Whacko professor

<p>D is taking an intro language course in a language in which she is considering a major. Prof is whacked. Stuff like: she will tell the class about a quiz on Wed, and then give it on Tuesday. A 1.5 hour final exam during the last day of class (class is 50 minutes), and some students (inc D) have a class right after. When approached, the prof flipped out, but made arrangement for D to come back after her last class to finish up. According to provost rules, an exam cannot last longer than the allotted class time.
Decided day before last day of class to have orals- and flipped out when D said she didn't have time to take due to other classes and finishing exam. Prof is very ticked off to have to come in next week for the oral. What does she get paid for?</p>

<p>Of course if this had happened in HS I would have been on the phone and/or stomped in to complain. D has to handle. I stressed that she really needs to speak to the undergrad chair about this- starting with positive, and then recounting the problems.</p>

<p>Does the professor have tenure? =&lt;/p>

<p>Ouch. I hope she goes to the undergrad director, especially about the overly long exam! Though I'm not quite sure how they expect professors to give decent finals in only the class time; isn't there a finals period?</p>

<p>My guess it's a prof who wants to go on vacation early. Where I work, we are required to meet during the allotted final time, whether we are giving a test then or not. It cuts down that kind of stuff.</p>

<p>There sure is a finals period, and it is stated clearly in the Provost rules that exams cannot exceed the class time, if given during class. D is very upset that the teacher "flipping out" may affect her grade.</p>

<p>This certainly is worth complaining about, particularly if several students complain. It's also a good idea to do it before the student knows his/her grade, so it won't look like she is complaining in response to a particular grade.</p>

<p>Many/most universities have regulations that do not allow any kind of test other than a chapter test (ie. no comprehensive anything) during the last week of regular classes. However, I also know that in many institutions any number of professors ignore the rule. The rules were instituted to be fair to students and to faculty in other disciplines, and if no one ever complains about violations, things will never change.</p>

<p>In one private university where I taught, it was the business dept. that routinely gave 2-hr. finals during the last week of class. I taught a foreign language, and I was never able to do much that last week, because invariably several of my students had a final that conflicted with one of my classes. If business was their major and there was a 2-hr final in a 50-min. slot, and the prof didn't allow any makeups, in good conscience, I wasn't going to penalize my students who were in my elective class by being hard-nosed about them missing a class. </p>

<p>It was one thing that always riled me enormously but that I was never able to doing anything about.</p>

<p>Just found out the teacher yelled at my D in front of the entire class for making her come in on Monday so D could finish the written and oral! Other students went up to her afterward and asked if my D was OK. Fortunately she is used to being yelled at by Russians (many of her ballet teachers were from Russia), so wasn't too upset. I'm the one who is really angry.</p>

<p>Dufay:</p>

<p>Your D should report the incident to a dean or chair of the department. Not in the form of a formal complaint but more an enquiry whether your D was out of line for asking the teacher to let her finish the 1.5 exam another day. She can ask for a clarification of rule and then say that the teacher yelled at her. The teacher's behavior is unacceptable both in requiring an exam lasting longer than the class and in berating your D. Your D might be able to secure someone to see that she is not penalized by the prof. The prof needs to be reminded that the rules are there for both faculty and students.</p>

<p>Don't any of the other students have conflicts as well? Why is this prof directing her anger only at your D?</p>

<p>I think she was the first to raise her hand and address the problem of giving a final exam longer than the class time.</p>

<p>Was this ever resolved? What a sucky situation for your D, dufay!</p>

<p>She completed her written exam and took the oral on the Monday following the final exam in class. She emailed the undergrad chair, but never heard back. Ended up with an "A" in the class after all this, but it was stressful.</p>

<p>I had the same problem with a language prof and I go to a free college so I couldnt complain. Get this, my advisor, signed me a week later for the class since here in my college if u want take more than 4 classes, u are required to wait for a week. So the dear prof lowered my grade cause according to him I have 5 absence even though I was not registered yet. And I missed points since supposedly I did not take the quizes that were held tht week. Went I asked for makeup quizes, he told me it was not fair to other students. I felt frustated by this man for I was making straight As in all other classes.</p>