Favorite student emails

[mythbuster]

Bio-nonymous I'm with you. Mr. Buster built both our our home desktops form components. We lived in Silicon Valley during the era of dates at Fry's Electronics. :-)
Apple is a cult (they weren't always) and I hate their mantra of "it just works". Yeah, until it doesn't and then you want us to buy a new one!

These type of experiences have led me to a new set of questions that I ask students who want to join my research lab. Key ones are: Do you cook? and Do you game? If so have you built your own system? These two aspects really can indicate a flexible, creative mindset.

[the_geneticist]

Just got one from a summer sessions student.

The tl/dr summary is "my family is taking me on vacation.  I'm missing 2 weeks of class, but my other class is online & I've taken this class before so I'll be OK".

No, you will not. 
Repeating a class means you have to repeat ALL of it.  I'm not giving you credit for the assignments you did the other term.

And the class in question is a lab.

[apl68]

"I've taken bombed this class before, and have no more commitment to making a success of it now than I did then."

[the_geneticist]

Ironically, Stu was passing with an A.  They got a late drop from all of classes

[FishProf]

Remember this student?

"Dear professor. Fishprof , my name is [Stu] and I am in your summer course for [Social Baskets], I have not had my computer until just today as i had to ship to Apple for fixing. I will be caught up on all work asap, if still possible for grading that would be much appreciated, sorry about the late notice. I hope all is well .

Well, 48 hours after I reopened the syllabus quiz for him, he hasn't taken it.

He hasn't even logged-in to the course.  Ever. 

[evil_physics_witchcraft]

Remember this student?

"Dear professor. Fishprof , my name is [Stu] and I am in your summer course for [Social Baskets], I have not had my computer until just today as i had to ship to Apple for fixing. I will be caught up on all work asap, if still possible for grading that would be much appreciated, sorry about the late notice. I hope all is well .

Well, 48 hours after I reopened the syllabus quiz for him, he hasn't taken it.

He hasn't even logged-in to the course.  Ever. 

Ugh. And of course he'll complain in 2 weeks that the quiz has closed.

[Sea_Ice]

Remember this student?

"Dear professor. Fishprof , my name is [Stu] and I am in your summer course for [Social Baskets], I have not had my computer until just today as i had to ship to Apple for fixing. I will be caught up on all work asap, if still possible for grading that would be much appreciated, sorry about the late notice. I hope all is well .

Well, 48 hours after I reopened the syllabus quiz for him, he hasn't taken it.

He hasn't even logged-in to the course.  Ever. 

Ugh. And of course he'll complain in 2 weeks that the quiz has closed.

Take a screenshot showing his (lack of) activity to date. Attach it to the email you send him - expressing concern, and asking if he needs assistance, of course!  Sometimes, when they realize exactly how much you can see, they stop making excuses and either drop or actually start trying to do the work.

[Langue_doc]

Remember this student?

"Dear professor. Fishprof , my name is [Stu] and I am in your summer course for [Social Baskets], I have not had my computer until just today as i had to ship to Apple for fixing. I will be caught up on all work asap, if still possible for grading that would be much appreciated, sorry about the late notice. I hope all is well .

Well, 48 hours after I reopened the syllabus quiz for him, he hasn't taken it.

He hasn't even logged-in to the course.  Ever. 

Ugh. And of course he'll complain in 2 weeks that the quiz has closed.

Take a screenshot showing his (lack of) activity to date. Attach it to the email you send him - expressing concern, and asking if he needs assistance, of course!  Sometimes, when they realize exactly how much you can see, they stop making excuses and either drop or actually start trying to do the work.

Many of us use this thread to vent. FishProf knows exactly what needs to be done.

FishProf, I'm assuming that your institution doesn't allow you to administratively drop this student. Here, in our state, we have to submit the "Verification of Attendance" report at the end of the second week. Students who haven't bothered to attend are automatically withdrawn from the course. In addition, depending on the institution, students who haven't attended class and not submitted any assignments for two consecutive weeks can also be dropped from the course.

[Sea_Ice]

Remember this student?

"Dear professor. Fishprof , my name is [Stu] and I am in your summer course for [Social Baskets], I have not had my computer until just today as i had to ship to Apple for fixing. I will be caught up on all work asap, if still possible for grading that would be much appreciated, sorry about the late notice. I hope all is well .

Well, 48 hours after I reopened the syllabus quiz for him, he hasn't taken it.

He hasn't even logged-in to the course.  Ever. 

Ugh. And of course he'll complain in 2 weeks that the quiz has closed.

Take a screenshot showing his (lack of) activity to date. Attach it to the email you send him - expressing concern, and asking if he needs assistance, of course!  Sometimes, when they realize exactly how much you can see, they stop making excuses and either drop or actually start trying to do the work.

Many of us use this thread to vent. FishProf knows exactly what needs to be done.

FishProf, I'm assuming that your institution doesn't allow you to administratively drop this student. Here, in our state, we have to submit the "Verification of Attendance" report at the end of the second week. Students who haven't bothered to attend are automatically withdrawn from the course. In addition, depending on the institution, students who haven't attended class and not submitted any assignments for two consecutive weeks can also be dropped from the course.

Langue_doc I have no doubt that FishProf is venting AND knows exactly what can possibly be done given the restraints of institutional policy and culture.

However, do you think there might be any value to offering an opinion as to one potential course of action?

These Fora are not as active as the old CHE.  They may never be as active, or as excellent a resource, as it was - especially given the cumulative changes in academe since its time.  Yet, there are still people in various stages of their career who do read this, and may profit from what they can learn.  This year alone I've recommended The Fora to at least three early-career academics (& have seen one making excellent use of the advice gleaned here!) and pointed it out to a couple of mid-career ones who hadn't stumbled on it yet.  It was for them that I posted my response to FishProf - should I make that absolutely clear in future to avoid the inevitable misunderstandings that accompany a moniker with "newbie" status?

[the_geneticist]

I've had not one, not two, but three students email to say that they will be missing the first day of lab since they are "still on vacation".

Ideal world: they get dropped for non-attendance
Summer sessions world: I can't drop ANYONE for non-attendance, even if they never attend & there are folks on the waitlists
What I'm doing: giving them the "one time and one time only" opportunity to complete an online make-up

In my experience, students either earn an A or an F on the online makeup.  Both are easy to grade 

[kaysixteen]

Why can't you drop students for non-attendance during summer, esp with students on waiting list?  What is special about summer sesssion?

[the_geneticist]

Why can't you drop students for non-attendance during summer, esp with students on waiting list?  What is special about summer sesssion?

The way that students pay for Summer quarter is "a la carte" & since they are not taking a full-time credit load that means that most of the rules for the academic year don't apply.

That's the best explanation I've been given.

I think the *actual* reason is that the university is happy to take money from students who register, but never attend.

[FishProf]

FishProf, I'm assuming that your institution doesn't allow you to administratively drop this student. Here, in our state, we have to submit the "Verification of Attendance" report at the end of the second week. Students who haven't bothered to attend are automatically withdrawn from the course. In addition, depending on the institution, students who haven't attended class and not submitted any assignments for two consecutive weeks can also be dropped from the course.

We only verify attendance after the semester ends.  I assume it's to clawback financial aid.

BTW - he still hasn't logged in to the course

[kaysixteen]

Well, you could at least just make attendance at each class session worth a very high percentage of a class participation grade, which would quickly fail the non-attenders, right?

[waterboy]

Not sure about the rest of you folks, but we're not allowed to use attendance as a part of the grade. "Participation", however....