Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community - View Single Post - Appropriate behavior for university professors?

roachboy · 03-01-2007, 09:04 AM

well, as yet another academic...

i think you're overreacting, martel

i dont frankly see much of anything to sweat in all this--the syllabus and prereq matters are fairly routine, particularly on the first day of class. different universities have particular policies--which are often informal--about the syllabus run-through: some ask that you be VERY EXPLICIT ABOUT THE REQUIREMENTS because they function as terms of an implicit contract and by being VERY EXPLICIT you lock the students into them. others are not that way. these differences have to do with assumptions about the students, obviously.

the note-sharing issue is separate--on that, i think smooth already said what should be said. i'd only add a mention of these note-taking services that enable students to not show up to class: instead, they can buy the notes. that way, busy schedules of being a fratboy do not get too adversely affected by this whole being-in-school thing. for example.

the phonecalls are a bit curious, but no more than that.
i wouldn't do it, but that is mostly because i am fine with email for scheduling stuff and, like smooth, prefer face-to-face convos over either email or phone. actually, i wouldnt call because i dont like talking on the phone very much--bloody cellphones....so it is a matter of personal preference more than of principle.

calling at 10pm would be out for me in any event: but that's only because i remember the "curb your enthusiasm" episode in which debating the "cut-off" was a central motor in the plot.

thinking about this more: often a successful class seems to lean on fabricating a sense of community--while this cat seems to have a kind of aggressive understanding of how one would go about it, i am not sure that i see in the calling anything beyond his working with/through a particular set of assumptions about community-building.

if these assumptions and/or their effects offend you (for whatever reason)--i would just drop the class.

i dont see anything involving issues of appropriateness in an official sense in it, so i am not at all sure that i would go the route that warrreagle suggests personally: it sets up a different kind of situation, and i am not sure that i see the need for it.
but then again, i wouldn't have called you.

on the other hand, i have had students call me at odd hours.
that seems ok with everyone: generally, i don't hear the cellringer so dont answer the phone....i dont understand why they call, but they do. i dont get all snippy about it: i just am baffled.
but hey, that's just me.

03-01-2007, 09:04 AM	#28 (permalink)
roachboy Super Moderator Location: essex ma	well, as yet another academic... i think you're overreacting, martel i dont frankly see much of anything to sweat in all this--the syllabus and prereq matters are fairly routine, particularly on the first day of class. different universities have particular policies--which are often informal--about the syllabus run-through: some ask that you be VERY EXPLICIT ABOUT THE REQUIREMENTS because they function as terms of an implicit contract and by being VERY EXPLICIT you lock the students into them. others are not that way. these differences have to do with assumptions about the students, obviously. the note-sharing issue is separate--on that, i think smooth already said what should be said. i'd only add a mention of these note-taking services that enable students to not show up to class: instead, they can buy the notes. that way, busy schedules of being a fratboy do not get too adversely affected by this whole being-in-school thing. for example. the phonecalls are a bit curious, but no more than that. i wouldn't do it, but that is mostly because i am fine with email for scheduling stuff and, like smooth, prefer face-to-face convos over either email or phone. actually, i wouldnt call because i dont like talking on the phone very much--bloody cellphones....so it is a matter of personal preference more than of principle. calling at 10pm would be out for me in any event: but that's only because i remember the "curb your enthusiasm" episode in which debating the "cut-off" was a central motor in the plot. thinking about this more: often a successful class seems to lean on fabricating a sense of community--while this cat seems to have a kind of aggressive understanding of how one would go about it, i am not sure that i see in the calling anything beyond his working with/through a particular set of assumptions about community-building. if these assumptions and/or their effects offend you (for whatever reason)--i would just drop the class. i dont see anything involving issues of appropriateness in an official sense in it, so i am not at all sure that i would go the route that warrreagle suggests personally: it sets up a different kind of situation, and i am not sure that i see the need for it. but then again, i wouldn't have called you. on the other hand, i have had students call me at odd hours. that seems ok with everyone: generally, i don't hear the cellringer so dont answer the phone....i dont understand why they call, but they do. i dont get all snippy about it: i just am baffled. but hey, that's just me. __________________ a gramophone its corrugated trumpet silver handle spinning dog. such faithfulness it hear it make you sick. -kamau brathwaite