This is going to be a much bigger problem this semester with the Thanksgiving break not being the full week. Many students will make it one. I can't make them stick around, but I can give extra credit to those that do. When other faculty cave and give students another option, it only makes it harder for the rest of us. Almost every time a student asks to leave early, the sentence begins with "My other teachers". Now whether that is true, I don't know. If class is scheduled for a day, they should work around it, even if it means leaving the next day. If every hour were so precious to the family agenda, someone could come to campus to pick them up. Sorry, I'm just a mean spirited person but it is a lot easier to enforce a rule that is clear and finite, rather than one that is vague. The school has a rule, we should follow it.

Sven

On Sun, Sep 28, 2014 at 4:16 PM, Bauer, Paul <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

I ran into this a few years ago when I scheduled an exam on the Friday before a break thinking students' would really appreciate not having to come back to an exam the first day after the break. When told that the last bus was at 3p and would be difficult for the students taking the 2-2:50p exam to catch, I relented.


Ever since I've wondered if there wasn't some way for the college to require the bus company to work around the college's schedule and not the other way around. They do need to use campus property to provide their service. Offering at least some service after classes officially end seems like a small price for them to pay.


Dr. Paul W. Bauer
Assistant Professor of Economics
SUNY Oneonta
From: Teaching Breakfast List <[log in to unmask]> on behalf of Withington, Jennifer
Sent: Sunday, September 28, 2014 1:51 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Students leaving early...
 

Friends,

 

I am wondering how all of you handle the issue of students leaving for a break before the end of their class.

It is an unexcused absence as I understand it.

Now, if it was just a lecture, I would say, “Fine.  Get the notes from someone.”

 

However, students in the Fri 2-4pm lab are asking to take a lab practical early as they HAVE to catch the bus at 3pm.

Taking it early, means there has to be a seat open in another section for them, and we do have some open seats.

While we would like to be understanding of this, we also feel that the students take advantage of this and are learning that the bus schedule rules their lives instead of the class schedule.

We are also considering whether this means we should offer other students the open seats in this last lab to have more study time.

 

Comments?

PS We also run into these requests when the final exam is scheduled on the last day.    

They know this before they have to purchase their tickets.

 

 

Dr. Jennifer Withington

Asst. Professor of Biology

SUNY Oneonta

116 Science I

Oneonta, NY  13820

607-436-3421