID is not the same class we teach in person (this was recognized by our discipline-specific accrediting body, which gave special dispensation during the height of COVID). This student has multiple disabilities with multiple time-consuming accommodations, in addition to the virtualness, that are somewhat specific to my course given the course material.  I've never been so tired at week 2. If all I have to do was create a session in our video system for the student to join, I would not be on this thread.

Not to be horrible, but for your sake I hope the student drops your class.

[fishbrains]

Some people have to make it all about themselves.

Sorry that happened. Clearly a lost opportunity.

M.

After some time on faculty senate, I can see why administrators don't take faculty particularly seriously. Frustrating.

[AmLitHist]

"Leave. Me. Alone."

[directed at Kid #1, having a manic episode, and ALHS, being a whiny little b*%$# about things nobody except him cares about]

I'm gritting my teeth and trying to let it roll off, to avoid big blowouts, but come on, already. I've actually been enjoying work so far as we move into Week 2 and have been escaping into it (which should give an idea of the home front...)

Fine . . . fine. . . . fine.  It will all be fine.  <deep breaths>

[Langue_doc]

(unrelated to the above)

Oh, dear. Here we go again.

[bio-nonymous]

(unrelated to any above)
Why aren't you just a negative, snarky a-hole?

[paultuttle]

Fall's here! Let's go drive the Blue Ridge Parkway!

[OneMoreYear]

Colleague, I think it's wonderful that you are an advocate for our students. It would be also helpful if you considered just how much labor expenditure you are requesting from  your fellow faculty to do in support of the students for whom you are advocating.

[the_geneticist]

I wish I could say "we're getting a new building!"
But no.  Instead, we seem to be getting a new building piecemeal: one soggy ceiling tile, replaced patch of linoleum, and updated door lock at a time (vandalism, theft, water damage, asbestos, etc.).