College professors who cancel classes before Thanksgiving - RANT

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why could you just not use the ticket you had bought? I would not pay some surcharge/mark up because my kid refused to leave school the next day. Why can't they chill for that night? You sound a bit indulgent.

Seriously! I don’t understand this thread. So your child ended up just chilling for an extra night- What’s the big deal?

Do you know what a rant is?

[Anonymous]

I cancelled my Tuesday class. Pretty sure I told the students at the beginning of the semester it was likely to be cancelled, but honestly, I expect early-20-somethings to make their own plans. If they plan to travel and can let me know with notice, I am fine with them missing, which is to say, if your kid wants to come home early and is mature enough to communicate their absence and complete their work they should do that.

For all of the "Teach the class!" people, that's nice in theory, but if 1/3 of the class is absent or leaving early for a flight, you just have to "Teach the class!" a second time....so...no thanks to that.

[Anonymous]

^^ No you don't. It's not high school. College kids who skip class shouldn't expect to have the material re-taught to them. Please let me know where you teach so that I can not send my kid there. I don't even agree with my middle school getting to take "re-tests" when their grades are low. What the heck?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My husband is a professor at UMd. Teachervone vlass this semester that is on Tues and Thurs evenings at 7.

He planned on teaching but university shut down dorms at 7 pm. Rather than asking kids to bring luggage etc to class, and try to leave from there at 830, he cancelled.

They shut down the dorms for Thanksgiving and kicked everyone out? Is every student there within driving distance?

[Anonymous]

OP, this bugged me at DC's school too. He always had classes scheduled for Wednesday afternoon that were invariably cancelled week of, and he could have come home a day earlier. He was able to rebook for the $75 fee a couple of times to at least come in the morning rather than Wednesday night. DC returned for a big rivalry football game played the Saturday of T'giving weekend in 2 of the 4 years so it was already a short trip home so the extra day on the front end made a difference.

[Anonymous]

My DD asked her professors if she could miss Monday's and Tuesday's classes';they were ok with it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My husband is a professor at UMd. Teachervone vlass this semester that is on Tues and Thurs evenings at 7.

He planned on teaching but university shut down dorms at 7 pm. Rather than asking kids to bring luggage etc to class, and try to leave from there at 830, he cancelled.

They shut down the dorms for Thanksgiving and kicked everyone out? Is every student there within driving distance?

this is the one rant worthy thing is this thread! I could never afford to fly home for T-giving and always hung out in my dorm (where I lived-where else would I go). There absolutely should have been food service on Wednesday all day. I would complain about that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, this bugged me at DC's school too. He always had classes scheduled for Wednesday afternoon that were invariably cancelled week of, and he could have come home a day earlier. He was able to rebook for the $75 fee a couple of times to at least come in the morning rather than Wednesday night. DC returned for a big rivalry football game played the Saturday of T'giving weekend in 2 of the 4 years so it was already a short trip home so the extra day on the front end made a difference.

Thanks. I looked into rebooking, and it was going to be $800.

For us (despite all the comments about "so what if he comes the original day) having him sit around far from home without classes was a bummer - other members of the family had flown to us for the holiday, and the visits schedules barely overlapped.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My DD asked her professors if she could miss Monday's and Tuesday's classes';they were ok with it.

THAT is chutzpah!

I suppose my kid's professors might have said the same, but there is no way my kid would have chosen to miss a class for anything but illness or a funeral. At least in theory, there's learning going on.

When I taught college, I most certainly would have said "sure" if someone asked me because I would expect grownups to make their own beds. I certainly wouldn't have gone out of my way to help make the missed material available. Are you worried about the attendance check or the content?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I cancelled my Tuesday class. Pretty sure I told the students at the beginning of the semester it was likely to be cancelled, but honestly, I expect early-20-somethings to make their own plans. If they plan to travel and can let me know with notice, I am fine with them missing, which is to say, if your kid wants to come home early and is mature enough to communicate their absence and complete their work they should do that.

For all of the "Teach the class!" people, that's nice in theory, but if 1/3 of the class is absent or leaving early for a flight, you just have to "Teach the class!" a second time....so...no thanks to that.

I taught college. I never canceled. I didn't reteach the material either.

I did reschedule when Yom Kippur conflicted with the assigned time, but that's about me. And yes, that was on the syllabus.

[Anonymous]

The college parent group I’m in is full of posts angry that professors had the nerve to teach classes this week.

I guess they forgot that they paid for the class already.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am with you on this one. DD is freshman and every single one of her classes was cancelled on M,T, & W. They think they are doing a favor for the out of state kids, but they are not. I rebooked a new flight at a $200 change fee plus the flight cost almost $100 more to fly her home last Friday so she did not have to sit in largely empty dorm for 5 days with nothing to do.

They don't think they're doing a favor to the out-of-state kids who need to fly. They think they're doing a favor to the kids who close enough to drive, which at most colleges will be most kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am with you on this one. DD is freshman and every single one of her classes was cancelled on M,T, & W. They think they are doing a favor for the out of state kids, but they are not. I rebooked a new flight at a $200 change fee plus the flight cost almost $100 more to fly her home last Friday so she did not have to sit in largely empty dorm for 5 days with nothing to do.

Really concerned that your 18 year old didnMt know how to occupy herself for 5 days without the structure of her class schedule. She couldn’t study, read a book, volunteer, see a movie, go for walks, visit a museum, work out, etc. considering that most kids go almost straight into finals, that was a wasted opportunity to study without distractions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am with you on this one. DD is freshman and every single one of her classes was cancelled on M,T, & W. They think they are doing a favor for the out of state kids, but they are not. I rebooked a new flight at a $200 change fee plus the flight cost almost $100 more to fly her home last Friday so she did not have to sit in largely empty dorm for 5 days with nothing to do.

Really concerned that your 18 year old didnMt know how to occupy herself for 5 days without the structure of her class schedule. She couldn’t study, read a book, volunteer, see a movie, go for walks, visit a museum, work out, etc. considering that most kids go almost straight into finals, that was a wasted opportunity to study without distractions.

Oh don’t be so obtuse. When everyone else has gone home to their families campuses can be depressing. I’m sure PPs kid could occupy herself but hanging around by yourself when everyone else is home with their families is no fun.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The college parent group I’m in is full of posts angry that professors had the nerve to teach classes this week.

I guess they forgot that they paid for the class already.

What college parent group?