Prof wants to add more class??
 

My linear algebra professor wants to add a weekly class on Fridays, 4-5pm. We already meet every M/W/F for 50 minutes. She had mentioned something along these lines like a month ago, but I thought it was just a review session, or a one time thing. After class last week, it seems she wants to have another class every week.

This professor is probably the worst prof I have had. She is hard to understand, doesn't teach the right things, and manages her classroom time just horrendously (probably why she needs to add another class). I am almost positive that adding mandatory class (well maybe not mandatory, but just as important as the regularly scheduled class) is not something she can do, but do not know what my best course of action is.

I think I missed the first class day that she announced this, and for some reason the people that were at class that day didn't object and instead they figured out what day would work best for everyone. When I came in to class on Friday, she just announced when the first extra class would be.

I could tell her the time doesn't work for me, but I think she'll just tell me to get notes from a classmate. Talking to some dean is my other option, but I don't know who would be best to go to. If possible, I would like to find a solution that has the nice property of making it so this professor does not do anymore teaching.

Re: Prof wants to add more class??
 

go to a higher up in the math dept

Re: Prof wants to add more class??
 

so to recap

1. you missed the first class where she mentioned this possibility.

2. you could tell her you have a conflict and just get the classnotes.

so what is the problem?

i have a class this semester that was put in the course catalog as 2-3:15 and when we got there, he said the class is actually going to be 2-3:50. from what i remember in college, professors can basically do whatever they want except hold mandatory classes during study week (of course they could just call them review sessions).


if you have a problem with how she teaches, write a letter to the dean AFTER the semester. it's too late for anything to happen this semester and you'll just look like a brat.

if she doesn't teach anything during class, then who cares if there is this extra class you're missing? just deal with it.

Re: Prof wants to add more class??
 

[ QUOTE ]
so to recap

1. you missed the first class where she mentioned this possibility.

2. you could tell her you have a conflict and just get the classnotes.

so what is the problem?

i have a class this semester that was put in the course catalog as 2-3:15 and when we got there, he said the class is actually going to be 2-3:50. from what i remember in college, professors can basically do whatever they want except hold mandatory classes during study week (of course they could just call them review sessions).


if you have a problem with how she teaches, write a letter to the dean AFTER the semester. it's too late for anything to happen this semester and you'll just look like a brat.

if she doesn't teach anything during class, then who cares if there is this extra class you're missing? just deal with it.

[/ QUOTE ]

Very much disagree. No one in the class will be pleased with this, and the prof will likely back down if enough of you speak up.

Re: Prof wants to add more class??
 

if she tells you to 'get the notes from someone else', do that, right?

sounds like [censored], for sure..

something along the lines of, 'i'm sorry, but i have to work those hours (or any other excuse you can think of) every friday, and i don't want to fall behind because i'm missing now mandatory classes. i was absent the day you discussed this, and now i feel like i'll be behind the eight ball the rest of the semester. i'd like to figure out a course of action with you, but if this is already set in stone, i think i'll have to talk to the math chairperson to further explore my options here..'

*shrug*

thing is, if you really did have a job and just weren't trying to get a headstart on getting drunk for the weekend, you'd be screwed, and i'd start to raise the possibility that she shouldn't be able to test you on anything learned in that 'extra class'..

report back, i'm interested to see how this plays out..

Re: Prof wants to add more class??
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
so to recap

1. you missed the first class where she mentioned this possibility.

2. you could tell her you have a conflict and just get the classnotes.

so what is the problem?

i have a class this semester that was put in the course catalog as 2-3:15 and when we got there, he said the class is actually going to be 2-3:50. from what i remember in college, professors can basically do whatever they want except hold mandatory classes during study week (of course they could just call them review sessions).


if you have a problem with how she teaches, write a letter to the dean AFTER the semester. it's too late for anything to happen this semester and you'll just look like a brat.

if she doesn't teach anything during class, then who cares if there is this extra class you're missing? just deal with it.

[/ QUOTE ]

Very much disagree. No one in the class will be pleased with this, and the prof will likely back down if enough of you speak up.

[/ QUOTE ]

I'd agree, but this line in the OP

[ QUOTE ]
I think I missed the first class day that she announced this, and for some reason the people that were at class that day didn't object and instead they figured out what day would work best for everyone.

[/ QUOTE ]

It's not as if this was sprung up last second. It seems that during the first class the professor said, "We are scheduled to meet MWF, however, there is a lot of content we need to get to, so towards the end of the semester it is likely that we need to add a fourth weekly class. What day/time works best for everyone?"

If this is the case, it seems completely reasonable, since she brought it up during the first class. Nobody complained then, so to complain now would be dumb, since she could say "You've known this was going to happen since day 1."

Re: Prof wants to add more class??
 

Typically, if it's not in the syllabus/catalog/etc, she can't do this. You should speak with the dept head/chair. If it is in the syllabus, you're screwed.

Re: Prof wants to add more class??
 

Ok, I was not very clear. When I said "I think I missed the first class day that she announced this", I did not mean the first day of the semester. I meant 4 days ago, Wednesday (which, from the way she was talking about it on Friday, was the first day that she mentioned adding another class).

This is not something I have known about since day 1, and is not at all part of the syllabus.

Re: Prof wants to add more class??
 

ganjasaurus rex, you should do an "ask me" thread in here, im sure there are a lot of things people in this forum would like to know about the other side of their academic lives.

Re: Prof wants to add more class??
 

tabako,

changes things imo. it definitely puts you in a bad position that the rest of your class didn't say anything.

professors are convinced that their subject is the most important thing in the world and rather than simply cut down what they cover, they add more classes. students don't give a [censored].

it would be a lot stronger if you actually had a time commitment, because then you could go to the dean with this.

Re: Prof wants to add more class??
 

Uhhh I would never take this sitting down. It's absurd to add extra class.

Re: Prof wants to add more class??
 

1. if this 'extra' class simply reviwed what was taught in the week as sort of a recap --->reasonable imo

2. if this 'extra' class covered content to be tested that wasnt covered in regular scheduled class-->absolutely unreasonable

personally i'd never let #2 happen. first tell the prof u dont personally approve. if that doesnt work (which it likely wont) go to the Dean or wutever

Re: Prof wants to add more class??
 

[ QUOTE ]
Ok, I was not very clear. When I said "I think I missed the first class day that she announced this", I did not mean the first day of the semester. I meant 4 days ago, Wednesday (which, from the way she was talking about it on Friday, was the first day that she mentioned adding another class).

This is not something I have known about since day 1, and is not at all part of the syllabus.

[/ QUOTE ]

Then you definitely have something to complain about and rightfully so.

The person to speak to is not the Dean (not yet). You should go to the dept head/chair first. If s/he doesn't help you, go to the Associate Dean. Then the Dean. Then the Provost (it shouldn't go this far).

If you make a stink about this (and you should), your prof will likely have to back down, since this was not in the syllabus and/or catalog. Lastly, you do not need the support of anyone else in your class during this process. You have rights, and it doesn't matter if your fellow classmates are too sheep-like to join you in protesting this addendum to the class.

Re: Prof wants to add more class??
 

[ QUOTE ]
My linear algebra professor wants to add a weekly class on Fridays, 4-5pm. We already meet every M/W/F for 50 minutes. She had mentioned something along these lines like a month ago, but I thought it was just a review session, or a one time thing. After class last week, it seems she wants to have another class every week.

This professor is probably the worst prof I have had. She is hard to understand, doesn't teach the right things, and manages her classroom time just horrendously (probably why she needs to add another class). I am almost positive that adding mandatory class (well maybe not mandatory, but just as important as the regularly scheduled class) is not something she can do, but do not know what my best course of action is.

I think I missed the first class day that she announced this, and for some reason the people that were at class that day didn't object and instead they figured out what day would work best for everyone. When I came in to class on Friday, she just announced when the first extra class would be.

I could tell her the time doesn't work for me, but I think she'll just tell me to get notes from a classmate. Talking to some dean is my other option, but I don't know who would be best to go to. If possible, I would like to find a solution that has the nice property of making it so this professor does not do anymore teaching.

[/ QUOTE ]

How good are you at linear algebra? If the material is easy for you, go to the professor and tell her you have a scheduling conflict, and get the notes from someone who went.

If you are struggling in the class, suck it up and go to the class.

If she plans on introducing new material, and these classes are not just review sessions, then the classes would seem to me to be mandatory. In this case you need to send a nicely worded email to the chair of the department asking if the department has regulations governing classes scheduled outside of what is on the official timetable. Whatever you do, do it with a nice tone. If you send an email to the chair, tell him/her that you work during those hours, and that missing the classes puts you at a distinct disadvantage.

I suspect that what she is doing isn't kosher or in line with departmental regulations. If you get no love from the chair, take your case to the dean of student affairs.

Finally, if the professor is tenured, nothing you do or say will make it so that she doesn't teach anymore, so don't think that is a battle you can win.

Re: Prof wants to add more class??
 

You have every right to be pissed. It's blatantly unfair. You're paying for this class, so you are the customer here. Keep it simple - just say this extra time conflicts with your schedule and wasn't mentioned during registration and it simply won't work. If you get any slack - go straight to the dean or head of the department.

Re: Prof wants to add more class??
 

[ QUOTE ]
You have every right to be pissed. It's blatantly unfair. You're paying for this class, so you are the customer here.

[/ QUOTE ]

Except don't use the language of consumerism, unless you want to see their heads asplode.

Re: Prof wants to add more class??
 

One of my favorite professors refused to have a review session. Her logic was thatevery student deserved to receive the exact same preparation for the exam. If she couldn't ensure that everyone could make the review session, the people who could not would be disadvantaged. The only time that is fair to hold class, in her opinion, was at the pre-set times that everyone signed up for to begin with- i.e. when class is reguarly scheduled. To hold extra session favors those who can make it etc etc.

I completely agree with this. However, there is probably nothing you can do in this situaton.

Re: Prof wants to add more class??
 

[ QUOTE ]
Finally, if the professor is tenured, nothing you do or say will make it so that she doesn't teach anymore, so don't think that is a battle you can win.

[/ QUOTE ]
Neither a tenured nor untenured faculty is going to get fired over something like this. And tenure has nothing to do with whether or not the dept head overrules the prof's decision. If the decision is not in line with dept/univ regulations, you will win if you go high enough.

Re: Prof wants to add more class??
 

Just don't go to the class. Its pretty simple to not show up and that way the professor can have her extra class and all the other students can attend if they want to. I'm sure others will be like you and skip it too.

Re: Prof wants to add more class??
 

Listen to Ganja, he knows whats up. I would also suggest your Registrar's Office because that's where I work and we are the people (at least at my school) that actually schedule the classes. There is more than likely rules against (or if not that, no rules for) arbitrarily creating additional class times, and these are the people that could help you find them.

Re: Prof wants to add more class??
 

I would have laughed in his face and walked out of the class when the prof said that...get the f**k outta that class