Can professors force students to attend class in person?

[Anonymous]

My dd signed up for a class that is foundational to her learning path. The school was unclear about the mode of instruction till the last minute. Now the professor has made it mandatory that all students attend in person, with consequences if they don’t. The state I am in is a raging COVID hotspot and as a parent I am upset at this decision. I do not want my DD to face the risk of sitting in class. It’s a 2 hr class to boot and I can’t fathom how she can focus with a mask on her face, for that long. What is a logical way to address this with the school, without losing my mind?

[Anonymous]

They cannot force your daughter to show up in person. They can make passing the course dependent on attendance, and she can chose not to take the course.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:They cannot force your daughter to show up in person. They can make passing the course dependent on attendance, and she can chose not to take the course.

As I mentioned before, this is a critical class for her course path. I am so pissed at how rigid they are in a sucky situation like this. Worried sick! She is commuting from home, which puts us all at risk.

[Anonymous]

Just call her doctor and get a note saying she has compromised immunity and must be excused from in-person classes. Its like getting a note from the eye doctor to get out of swim in gym.

And people can ABSOLUTELY focus with a mask on for two hours. How the f*ck do you think surgeons perform surgery?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just call her doctor and get a note saying she has compromised immunity and must be excused from in-person classes. Its like getting a note from the eye doctor to get out of swim in gym.

And people can ABSOLUTELY focus with a mask on for two hours. How the f*ck do you think surgeons perform surgery?

We'll, they aren't focused. They are just kind of meandering around, looking at the ways, dazed from hypoxia.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just call her doctor and get a note saying she has compromised immunity and must be excused from in-person classes. Its like getting a note from the eye doctor to get out of swim in gym.

And people can ABSOLUTELY focus with a mask on for two hours. How the f*ck do you think surgeons perform surgery?

I don’t know if that will help her unless they offer the class virtually( which they are not!). She still needs those credits. They promised a hybrid version and back tracked on that

[Anonymous]

^^looking at the walls

Unfortunately, everyone in the surgical suite is masked the full time -- you have to wear a mask even to enter the area, much less the OR rooms -- so they are all totally unable to reorient the surgeon. It's been a disaster for the last 50 years or more.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just call her doctor and get a note saying she has compromised immunity and must be excused from in-person classes. Its like getting a note from the eye doctor to get out of swim in gym.

And people can ABSOLUTELY focus with a mask on for two hours. How the f*ck do you think surgeons perform surgery?

You don't lie about a health situation that doesn't exist. You take it at a different school or wait.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just call her doctor and get a note saying she has compromised immunity and must be excused from in-person classes. Its like getting a note from the eye doctor to get out of swim in gym.

And people can ABSOLUTELY focus with a mask on for two hours. How the f*ck do you think surgeons perform surgery?

I don’t know if that will help her unless they offer the class virtually( which they are not!). She still needs those credits. They promised a hybrid version and back tracked on that

Universities can decide to do this. They are in charge of it. It is absolutely okay to call and ask to speak to someone -- Dean of Students, or whomever is tasked to answer these calls -- and express your concerns & ask about accommodations. But you can't force them to do their job in the way you see fit. Not at this point.

If we had a federal coordinated response and guidance, that might change. Unfortunately, everyone at that level is standing around with their thumbs up their butts, dicking around with whether masks make them look weak and unmanly. So. Here we are.

[Anonymous]

The professor cannot force her to attend, but they can fail her for non attendance. I am assuming your college age daughter is an adult. She she needs to make some adult decisions. Welcome to being a grownup!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just call her doctor and get a note saying she has compromised immunity and must be excused from in-person classes. Its like getting a note from the eye doctor to get out of swim in gym.

And people can ABSOLUTELY focus with a mask on for two hours. How the f*ck do you think surgeons perform surgery?

I don’t know if that will help her unless they offer the class virtually( which they are not!). She still needs those credits. They promised a hybrid version and back tracked on that

Universities can decide to do this. They are in charge of it. It is absolutely okay to call and ask to speak to someone -- Dean of Students, or whomever is tasked to answer these calls -- and express your concerns & ask about accommodations. But you can't force them to do their job in the way you see fit. Not at this point.

If we had a federal coordinated response and guidance, that might change. Unfortunately, everyone at that level is standing around with their thumbs up their butts, dicking around with whether masks make them look weak and unmanly. So. Here we are.

So who sets the guidelines, as to when it is too dangerous to have classes in person? CDC? County health department?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just call her doctor and get a note saying she has compromised immunity and must be excused from in-person classes. Its like getting a note from the eye doctor to get out of swim in gym.

And people can ABSOLUTELY focus with a mask on for two hours. How the f*ck do you think surgeons perform surgery?

I don’t know if that will help her unless they offer the class virtually( which they are not!). She still needs those credits. They promised a hybrid version and back tracked on that

Universities can decide to do this. They are in charge of it. It is absolutely okay to call and ask to speak to someone -- Dean of Students, or whomever is tasked to answer these calls -- and express your concerns & ask about accommodations. But you can't force them to do their job in the way you see fit. Not at this point.

If we had a federal coordinated response and guidance, that might change. Unfortunately, everyone at that level is standing around with their thumbs up their butts, dicking around with whether masks make them look weak and unmanly. So. Here we are.

So who sets the guidelines, as to when it is too dangerous to have classes in person? CDC? County health department?

Well, you know the guidelines everyone has been talking about, such as everyone staying 6 feet apart? That would mean colleges can't pack more people than could fit in a given sized room and stay 6 feet apart.

Another guideline would be no gatherings of more than 10 people. That would mean the full class size in person could be no more than 10 people, including the professor/lecturer.

[Anonymous]

PS: right now, those are state and local government guidelines, because Our Fearless Leader cannot bring himself to coordinate a federal response.

[Anonymous]

Of course she can wear a mask for two hours.

I need to take a licensing exam that is important to my career progression. It's a 4 hour exam and I have to wear a mask the whole time. It will likely be unpleasant, but I am going to suck it up and deal because it's important and I'm an adult.

Your daughter (not you) have a similar choice to make.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My dd signed up for a class that is foundational to her learning path. The school was unclear about the mode of instruction till the last minute. Now the professor has made it mandatory that all students attend in person, with consequences if they don’t. The state I am in is a raging COVID hotspot and as a parent I am upset at this decision. I do not want my DD to face the risk of sitting in class. It’s a 2 hr class to boot and I can’t fathom how she can focus with a mask on her face, for that long. What is a logical way to address this with the school, without losing my mind?

It’s very hard to focus at first with one on but eventually my older dc (23) wore one for 6hrs/day for the past few weeks.