Topic: Bang Your Head on Your Desk - the thread of teaching despair!

[evil_physics_witchcraft]

So, I have a couple (at least) of dumbass online students. Why dumbass? Well, on the 'practice' quiz, they both (they were talking to each other on the phone I think) admitted to cheating using Respondus and mentioned techniques that they used. This quiz was not for credit, but I will be keeping an eye on the student who is in my class. I swear to God and all that is holy- can I have a semester without this crap?

I've found myself being a lot more open about dealing with this kind of stuff, as in coming into class and saying, "Hey, sorry I'm a little late. I caught a student in another class using AI and had to finish the academic misconduct paperwork so I could fail them and nail them to the wall. So anyway! Let's go over the schedule for a second . . ."

Likewise, when I do videos for my online classes, I'll mention that if I look perturbed it's because I was doing all the academic misconduct paperwork to nail a student to the wall right before recording. Maybe flash a quick, evil, gratified smile there.

Obviously, I don't give names and specifics, but I think it's good to let them know we're aware and on the hunt.

:D

[fosca]

I just had another study plagiarize the extra credit assignment ON HOW TO NOT PLAGIARIZE, where all they had to do is watch a video and tell me what they learned and what they didn't learn.  So this student decided it was appropriate to copy a list of "what plagiarism is" from a cheating website.  Good job, student!  I can see you learned a lot!

[evil_physics_witchcraft]

I just had another study plagiarize the extra credit assignment ON HOW TO NOT PLAGIARIZE, where all they had to do is watch a video and tell me what they learned and what they didn't learn.  So this student decided it was appropriate to copy a list of "what plagiarism is" from a cheating website.  Good job, student!  I can see you learned a lot!

That's just sad.

[EdnaMode]

Stu formally appealed his failing grade in my course. The first step is to meet with me and see if I'll sign the form indicating that I agree that I'd violated either my own or the institution's policies. I said no policies had been violated and signed the appropriate form, which then gets sent on to my dept chair. I supplied the chair with my syllabus, the final project information including the grading rubric, the practical exam information including the rubric, and all other pertinent info to indicate just why Stu failed the course. Chair said that I had followed the syllabus and rubrics and had not violated any policies, so Stu got another firm no, again in writing, with me CC'd on it. Stu is appealing to a higher authority and is now saying that there were computer problems, etc. etc. etc. and adding to his rant. The thing is Stu, you applied for a grade change under certain criteria. You can't change them just because you didn't get the grade you wanted. Ugh. Looks like I'm going to have to fight this one all the way to the top.

[AmLitHist]

Stu formally appealed his failing grade in my course. The first step is to meet with me and see if I'll sign the form indicating that I agree that I'd violated either my own or the institution's policies. I said no policies had been violated and signed the appropriate form, which then gets sent on to my dept chair. I supplied the chair with my syllabus, the final project information including the grading rubric, the practical exam information including the rubric, and all other pertinent info to indicate just why Stu failed the course. Chair said that I had followed the syllabus and rubrics and had not violated any policies, so Stu got another firm no, again in writing, with me CC'd on it. Stu is appealing to a higher authority and is now saying that there were computer problems, etc. etc. etc. and adding to his rant. The thing is Stu, you applied for a grade change under certain criteria. You can't change them just because you didn't get the grade you wanted. Ugh. Looks like I'm going to have to fight this one all the way to the top.

I had to provide documentation to my chair this week for two similar post-Fall appeals. 

One online student was appealing because she failed the class. Um, NO?  You can't formally appeal just because you don't like your grade. (Never mind that she didn't submit nearly 1/3 of the assignments, or that I'd been emailing her for weeks, saying that she was in danger of failing/later explaining that it would be mathematically impossible for her to pass.)

Another student was insulted that I'd accused her of plagiarizing. Well, sweetie, I not only accused you, I proved it--twice--after we'd spent the entire second half of the semester addressing plagiarism avoidance in every class meeting, to some degree or other. She earned a zero for the rough draft of the final essay, with detailed references linking about 3/4 of her text to the exact same language from source documents (failing to cite and/or use quotation marks); on that draft, I explicitly explained the problems and wrote, "If similar issues arise in your final draft, it too will be charged with plagiarism, and per the course policy, that second instance of plagiarism will earn an F for the course."  So what did she do? Submitted the exact same rough draft (with one or two minor cosmetic changes) as the final draft, of course.

At least my chair and dean have my back on these (which hasn't always been the case, and may well not be in the future, as we're undergoing a re-org where I'm likely to have a chair not from my discipline and a dean who may have no experience in academics, i.e., someone from a CTE field). 

I've spent much of my time in the past couple of weeks looking at my pension benefits projections and trying (vainly) to figure out some way I can retire sooner rather than later. A number of my colleagues report doing the same.

[EdnaMode]

[snip]

At least my chair and dean have my back on these (which hasn't always been the case, and may well not be in the future, as we're undergoing a re-org where I'm likely to have a chair not from my discipline and a dean who may have no experience in academics, i.e., someone from a CTE field). 

I've spent much of my time in the past couple of weeks looking at my pension benefits projections and trying (vainly) to figure out some way I can retire sooner rather than later. A number of my colleagues report doing the same.

I'm very fortunate that my chair has my six and he had a military career before becoming an engineering prof. And the next person the appeal goes to, a vice-provost, is pretty darn strict about these things and from all I've heard, he's never overturned a grade.

I still have 9 years to go before I can even consider retiring, unless they do a buyout, then I'm sure I'd be one of the first to sign up.

[FishProf]

...I'm likely to have a chair not from my discipline and a dean who may have no experience in academics, i.e., someone from a CTE field). 

Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy?  That would explain a lot....

[FishProf]

My students have to read the syllabus, watch a short vide about it, then take the syllabus quiz (25 questions) and get 100% to move on to the rest of the course material.

I currently have a student who has taken the syllabus quiz 16 times! He still hasn't passed it.  The average time between submissions is 3 minutes.

I wonder if he'll ever actually read the thing?

[fosca]

My students have to read the syllabus, watch a short vide about it, then take the syllabus quiz (25 questions) and get 100% to move on to the rest of the course material.

I used to require the same for my online courses (except a 10-question true/false quiz), but my current place says it's a no-go because we don't want to put up "barriers" to the students.

This place also just "revised" my canned course, making it much easier, because students weren't participating and grades were down.  Of course they're participating now; the work barely requires them to think (and most of them don't follow the instructions and skip that part anyway). 

I've got three years before I can even consider retiring, and since I seem to be unemployable elsewhere (see "three years to retirement") I guess I'll gut it out.

[FishProf]

I used to require the same for my online courses (except a 10-question true/false quiz), but my current place says it's a no-go because we don't want to put up "barriers" to the students.

If an open note, repeat as often as needed, MC and T/F quiz is too high a barrier, how can they ever hope to pass the course?

If my school tried that, they'd get a big hell nope and I wouldn't teach the course again. 

Side note:  They have been keeping course shells alive for years since Covid (it used to be 8 weeks post grades), but I don't think they know I go in and empty out all the content.  I have slight paranoia about them taking the content and paying and adjunct or admin to "run" the course without me.

[the_geneticist]

Dang, that is some serious micro-managing if you are being told that passing a "did you read the syllabus" quiz is too high of a barrier.

Have these folks ever taken an online class?  It's really common to have course content that unlocks only if you complete the previous step, especially if the course is more skills-based.  Heck, I'm using Duolingo to learn more French and it won't unlock the next module unless you pass the previous one (or pass a tricky quiz).

[fosca]

This place is definitely traipsing down the garden path to Hell; I only hope it doesn't get there before I leave. 

I brought in a meeting a while back up that the new version was basically a high-school level course and others agreed--not the administrators of course, but at least some of the other faculty did.  But the state doesn't value education, so I'm sure we'll keep dumbing it down.

[AmLitHist]

...I'm likely to have a chair not from my discipline and a dean who may have no experience in academics, i.e., someone from a CTE field). 

Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy?  That would explain a lot....

LOL!  Career Tech Ed--but unfortunately, at our place, there are a lot of similarities with a few of those folks!

Side note:  They have been keeping course shells alive for years since Covid (it used to be 8 weeks post grades), but I don't think they know I go in and empty out all the content.  I have slight paranoia about them taking the content and paying and adjunct or admin to "run" the course without me.

Careful with this, FishProf:  FWIW, a colleague did the same content-switching on his canned online classes here.  He had to go on medical leave unexpectedly last fall, and those who took over those classes from him told Admin about it, and he got in deep shit and was assigned to only F2F classes for Spring. He was "allowed" to resign, since he refused those classes. (He also was a royal jerk otherwise, but Admin didn't hesitate to make an example of him.)

This place is definitely traipsing down the garden path to Hell; I only hope it doesn't get there before I leave. 

I brought in a meeting a while back up that the new version was basically a high-school level course and others agreed--not the administrators of course, but at least some of the other faculty did.  But the state doesn't value education, so I'm sure we'll keep dumbing it down.

We work at the same place, I see.  I'm eagerly awaiting the next RIF and the buyout that precedes it. I can't afford to retire for another 4 years, but I'll jump at the severance offer and skrimp and scrape to make it work. I always say they aren't going to make me mad enough to quit before I'm ready to go--they're either going to have to fire me or buy me out.

[Chemystery]

...I'm likely to have a chair not from my discipline and a dean who may have no experience in academics, i.e., someone from a CTE field). 

Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy?  That would explain a lot....

LOL!  Career Tech Ed--but unfortunately, at our place, there are a lot of similarities with a few of those folks!

Side note:  They have been keeping course shells alive for years since Covid (it used to be 8 weeks post grades), but I don't think they know I go in and empty out all the content.  I have slight paranoia about them taking the content and paying and adjunct or admin to "run" the course without me.

Careful with this, FishProf:  FWIW, a colleague did the same content-switching on his canned online classes here.  He had to go on medical leave unexpectedly last fall, and those who took over those classes from him told Admin about it, and he got in deep shit and was assigned to only F2F classes for Spring. He was "allowed" to resign, since he refused those classes. (He also was a royal jerk otherwise, but Admin didn't hesitate to make an example of him.)

This place is definitely traipsing down the garden path to Hell; I only hope it doesn't get there before I leave. 

I brought in a meeting a while back up that the new version was basically a high-school level course and others agreed--not the administrators of course, but at least some of the other faculty did.  But the state doesn't value education, so I'm sure we'll keep dumbing it down.

We work at the same place, I see.  I'm eagerly awaiting the next RIF and the buyout that precedes it. I can't afford to retire for another 4 years, but I'll jump at the severance offer and skrimp and scrape to make it work. I always say they aren't going to make me mad enough to quit before I'm ready to go--they're either going to have to fire me or buy me out.

I've often suspected from your posts that you are in the same state as I am.  If that's the case, I wonder if you could take a buy-out and then find another job for the state that qualifies in the pension plan until you're actually ready.  I'm not close enough for a buy-out, so I haven't bothered to look, but I can't say I haven't thought about options for when I get closer.

[evil_physics_witchcraft]

I just received an email from a student who missed the first two weeks of class because stu was on vacation. Stu informed me that stu will be attending class tomorrow. Um, no you won't because your dumbass was dropped for nonattendance. Wtf?