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Hello, a friend of mine is currently involved in a dilemma and from what I hear and from my "objective" questioning I sense some unethical conduct on behalf of one or more of the parties involved.
Okay. My friend has a disability and is able to schedule tests at times different from the rest of the class. And it is a legitimate disability not contested ones like ADD or ADHD. She had asked her Biology professor to schedule a test for a Monday. The professor had insisted it be on the Friday before. And in order to get this special permission the student must get permission from the Office of Student Disabilities (OSD).
My friend asked for permission from the OSD to take it on that monday. The OSD Secretary (Who has issued such changes before) told the student that they sent a letter to the Biology professor, indicating my friend could indeed take it on the Monday requested.
However, the Biology professor informed my friend that OSD never contacted her professor and so was supposed to take the test on Friday. The professor wants my friend to write an apology letter to the OSD, for not informing them and lying to the professor for saying she did. BUT, she did in fact tell the OSD to take the test on the monday. And the OSD indicated it told the professor about the situtation.
And so if she does not write the letter of apology she receives a "0" on the test.
I asked my friend if maybe she didn't allow enough time for the bureacracy to process and she thinks there was enough time. My friend claims the OSD and professor have in fact been communicating and she thinks that both parties think she should have taken it on friday( i write this early sunday).
So it seems like she should swallow her pride and write the letter and take the test on monday right? I dont know if there are more details because this is not happening to me.
However, my friend is considering to take this to the head of the Biology Department and the Head of Student Services. I informed her that I am willing to be present at these meetings to be a witness if any other possible unethical conducts happens.
I should add that my friend thinks that student disabilites does not "like" her but it seems silly that they would not inform the professor even still.
Please share your thoughts and be brutally honest. Perspectives from students and faculty would be great. Thanks....
This revolves around the secretary she spoke to, and what her perspective is. If she insists that there was no letter sent, your friends looks bad, though the professor insisting on writing a letter of apology sounds demeaning and petty. She should probably do as asked then follow up with the higher-ups. Going as a witness is a good idea.
In the future, she should make her requests in writing, via email, as well as in person.
I agree. The insistence that your friend apologize and essentially admit that she lied is not only petty but it will constitute proof that she lied if she writes the letter, which she is essentially being coerced into doing (i.e. if she doesn't write the letter, she receives a zero). Moreover, it sounds as if the prof has a personal issue with your friend; there doesn't need to be this much drama over rescheduling a test. The prof could very easily say that the whole issue has been a misunderstanding and allow your friend to take the test, maybe even with ten points deducted for not having submitted her request in writing. But a "0"? That is excessive.
Secretaries usually keep copies of all materials sent. If the secretary has no copy of the letter, then she is at fault (clearly, it means that it was never sent or, at least, it is possible that it was never sent). I advise your friend to hold the secretary as accountable for the error. I would also ask the prof to prove that he/she did not receive the letter; this will illustrate that, in such a situation, it is very easy to imply that someone is lying b/c they don't have "proof." If the prof still insists that your friend is lying and that she apologize, she should take the matter to the dean or, even, a lawyer.
My son has a learning disability. As maf763 said, an email trail is very important. It came in handy last month when he had to have additional testing at his OSD to satisfy the State Board of Regents regarding his accommodations. Even though he had personally delivered letters excusing him from the first two days of class, two of his professors dropped him.
He had followed the letters up with emails, and also had responses from the professors stating they had received the letters.
But, even with his accommodations, he must abide by the regular test schedule. He gets extended time, not extended days to take the test.
I wouldn't make an issue of it. Use it as a learning experience, write the apology (although I agree it seems petty), and move on. Dealing with quirky professors is a part of college.
I should add that my friend thinks that student disabilites does not "like" her but it seems silly that they would not inform the professor even still.
Please share your thoughts and be brutally honest. Perspectives from students and faculty would be great. Thanks....
Go Saints!
Is this whole story a part of your friends disability? It seems a little over the top to me.
An email trail is very important for when things like this happen.
1. Most universities require that the student inform the professor of disabilities and necessary accommodations during the first week of class. Did you friend do that? Cases like this are why that rule is in place (at least - it was a rule everywhere I have taught)
2. The professor was very unprofessional to accuse the student of dishonesty and trying to force her to write a letter. If I was the student, I would email the professor a detailed explanation of why and copy the OSD (both the secretary and her supervisor).
3. The secretary at the OSD should have a paper trail. It is possible that she was negligent, in which case she needs to be reprimanded for trying to cover it up.
An email trail is very important for when things like this happen.
The email trail *IS* critical here. Also cruail: the letter that OSD sent to the professor about taking the exam on Monday. Does your friend have a copy of this?
Something to keep in mind here is that the controlling law in this situation -- the Americans with Disabilities Act -- requires that universities make "reasonable accommodations" for disabled students. "Reasonable" is obviously subjective, but it certainly means flexibility in testing procedures.
Why did your friend insist on Monday and not Friday? I ask becasue I can see at least one potential fault here by your friend: insisting that she take the exam on Monday and refusing to take it on Friday as offered by the professor. By offering the exam at an alternative date from the class, the professor could be construed to have made a reasonable accommodation in accordance with ADA. Unless your friend had a bona fide schedule conflict -- which she should have immediately informed the professor about when he suggested Friday -- then I see no reason why she should not take the exam at that time. Always keep this in mind: the university must be reasonably accommodating for disabled students; it does not have to bend over backwards to schedule the exam whenever your friend wants.
But here's where the professor is WAY out of line: they cannot require that your friend write any letter of apology; the professor CANNOT force your friend so say something (which is what such a letter would be...it would force her to say something against their will). That is wrong -- the prof. cannot do that.
OSD is critical here to your friend's situation. If OSD states that they informed the prof. but the prof. did not agree to Monday then your friend could have little or no recourse. And given this mixup (and the fact that she questions whetehre someone in that office dislikes her), in the future I think your friend would be wise to make all communications with OSD in email, allowing for a paper trail.
Your friend should respectfully talk to the department chair and explain this situation. If she goes in with a chip-on-her-shoulder or an attitude, she will get nowhere. Too many students start off such efforts with a very hostile or arrogant attitude and let me tell you, that will backfire big time.
If the Chair does nothing to clear this up, then your friend should talk to the Dean. All meetings etc. should be done via email to create a paper trail. And a followup email of all meetings clarifying that which BOTH PARTIES said should also be sent to get it on the record and in the paper trail.
If there is one mistake students make in dealing with such situations is recordkeeping. "Who did you talk to?" they will be asked. "I don't know," comes the usual response. "When did you talk with this person?" Response: "Uhhhh...I think it was a Tuesday, but I'm not sure." Question: "What did this person tell you?" Answer: "They told me x, y, and z." But there is no record of that -- not even a name of a person or a date -- and because the student does not know who they talked to, no one in the office remembers promising x, y, and z. And even if they remember the person, unless it was written somewhere it means nothing.
At my school, we do not have an OSD, but yet an ADA Director instead. He does have a secretary, well, his office does, but he handles everything directly.
Also, at my school, the student can meet with the ADA Director at anytime during the semester, present their case with any and all supporting materials, the ADA Director either deems a legitimate disability exists or not, they discuss any possible accommodations that the student may need and the ADA Director then informs all of the students profs of the situation. From that point on, the student would deal directly with their profs if they need to be accommodated.
I think that it is ridiculous that a student would require 'permission' from OSD every single time when the issue-situation-is already known, documented, and approved.
I think that it is ridiculous that a student would require 'permission' from OSD every single time when the issue-situation-is already known, documented, and approved.
Who said they did? The documentation is provided at the beginning of each semester. After that, things should be fairly seamless.
The student, however, should be their own advocate in dealing with the professors. If they can't do that, then perhaps they don't belong in college.
Who said they did? The documentation is provided at the beginning of each semester. After that, things should be fairly seamless.
"The OSD Secretary (Who has issued such changes before) told the student that they sent a letter to the Biology professor, indicating my friend could indeed take it on the Monday requested."
I guess that the bolded sentence is ambiguous. When I read it this morning, I read it to say that the secretary issued test-date changes for the OPs friend before.
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