Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I'll try to simplify this scenario: Community college program classes, summer semester. Two classes in question, Class A and Class B for simplicity.
Class A runs from 8:00am to 12:40pm, and Class B begins at 1:00pm and runs till 3:40pm.
All students are in both classes, these classes are part of a program curriculum. There is an exam in Class B on this day, at 1:00pm.
During Class A, instructor for Class B walks in and walks through the class looking around while Instructor A teaches. This happens a few times and Instructor B eventually writes a message on the dry erase board at the back of the class that read:
"Anyone caught studying for the exam in my class, during this class, will be counted absent for the entire day and have 10 points docked from their test score".
Instructor in Class A began the day joking that he would probably not have a very captive audience because he knew people wanted to do last minute studying for the test at 1pm.
My question is this: Would instructor B have ANY authority to actually dock 10 points off someone's test score because they were basically not paying to attention in another class? And then the "you will be counted absent for the entire day" comment, seems totally un-enforceable.
He interrupted the other instructors class at least 4 times to walk around and look over people's shoulders, and to peep in the door, monitoring to see if people were using Class A time to study for Class B test. Instructor B is the program director, and an instructor. Instructor A walks on eggshells around Instructor B who is basically his superior. Yes, these are long classes, and people get bored, tired, etc and only get a 20 minute break for lunch. Instructor A actually finished over an hour early but is afraid to let the class out early because the director, Instructor B, thinks no one should ever be let out early, and he makes it a point to hold class over late almost every day!
As program director, it's pretty likely that he has carte blanche to set up whatever requirements he wants.
I do think that if you are unprepared for an exam later in the day and really need the additional study time, doing so on your own time, not another instructor's, is appropriate. If you want to treat an instructor's class like a study hall, and use it to work on another class while he or she is instructing, don't be surprised if you are considered absent, for that instructor's purposes.
Getting "bored" and "tired" is not a valid excuse to check out and start working on another class's work.
I can't speak to the reasons or excuses as to why people chose to study, but obviously someone was. I think they pay to be there, and as long as you are present, and sitting at your desk you can't be counted absent. Program director of not, he doesn't have the authority to count people absent when they are not. I also don't believe he has any legal ground to stand on had he actually tried to dock 10 points from anyone.
I think they pay to be there, and as long as you are present, and sitting at your desk you can't be counted absent .
While they may be physically present, they are not paying attention in THAT class and are mentally checked out. I don't blame him at all.
When you become a program director, you can do things differently. Or, you just might find that if you are teaching, you want your students to pay attention too!
Nope. If you show up and are on your laptop finishing a paper for another class, cramming for another test, etc., you're no more "there" than if you're sitting at home doing the same. You're just taking up a seat.
If you suspect that any instructor and/or the program director does not have any right to conduct the program in the way they choose, you could probably find a dean to talk to, but I suspect you'd be barking up the wrong tree. In my master's program, a variety of instructors do not allow phones, laptops, or tablets in class. Some do. I've personally witnessed, in the classes of the few who do allow devices, people sitting next to me doing basically what you mention...rather than participating in class or paying attention, they are writing a paper for another class, or completing online LMS assignments for other classes. In the classrooms of the professors who don't allow this, they'd be absolutely told to leave (and docked in whatever way their nonattendance involves), and go do their work elsewhere. I completely get it. It's not a study hall, and if you're not there for the class at hand, there's really no reason to be there. It's not really any functionally different than if you sat through class having an ongoing text messaging conversation, reading a novel or magazine, busting out a sewing project, etc.
Completing coursework requires more than paying, showing up, and taking up a seat, then progressing with your own personal activities, which seems to be something that a surprising number of people don't get or don't agree with. Paying tuition doesn't mean participation is optional.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
