Then why have the classes at all? Why not have everyone test out at the beginning? Why not just have online classes with no discussions?
On CC, the big argument is always that an elite college is worth the extra money because of all the connections you make, because of the fascinating discussions that take place in small classes. If those smart kids with all the connections have already mastered the material and they don’t show up, what do the others get from going to the elite school? Might as well go to Bob’s U. and skip all classes.
I think schools should encourage all profs to stick to the published schedule. My daughter is a senior this semester and only has classes on T- Th. The have been cancelled (all 4 of them) at least 3-4 times this semester. It’s worked out for her because she is really over college and says that one required class is the same another required class was last year. I asked her if she thought she was getting her money’s worth and she said no.
If there’s some sort of expectation regarding attendance then when students struggle – and they do at both elite and non-elite colleges – then the Dean can point to attendance as part of the issue. Without it, students get stuck on the fact that no attendance expectations were given which, to some of them, means it’s totally optional.
Another POV: When I was in school, I would always welcome these “inconveniences.” As mentioned above, the time almost alone is ideal for getting things done, and more than once I even used this as an excuse to come home a little later. Tuesday at college was quiet. Tuesday at home was chaotic.
My kids went to a large “elite” college. Their professors were accommodating when students took time off due to illness, family emergency and even extra days for holidays. They really just didn’t seem as concerned or as tough as some CC professors when students missed a day here or there. Some professors had rules on how many classes students could miss and some just didn’t care. I personally think it is very high schoolish to track student’s attendance. When I was in college, my professors also didn’t track our attendances, but I showed up because I knew how much each class was worth and I also knew if I missed too many classes I would really fall behind.
Attendance helps colleges track the reason why graduation rates aren’t as high as they want them to be. Are students dropping out because of money problems (sometimes that can be managed with outreach and emergency funding), are there problems getting into too many prereq classes and then throwing off the whole schedule (that can sometimes be fixed), are they not going to their advisor? Or are they just not going to class? It’s helpful data to know.
Professors should not cancel class before a holiday – no matter how few students stick around. It’s irresponsible and rude.
Course credits are set up either by the number of contact hours in a class and/or by the amount of work that is required of the students; in the first case, unless the professor is making up the time elsewhere, students are being shortchanged.
My H has not cancelled a class in the 25 years I’ve known him – in situations in which he has had to absent himself (conferences, etc.), he prepares the class and arranges for someone to take it over.
Exactly, @PetraMC . @oldfort , the average Cornell kid is more self-directed, and more prepared, with more likelihood of not being first-gen college, who’s been brought up all their life to know “how to student.”
That’s just not the case in your average directional. It’s much more uneven. And especially now when, for other outside pressure reasons, high schools are giving more and more special, extra chances for everything, so allowing low expectations of effort. In short, I end up being where the buck stops. Yes, it may seem harsh. But the alternative is either --keep them passing along, like many high schools feel they have to do whether students are prepared or not, or let many more fail.
Neither of those is a great choice. Creating coherent, structured expectations is actually the best way to educate students as to what college is, and help them leave as truly educated graduates.
I hope all those used to picking and choose when to go to class or if a class is important are prepared for a job where that isn’t the case. I worked in a finance company where not only did we work the Wednesday before thanksgiving but the Friday after. If you wanted either day off, you had to take the entire week (we had to take our vacations in week blocks) and only if your supervisor approved it. Yep, even the vice presidents had to follow the rules.
Seems like the original complaint where the class’s schedule change reduces the time constraint on the student is much less of an issue than a hypothetical schedule change that imposes a greater time constraint on the student (for example, if a class decided to have an exam at a non-regularly-scheduled time without announcing it no later than the beginning of the class, or preferably before registration).
My kid goes to a school across the country. When we discussed his flight home he insisted on being available for his Tuesday night lab (6 - 8 PM) and wouldn’t leave early. Thats OK - thats what he is there for and that’s what I’m paying for. If the lab gets cancelled, he gets to slide into vacation mode early and come home a little more relaxed. This is just part of the experience.
less of a time constraint and more of a financial constraint is imposed by last minute schedule changes. Professors should not expect to have it both ways-if the class is really important and they expect attendance, then hold it, regardless of the timing. If it can be cancelled, that can be announced in September as well as in November. There are few work emergencies that require last minute holiday schedule changes, and frankly, I can’t imagine any in academia.
There’s no financial constraint if the student stays on campus. Just do as others have suggested-get the laundry done, clean the room, and get a jump on whatever work they’re going to have to do over break anyway.
I think profs want the flexibility to cancel if they are ahead on their syllabus when the holiday gets close. They are just kind of thoughtless about the impact on travel plans for students.
I have always looked at it as part of the adulting process, even when I was in college. Yes I had Wednesday before Thanksgiving classes and as a result had to leave campus late the day before the holiday or even traveling on the holiday. I also had those same classes cancelled the week before and either scrambling to change travel plans or dealing with it since I had been planning to be on campus that day for months.
This served me well when I had my first post college job. My company was open until 6:00 on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving and on Christmas Eve. Due to the nature of the business we were typically not out of the office until closer to 6:30. I was an 8 hour drive (no way could I afford to fly in those days) from family and would frequently not arrive “home” until 2:00am or later on the morning of the holiday. It was brutal but based off of the college experience it had become the norm for my family and everyone had adjusted. Overall we relished the time we had together over the holidays recognizing that even though the schedule was not ideal we were fortunate compared to many others that could not be together over the holidays (medical professionals, military, first responders, etc.).
If a late class session is cancelled, that does not require a costly airline ticket change, since the student just has some extra free time before the flight. That is different from an unexpected late added class session which may require a costly airline ticket change for those who assumed that all of their classes would finish earlier when they bought the ticket.
I would be annoyed as well – two of our girls go far away and have to fly and we hate that the Thanksgiving break is so short (and trying to fly on Wed for goodness sake); and then they have the silly short fall break.
Sometimes it helps to be reminded that there are kids the same age as your kids on a dangerous base in Afghanistan, on an aircraft carrier in the South China Sea, or in an underground bunker somewhere in the Middle East monitoring the Syrian carnage. We no longer have a draft- so every single one of these kids has volunteered. None of them are going home for Thanksgiving. I find it helps me gain perspective to remember that when my kids don’t come home for a holiday (too expensive, too much work, the airports and train stations are too crazy on a holiday weekend, not enough time to make it “worth” the trip) there are other parents out there with even more reason to be missing their kids. So yeah, frustrating that your kid’s trip could have been longer. But she’s coming home and I’ll bet you guys will have a blast!