The Venting Thread

[downer]

I think it is a way to cut costs.

[mythbuster]

So my Uni has just established (through an alumni donation) an award for women faculty. In particular it's for women who go above an beyond in the service category. There is a decent check that comes with the award in addition to . . . . getting to serve on as the University delegate on some national level committee!

GWAAAH!!!

Just once, I want this kind of award to come with an all expenses paid trip to Waikiki, not more thankless work.

[the_geneticist]

So my Uni has just established (through an alumni donation) an award for women faculty. In particular it's for women who go above an beyond in the service category. There is a decent check that comes with the award in addition to . . . . getting to serve on as the University delegate on some national level committee!

GWAAAH!!!

Just once, I want this kind of award to come with an all expenses paid trip to Waikiki, not more thankless work.

Maybe the national level committee will meet somewhere awesome?  Use the check to stay a few extra days & make a vacation out of it. 

[evil_physics_witchcraft]

Health insurance companies are a major pain in the ass!

[Vkw10]

I missed most of my online conference today, because "I know you're in a conference, but ...." about 20 times. Most of the interruptions were from people I've been trying to chase down for a week or more. Why did they ALL have to be available today?

Tomorrow, my door will be locked, out of office message will be on, and email auto-reply will say "I'm presenting at an international conference and am unavailable."

[downer]

Registrar
Unless you tell me how "not attending" is different from "never attended" I really can't give you updated info on which students are not attending.
The fact that you don't give a definition suggests you don't really give a shit either.

[arcturus]

My guess is that "not attending" includes the subset of "never attended", but has different ramifications for financial aid. My LMS indicates the last time that a student logged into the class. Last semester, I had several students who never logged on - they were on my "never attended" list. I also had students who stopped logging on at some point during the semester. They were on my "not attending" list and I had to provide a date at which they stopped attending.

[downer]

Right. But does logging on to the LMS count as attending? If they miss one week, are they "not attending"?
Once the semester is over, I can give a last date of attendance. But I won't know the last date of attendance until the semester is over.

[AvidReader]

I agree that it is ridiculous that your registrar can't give a clear definition of this. My school has a wildly generous definition of attending that includes emailing the instructor with any question about any class material, even once, but there is at least a list of specific activities that count!

If the registrar has no definition, can you make up your own?

AR.

[downer]

I agree that it is ridiculous that your registrar can't give a clear definition of this. My school has a wildly generous definition of attending that includes emailing the instructor with any question about any class material, even once, but there is at least a list of specific activities that count!

If the registrar has no definition, can you make up your own?

AR.

Yes, I will assume that students who have not been doing any work are just having a rest, and plan to return. Otherwise they would have withdrawn, right?

[Cheerful]

Yes, I will assume that students who have not been doing any work are just having a rest, and plan to return. Otherwise they would have withdrawn, right?

Not if they need to be enrolled for financial aid reasons. Ever have students take courses purely to meet financial aid credit hour quotas?

[wareagle]

Yes, I will assume that students who have not been doing any work are just having a rest, and plan to return. Otherwise they would have withdrawn, right?

Not if they need to be enrolled for financial aid reasons. Ever have students take courses purely to meet financial aid credit hour quotas?

Sure have.  They usually use the aid for basic needs - food, shelter.  A handful use it for a nice spring break vacation, though.

[downer]

I got a reply from the registrar. There is a document that addresses the issue. The answer is: do what you like!
I already know what I like.

Yes, I will assume that students who have not been doing any work are just having a rest, and plan to return. Otherwise they would have withdrawn, right?

Not if they need to be enrolled for financial aid reasons. Ever have students take courses purely to meet financial aid credit hour quotas?

It would violate the spirit of community and campus family, which are so often emphasized in communications from the administration, to make such vile assumptions about students.

[FishProf]

You know that some students DO this, but you don't know who.  So you can't report them.  You might figure it out at the end of the semester, but that's too l late.  The administration wants to know?  Sounds like them problem.

[Vkw10]

You know that some students DO this, but you don't know who.  So you can't report them.  You might figure it out at the end of the semester, but that's too l late.  The administration wants to know?  Sounds like them problem.

Last semester, my department agreed to respond by exporting rosters with last time stamp, sorting by date, deleting student names if they had logged in during the last 15 days, then sending list to Registrar. Attendance jumped soon after. From random student contacts, I gather that financial aid and advising staff contacted non-attending students as part of the retain-students-and-tuition/fees initiative.