Favorite student emails

[Puget]

We've been specifically told that any videos created this fall cannot EVER be used in class again. (Are they worried about infecting 2021 and beyond?)

Just ignore "directives" like that. Your lectures are your intellectual property, and you can do with them what you want.

Is this the case in the US? In both the UK and Australia all IP developed in the course of someone's university employment is owned by the university, unless specifically exempt by written agreement. Exemptions tend to be research related and the industry that gets the IP pays a massive premium.

I don't know if it is universal, but I think it is common here for teaching materials to be the intellectual property of the professor, unless you've been specifically hired to create a class for others to use.  In the same way, you generally own the copyright to things you write as a faculty member (until such time as it is transferred to a publisher, if applicable). However, there are generally other rules about IP that was in part created with university resources which has the potential to generate revenue (e.g. patents) which generally involves revenue sharing.

[marshwiggle]

Personally, my hope is that I won't need to use videos again. Much prefer to stand up in person.  But...I will reuse if the situation demands it.

For videos that explain procedures or processes, I'd much rather point students to them than go over it AGAIN.

  I've created some very nice, semi-professionally edited demonstration videos that I will use in my future classes, even when we go back to teaching in person.

Yup. By the 13th lab section in a week, the "magic" of explaining a process or procedure is gone.

[FishProf]

Received Today.  During "Finals Week" where we are not allowed to accept any other student work.

"Hello Fishprof,

I wanted to reach out to you for a few different reasons. First, I just recently took the JW1 test and it froze half way through the exam, scoring me with a 13%! I was hoping I would be able to take this exam over. Secondly, I was wondering if I could be given access to the quizzes that I was not able to complete due to being added to the classes roster late. ( GTPT, BHWRWS, SAP, BTD, JP1, Cosmos 2 ).

I am really hoping that my final grade will improve my grade. Overall Ive thoroughly enjoyed this class and have learned alot!

Thank you!

[Student I have never heard from before today]"

Not a single one of those assignments was due before the add deadline.  Not a one.

[Aster]

Stu Dent: "Prof, I had a 78 before the last test, and now my overall grade is much lower. Could you tell me why?"

I check student's grades. Yeah, he *once maybe had a 78*. But that ship sailed weeks ago. The guy flunked his most recent exam. All of his exam grades are posted to the LMS. He can obviously see that he flunked his most recent exam, which also obviously is why his grades are now down.

Me: "All of your exam scores are posted and accessible. Your first exam scores were this, this, and that. Your last exam score was much lower."

Yes, your course grade is lower because your exam grades are lower.

[Puget]

Student who attended class exactly once, to take the first exam, never turned in a single weekly assignment, did not take the second exam, did not complete the final assignment, and did not respond to repeated messages from me or her advisor imploring her first to meet with us about her performance, then to drop before it was too late--

Today, the day of the final exam, emails me a solid wall of text email with her tale of mental health woe, and asks whether, in addition to completing all the assignments she missed (already a no), I can also make up a paper assignment just for her. I don't doubt the mental health problems, and I feel bad for her, but man is that delusional. This isn't even close to qualifying for an incomplete, which we can only give if they have only a final exam or assignment outstanding due to extenuating circumstances and were making satisfactory progress up to that point.

I explained this as gently as I could and cc'ed her advisor, suggesting the two of them meet to discuss a retroactive medical leave of absence, which is really her best bet at this point.

[dinomom]

I received a good one last week. There was a forwarded message about having been lotteried out of a class with the following message above: "What should I do now? lol" This from a student who showed up for advising last month (on Zoom) in only a sports bra on top.

[Aster]

Yeah, it's funny how much time and energy a failing student will put into the last days of a course, writing the equivalent of a major essay explaining why they haven't done any academic work during all of the rest of the term. And we're like, "this whiny book that you wrote me represents more than the sum total of academic work that you've submitted all semester."

I sometimes wonder how people who display these behaviors turn out later in their lives. Do they graduate? Do they raise children? Do they plan out their lives or just live moment to moment? Do they TikTok? So many mysteries...

[the_geneticist]

And the saga of the "no good deed goes unpunished" student has finally resolved (I hope).  Their final exam is RIGHT NOW.  Got an email last night with a request for a late drop form.  Their reason was that they had changed their mind (again) and now wanted to be dropped since we wouldn't let them turn in 2 weeks of material late for full credit.  Now let's see if the Dean signs the d@mn form  . . . .

[EdnaMode]

Keep in mind that info about the final being online is in the syllabus, the exam module has been posted on Canvas since October 1st with a Zoom link, and in the last lecture we had last week, I reminded all the students again that they must be on Zoom for the final and it would be recorded (as per our School policy for online exams). I received this email just now, the final is this evening. At least he is polite.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Hello Dr. Mode,

This is Stu from your [class]. I can't quite remember if we are supposed to be on zoom or not for the final exam and if so would it be the lecture/office hour zoom link. I'm sorry that I can't remember it for 100% but I figured I should double check. Thank you and have a nice day.

Stu
>>>>>>>>>>>>>

[the_geneticist]

It's the time of year for the "please, I'm begging you for [more points/extra credit/rounding up my grade]" emails.  Their wishful thinking + math errors leads to some AMAZING leaps of logic. 
No, giving you 1/2 credit on a tiny assignment that was due weeks ago (and you forgot about) will not increase your grade from a C to an A.
"Bumping up" your grade in this class to an A does NOT "guarantee you at least a 70% in your other classes" (Uh, you do know that all your classes are independent?  I don't know your other course grades and it wouldn't matter if I did.)

But at least these emails are easy to answer because the answer is always No.

[arcturus]

It's the time of year for the "please, I'm begging you for [more points/extra credit/rounding up my grade]" emails.  Their wishful thinking + math errors leads to some AMAZING leaps of logic. 
No, giving you 1/2 credit on a tiny assignment that was due weeks ago (and you forgot about) will not increase your grade from a C to an A.
"Bumping up" your grade in this class to an A does NOT "guarantee you at least a 70% in your other classes" (Uh, you do know that all your classes are independent?  I don't know your other course grades and it wouldn't matter if I did.)

But at least these emails are easy to answer because the answer is always No.

I HATE these emails. It took me a while to understand my non-linear negative reactions: in essence, the students that send these emails are implying that I should apply unfair and arbitrary grading to my class (i.e., give them an advantage that the other students do not have). To minimize the number of such emails I receive, I have chosen to turn off the automatic grade total in the LMS. Students can still see the individual assignment grades, so they could total their score by hand, but that would require effort. So I no longer get as many of the "I have 79.9%, can't you just round that to a B- since I need that grade to get into X, Y, or Z program."  [Which rarely includes the additional factual statement of "oh, and I was too lazy to do the weekly assignments that were equivalent to participation points, which, had I done them, would have put me at 82.9% so I would be writing this same email to beg for a B instead of a B-".] This also gives me time to submit the grades, so my "No" responses can be even simpler: "No, the final grades have been submitted. I can only change final grades if there was an arithmetic or typographical error."

[jerseyjay]

Personally, my hope is that I won't need to use videos again. Much prefer to stand up in person.  But...I will reuse if the situation demands it.

For videos that explain procedures or processes, I'd much rather point students to them than go over it AGAIN.

  I've created some very nice, semi-professionally edited demonstration videos that I will use in my future classes, even when we go back to teaching in person.

Yup. By the 13th lab section in a week, the "magic" of explaining a process or procedure is gone.

I've just got an email from my administration advising us that any video that includes students in it cannot be used because it would be a violation of FERPA. (The idea being that a student's name, and maybe image, is protected information.) I am not sure if I buy that, but evidently somebody or somebody's lawyer is worried enough of being sued to advise us that we cannot re-use any video that contains images of students. I could see somebody translating "do not reuse zoom lectures" into "do not reuse online videos."

[the_geneticist]

Personally, my hope is that I won't need to use videos again. Much prefer to stand up in person.  But...I will reuse if the situation demands it.

For videos that explain procedures or processes, I'd much rather point students to them than go over it AGAIN.

  I've created some very nice, semi-professionally edited demonstration videos that I will use in my future classes, even when we go back to teaching in person.

Yup. By the 13th lab section in a week, the "magic" of explaining a process or procedure is gone.

I've just got an email from my administration advising us that any video that includes students in it cannot be used because it would be a violation of FERPA. (The idea being that a student's name, and maybe image, is protected information.) I am not sure if I buy that, but evidently somebody or somebody's lawyer is worried enough of being sued to advise us that we cannot re-use any video that contains images of students. I could see somebody translating "do not reuse zoom lectures" into "do not reuse online videos."

I'm very sure that having students visible (names or images) without their consent in recordings is a FERPA violation.  Videos that are just you or you and other folks who have explicitly agreed to be filmed & have the videos shared is just fine.

[wareagle]

Personally, my hope is that I won't need to use videos again. Much prefer to stand up in person.  But...I will reuse if the situation demands it.

For videos that explain procedures or processes, I'd much rather point students to them than go over it AGAIN.

  I've created some very nice, semi-professionally edited demonstration videos that I will use in my future classes, even when we go back to teaching in person.

Yup. By the 13th lab section in a week, the "magic" of explaining a process or procedure is gone.

I've just got an email from my administration advising us that any video that includes students in it cannot be used because it would be a violation of FERPA. (The idea being that a student's name, and maybe image, is protected information.) I am not sure if I buy that, but evidently somebody or somebody's lawyer is worried enough of being sued to advise us that we cannot re-use any video that contains images of students. I could see somebody translating "do not reuse zoom lectures" into "do not reuse online videos."

I'm very sure that having students visible (names or images) without their consent in recordings is a FERPA violation.  Videos that are just you or you and other folks who have explicitly agreed to be filmed & have the videos shared is just fine.

Students' names are considered directory information, and are public unless the student has expressly stated that their information is to be kept confidential.  Registrars' offices generally have forms that students must fill out in order to maintain their privacy.  Images are another story.  At my previous institution, a student was assumed to have given consent to be photographed or videographed if they did not physically remove themselves from the space or otherwise specifically request privacy.  In other words, they had to opt out.  This was a change, as a couple of years previously, we had to get students' written permission to photograph them (they signed a form). 

You may want to check with the registrar's office or legal counsel.  Some of these situations are so new with everything moving to virtual platforms that laws and policies may need to be clarified or developed to address them.

[ciao_yall]

Personally, my hope is that I won't need to use videos again. Much prefer to stand up in person.  But...I will reuse if the situation demands it.

For videos that explain procedures or processes, I'd much rather point students to them than go over it AGAIN.

  I've created some very nice, semi-professionally edited demonstration videos that I will use in my future classes, even when we go back to teaching in person.

Yup. By the 13th lab section in a week, the "magic" of explaining a process or procedure is gone.

I've just got an email from my administration advising us that any video that includes students in it cannot be used because it would be a violation of FERPA. (The idea being that a student's name, and maybe image, is protected information.) I am not sure if I buy that, but evidently somebody or somebody's lawyer is worried enough of being sued to advise us that we cannot re-use any video that contains images of students. I could see somebody translating "do not reuse zoom lectures" into "do not reuse online videos."

I'm very sure that having students visible (names or images) without their consent in recordings is a FERPA violation.  Videos that are just you or you and other folks who have explicitly agreed to be filmed & have the videos shared is just fine.

IIRC it is about how the videos are used. If they are only shared with the class, such as for students who missed class and want a replay, it's fine. But they should not be used for advertising, in future classes as content, and so on where non-classmates would see it.