update from Fab

I've asked Bubba to close this site so I can restart the old one. Except we are going to call it CollegeMizery. We start Saturday, April 1. Here is the new front page. And memberships are $9.

From Frankie Bow: When a student doesn't “like to be told what words [she] may and may not use, ever.”

Student turns in a paper that doesn't fulfill the assignment, gets a bad grade, sues the university. 

In an email exchange with the department chair, she declared that she didn’t “like to be told what words [she] may and may not use, ever.”

For the time being, the university has prevailed.

The story reminded me of a student I had a while back who, before the semester started, threatened to
sue professors who had cell phone bans on their syllabi. He had his side business from his cell phone, you see, and it was apparently of vital importance that he stay connected at all times. To forbid him that lifeline was, in his words, "financial discrimination" or some such thing.

After consulting with our administration and being assured that in case of a lawsuit, he would be left to twist in the wind, one colleague removed the no-cell-phones policy from his syllabus.

I left mine in, and marked the student down for using his phone during a closed-book quiz.

This did not affect his final grade, as the deducted points would have moved him from a low C to a high C.

No matter.

The student filed a grievance against me after grades were turned in; my students reported to me that he was telling his classmates and my colleagues how he was confident that he was going to "take me down."

The grievance did not go his way, but the process made my semester rather unpleasant.

What's your pathologically-entitled-student (/colleague/administrator/staff member/trustee) story?  

--Frankie Bow

Speedy Exchange, from Wombat of the Copier

Student:  When are your office hours? I would like to discuss my grade.

WotC:   I can't fucking believe I have literally announced my office hours at the start and end of every fucking class for the last 5 fucking classes and you actually just fucking asked me this, but ok, they are W, X, Y & Z.  But if you just want to discuss your grade, that's not something that requires office hours, we can do it via e-mail. I'll go first:  What I like about your grade is that it's a 2 digit prime number, both digits of which are also prime.  What I don't like about it is that neither digit is a 7. I think it would have been so much cooler if one of the digits was a 7.  Ok, that's enough from me, your turn.  What are your thoughts about your grade?  I love discussions, don't you?

(potentially) free book

Yesterday, Inside Higher Ed published an interview with the authors of a book about "the soul of the university."  That reminded me of another book with a similar title--"In the Company of Scholars: The Struggle for the Soul of Higher Education," by Julius Getman--which was well-received by some.

So we're giving away a brand new copy of Getman's book.  Hard copy.  Mint condition.  Never been opened.  Never been touched by human hands.  And you might be wondering how someone could have a brand-spanking-new copy of a book that was published 25 years ago. . . .

Just guess what you think will be the highest number in the April 5 Lotto Texas drawing.  (For example, on March 25, the highest number was 48.)  You'll receive the book FREE if your guess is the closest to the actual highest number in the drawing on April 5.  Just put your guess in the comments below.

Terms and conditions may apply.  For example, I reserve the right to void this whole thing if there's a tie between two people, so just don't guess what someone else guessed.  Also, this is only open to people/personas/avatars who clearly have previously posted or commented in one of the RYS progeny blogs.  And if someone outside the U.S. wins, this book is getting shipped to your best friend in the states.

Let the games begin!  Or, alternatively, you may choose not to participate if you want to make the author feel bad.  You have choices.

Sincerely,
Real Gosh-darned Moderator

P.s.  Experts predict that you are 973 times more likely to win this book than to win a gift card from Pearson.

Textbook Yuks

The two cultures (a variation on the theme)

Free college on the inside.

Expensive college on the outside.

Almost makes a person want to get incarcerated.

NPR, at it again.

Hopeful, Idealistic, Monday Magic

If you could wave a magic wand and make today the ideal day at your school, what would be most noticeably different from last week?

"College is the great leveler of American life, and the great divider, too." (NYTimes)

Article in the New York Times

by Anemona Hartocollis

about students

named

TaTy’Terria Gary

Nate Triggs

Zac Shaner

"College is great."

“College is my, like, Plan B.”

"College feels borderline out of reach."

The link to the article.

Fab Memes it Up!

Uggy from Utica sends in a speedy rant

only worth feeding children if they ace their standardized tests


Mulvaney has the same attitude as DeVos and Trump: schools and universities aren't here for public service. Public schools are
dumping grounds for kids who landed on the Got To Go list at Success Academy. Why spend guv'mint money on unprofitable kids?