Hi Achim,

 

Welcome back from vacation(?).  

 

I include a statement on my syllabus as follows: "All scheduled topics
and dates are estimates, and may be changed as deemed appropriate by the
instructor."  This allows me the flexibility to model some of the course
presentation to the needs of the students, the developments of the
times, and unforeseen crises.  On the other hand, when I taught more
sequential courses, there was a real need to finish certain topics,
because instructors in subsequent courses would assume the students were
familiar with the material.  

 

The syllabus serves another very important purpose: it notifies the
students of our expectations as faculty.  I believe that many of them
have little or no idea what we want them to do, let alone how they
should be doing it.  The syllabus helps convey this information.  Thus
it serves not as a set of inflexible rules, but rather as a set of
guidelines.

 

I recently received a comment from a student, objecting to my
administration of quizzes in addition to the exam, on days when an exam
was scheduled (he or she said this was not fair).  I also have been
doing some research on what students consider fair in terms of "cutting
them some slack" on attendance and handing papers in on time.  It would
appear that students expect us to be flexible in applying the rules to
them, but, based on this one student comment, would apply the rules more
strictly to us.  I'm not sure this is surprising, but still interesting.

 

As for the 8AM class - I suspect the issue is more the class standing of
the students than the number of them or the time when it is given.  I
think seniors should be (and hopefully are) more ready to meet their
responsibilities as mature thinking adults than freshmen.  

 

Maybe this is a topic for a future TB.

 

Bob

 

________________________________

From: Teaching Breakfast List [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On
Behalf Of Achim Koeddermann
Sent: Tuesday, August 23, 2005 8:42 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Getting Your Syllabi Ready? - Posted to TB List by Jim
Greenberg

 

Dear Jim and all syllabus-users:
when I came long time ago from far shores, the addiction to syllabei
struck me - we didn't need them in old Europe...
Indeed, they give the flase impression that all is written in stone -
and thus prevent true dialogue, that allows for changes due to needs of
both parties; but mutual TRUST is required - and somehow this legalized
society trusts only what could stand the ordeal of a hearing or a court
of law.
Syllabus distribution is good, I believe today, because it serves as an
outline; if it nails rules on walls, it is less good: it ommitts the
dialogue function of teaching, which in a socratic method means that all
and everything can be questioned - even the wisom of the professor....
And with 78 students in my 8 a.m intro, I am not ready to enter into
such open dialogue.  Any suggestions?
your Achim