<p>I just got the most outrageous phone call from my son. He's attending the a residential dual enrollment program where students get high school credit for for taking college courses at one of the state universities. While most of the first year classes are only for their program in their second year they normally take classes with regular college students.</p>
<p>Today he and the rest of his class were surprised to discover his World Lit professor had created a "special" final strictly for the students in her class in my son's program. She handed out one test for the regular students and gave my son and about a dozen other kids in his program a completely different one. The special final was much harder, very different from any test they'd seen in the class, and did not include the questions for extra credit the regular test did. No one was prepared for the test they got and I understand most are concerned that this will drop their final grades significantly.</p>
<p>I'm stunned. So apparently was the dean of my son's school. This professor apparently thinks the kids are too young and immature to be in college (the school has had discipline problems with the junior/freshman class) and decided that since these kids were "special" they should get a special test. My son says the prof has repeatedly made fun of kids in the program and has been verbally abusive towards them. This is part of some lingering animosity between the school and the rest of the university; I understand the dean of the College of Arts and Sciences isn't talking to the dean of our school. </p>
<p>The students in the class are organizing a group to see if they have any recourse on this. They've been to their dean and to the Dean of Students but weren't offered much more than sympathy. The kids are concerned they're just going to get screwed. </p>
<p>I said in the Overparenting thread that I hadn't ever called a professor on behalf of my son, but I'm thinking of making an exception. If I don't just go straight to the president of the university. Have you ever heard of anything like this? Am I over reacting?</p>
<p>I'm still not completely understanding the situation. If the students in your son's program are in the same classroom, but registered under a different course designation (which is one possibility, in some dual-enrollment programs I know), there may not be a good legalistic argument against what the professor did. And if some kids in the program are causing problems, the professor may be entitled to her opinion, however unfair that is to your son, and to other participants who I presume are working hard and not being disruptive. </p>
<p>My son is in a commuter program with some similar characteristics. </p>
<p>I contact the program office, which is the point of contact for parents of kids in that program, when I have questions or concerns (which are rare). I would want to go through normal parent channels first before going higher up in the chain of command. </p>
<p>I feel for you, Strick. I've heard of concerns about the relationship between programs for high schoolers and regular college students elsewhere; often high schoolers are seen to be taking up space and other resources that should go to college students.
I think it's wrong for the prof to be treating the high school students differently. If she has issues with specific individuals, they should be identified and even, if necessary, expelled from the program; but the blanket penalizing of all high schoolers by means of a harder exam is wrong.
I agree that, as a first step, the high schoolers should make representations to the deans of the program--both of the college and of their originating high school. If that does not work, parents should make their concerns known to both sets of deans.
Normally, college profs have wide latitude in how they handle their classes. But it is very possible to make a case that the relationship between the high school (s) and the college is at stake here; that may lead to a reconsideration of the exams and grades in the course. Good luck to you and your son.</p>
<p>"If the students in your son's program are in the same classroom, but registered under a different course designation (which is one possibility, in some dual-enrollment programs I know), there may not be a good legalistic argument against what the professor did."</p>
<p>No, they're all taking the same course, no difference between them at all. Technically my son is enrolled in the university like everyone else and he's taking a number of courses from the regular university catalog.</p>
<p>Thanks for the comments, guys.</p>
<p>That's pretty much what we were thinking, marite. The kids are indignant and organized so we'll see what happens. The Dean agrees this kind of behavior threatens the existance of the whole program (though a lot of things are as usual).</p>
<p>FYI, just went to the school's website and found a list of Student Academic Rights and the Grades Appeal Procedure. I assume appealing is a last resort kind of action, but you never know how ugly things are going to get.</p>