A Vent: Dealing with unorganized professors

[elegantlion]

This is mainly a vent and right now it has not created any real issues, except I can't finish work when I have time - which is one reason I took this class ONLINE. This is for an online class that started a few weeks ago. The professor has not graded anything, except the automatically graded activities. One is something I'd really like feedback on before I start a related assignment.  I had to dig through the faculty online files to find the syllabus, which had wrong dates on it, then he's not posting the units on a regular basis - like a day late. Because I'm spending at lot of time at the hospital or running around my mom (my dad has been in the hospital most of October), I need to really do the weeks work when I have a free day, like today. Part of the assignment hasn't been posted yet and it's due on Wednesday. It's a weekly thing and I had to ask about it last week. I'm biting my fingers to keep from e-mailing again as my "nice words" have all been used up today. 

 

The professor is great about returning e-mails, yet all but one of my e-mails to this person wouldn't have been necessary if everything was posted when and where it was supposed to be. Thankfully it's a short class, but I will never take from this person again. 

 

I'm very detailed and the lack of organization is driving me insane!!! There was a review on rate my professor that alluded to this, the rest of them were great. The great irony is that this is a communications class!! 

 

this is me ---> :svengo:

[regentrude]

I am sorry - this would drive me nuts, too. DD had a professor (in a presence class, not online) who was very sweet, but terribly unorganized - like telling the class the night before the exam what would be tested, posting assignments the day before, etc. I don't think there is much you can do about it now, but you should mention this in the comments in the faculty evaluations. It won't help you, but it may help future students.. if the prof is able to mend his ways.

Good luck in finishing the course. Some people are just not detail oriented, and I think it is worse with an online class than with in-seat. I try my best to be meticulously organized with mine, because I know that it is really important to the students. Sorry this is organized so poorly.

[Garga]

Tell the professor. Tell him you don't mean this as a threat, per se, but that if he doesn't start following the syllabus, you'll have no choice by to give him a low rating on the class. I know at my dh's college, every professor must be rated by each student at the end of the class. Is it true where you are?

 

This is unacceptable. Another poster recently commented that when a professor doesn't follow a syllabus, the professor/college can be sued. This is not a small deal. This is a big deal. They are just as bound to the syllabus as you are. You have to turn in your papers on time, they have to post assignments on time.

 

Send an email asking for the assignment now, good words used up or no.

[elegantlion]

I am sorry - this would drive me nuts, too. DD had a professor (in a presence class, not online) who was very sweet, but terribly unorganized - like telling the class the night before the exam what would be tested, posting assignments the day before, etc. I don't think there is much you can do about it now, but you should mention this in the comments in the faculty evaluations. It won't help you, but it may help future students.. if the prof is able to mend his ways.

Good luck in finishing the course. Some people are just not detail oriented, and I think it is worse with an online class than with in-seat. I try my best to be meticulously organized with mine, because I know that it is really important to the students. Sorry this is organized so poorly.

 

Oh, I plan on leaving a Rate My Professor comment after this and making a note on his evaluation. 

 

Tell the professor. Tell him you don't mean this as a threat, per se, but that if he doesn't start following the syllabus, you'll have no choice by to give him a low rating on the class. I know at my dh's college, every professor must be rated by each student at the end of the class. Is it true where you are?

 

This is unacceptable. Another poster recently commented that when a professor doesn't follow a syllabus, the professor/college can be sued. This is not a small deal. This is a big deal. They are just as bound to the syllabus as you are. You have to turn in your papers on time, they have to post assignments on time.

 

Send an email asking for the assignment now, good words used up or no.

 

I'll rate him honestly, but I'm not about to jeopardize my 4.0 to let him know he annoys me. If I come up against anything that might affect my grade negatively, I will take it up with him or go above. This does help me appreciate my other professors and my advisor, who are quite meticulous. 

[elegantlion]

Okay, I sent a an e-mail. It sounded a bit like a frantic squirrel, so we'll see how long it takes for a response. 

[G5052]

I don't think it's true that a syllabus has to be followed exactly or you can sue. 

 

FWIW, a lot depends on the school and the legal climate.  I live in area where people have the $ to hire a lawyer, so they do.  My dean says that it is OK if you need to spend more time on a topic or fix something, but you must redo your syllabus and make sure that you email all of your students if it is anything that could affect their grade.  In other words, you must DOCUMENT everything.  Some professors do indeed get by because they are intentionally vague.

 

I'm so paranoid that I redo my syllabus anytime there's a scheduling change or a find an error, no matter how small.  Thankfully that's rare.

 

At one college where I work, online courses are supposed to be 100% ready on the first day of class.  Obviously you might have to modify if there are weather closures or issues with the resources (i.e. broken links), but not being 100% ready is actually grounds for being removed from teaching online.  Same thing with late grading.

 

The other one?  Pretty much each professor does their own thing within some general guidelines.

 

Even with my classroom classes though, I like being 100% ready.  I can't imagine figuring it out as I go.

[elegantlion]

I received a reply back. The assignment had been posted in the wrong group. He extended the deadline, but I did it already anyway. He thanked me for letting him know. 

 

Another reason it's annoying is that I'm parenting a teen, I already have to remind another person what they're supposed to be doing.  :lol:

 

I'm so tired, I'm moving into delirium anyway. Thankfully, all the thinking is over for the day. 

[Lolly]

Guess you have the absent minded professor. I'd sort of like to read that review you are going to leave...A scathing Lioness review! R's comp professor is horrible this semester. She actually returned the outlines and first drafts 2 hours before the final draft was due, with lots of comments and suggestions...Sorry woman, many/most of the students had already submitted the final draft. It took two weeks to get that essay back/graded. She had told them it would be done over fall break. Their next essay was in its final stages when she finally returned it. Kind of hard to make improvements from learning from mistakes on the previous...Eh, lots of bad teachers out there. It seems like this semester my girls have all hit the motherload of them. Now, impress the man with your awesomeness and great communication skills! (Sorry you have so much on your plate right now.)

[Reefgazer]

I have a disclaimer on my syllabus that says "subject to change at the instructor's discretion", and this has been perfectly fine with my dean.  It really is an outline that is subject to change due to college closing, illness, or other circumstances.  But I also provide an updated syllabus in writing when I have to adjust the syllabus.

I don't think it's true that a syllabus has to be followed exactly or you can sue. My son is only a sophomore, and he's had classes where it's basically an outline. The profs add work, change due dates, whatever they want. He even has a "voluntary" review on Mondays in Calc 3, yet the crazy prof demands everyone be there. He even changed a homework due date to the next day, Tuesday, instead of the usual Wednesday, and only those who attended the evening review knew. Sadly, his voluntary Proofs session is the same night but he can't go.
So, he just laughs now whenever I talk about what a syllabus means. We've decided that its his fate to get one crazy as a loon prof per semester.

 

[elegantlion]

I have a disclaimer on my syllabus that says "subject to change at the instructor's discretion", and this has been perfectly fine with my dean.  It really is an outline that is subject to change due to college closing, illness, or other circumstances.  But I also provide an updated syllabus in writing when I have to adjust the syllabus.

 

His has the disclaimer too, but you can tell he didn't update the syllabus for the current class. A few dates have deadlines of June (for a class running Oct-Dec) and in one case the day of the week didn't line up with the date. I think it would be a disaster for a disorganized new student, which is something I'm watching out for since ds may be at this university next year. I don't think he'll need this class, if so, I'll suggest another instructor. 

[2cents]

My daughter has had a couple of "absent minded profs". Dealing with one was extremely stressful and she was very worried that his lack of attention to detail would put her GPA in jeopardy. She had to send a few carefully worded emails in order to prod him into activity. It is really annoying to have to deal with that. Rate Your Professor helps her avoid the lazy profs now.

[Michelle_NC]

My DD is taking two college classes this semester (dual enrollment).

 

The semester started on 8/18 and ends on 12/17. Today is 11/12 and one teacher has yet to post any grades or even grade the papers from September.  

 

It would be great to get a sense of her grade before the class ends.  :crying:

[TechWife]

My DD is taking two college classes this semester (dual enrollment).

 

The semester started on 8/18 and ends on 12/17. Today is 11/12 and one teacher has yet to post any grades or even grade the papers from September.  

 

It would be great to get a sense of her grade before the class ends.  :crying:

 

That's really bad - I would think he'd be required to post at least one grade before the last day to withdraw w/out a grade penalty. 

 

I'm sorry - I hope it all works out. 

[klmama]

I hope he'll rate his professor when the course is over so others will know what to expect!  I've found that site extremely helpful, as most of the student comments for potential profs have been consistent through the years of posted evaluations - either great professors with only one or two minor issues or profs with really frustrating habits like the one you've described.  The actual rating is less important than the student comments. 

[Reefgazer]

Rate Your Professor doesn't solve your problem, which is where the focus should be.  DD should write a carefully-composed email to the professor asking for grades.  If she has already done that, she should re-send the email, CC-ing the dean of the department.  My hiney would be called on the carpet if I didn't post grades for that long, or ignored an email for more than a week.

My DD is taking two college classes this semester (dual enrollment).

 

The semester started on 8/18 and ends on 12/17. Today is 11/12 and one teacher has yet to post any grades or even grade the papers from September.  

 

It would be great to get a sense of her grade before the class ends.  :crying:

 

[elegantlion]

I haven't received a grade on my first speech either, it was submitted at the end of October. I already submitted my last speech. I'm pretty sure he would have provided feedback if I had emailed, but I'm so immersed with other subjects and my dad's health crisis that I don't even feel like taking the time for what I see is an extra step. 

 

It's been very eye-opening because I feel like (just speculation) that this professor puts this class on low priority since it's a quick online section. It has really played into my ability to give a rip about the class. If this was an area of study I wanted to pursue further, I  would be sorely disappointed, so it's not a good reflection of the department. 

[kiana]

Rate Your Professor doesn't solve your problem, which is where the focus should be.  DD should write a carefully-composed email to the professor asking for grades.  If she has already done that, she should re-send the email, CC-ing the dean of the department.  My hiney would be called on the carpet if I didn't post grades for that long, or ignored an email for more than a week.

 

Yes. I would be in huge trouble if none of my students had an idea as to where they were in the class at this point!

 

[MarkT]

I haven't received a grade on my first speech either, it was submitted at the end of October. I already submitted my last speech. I'm pretty sure he would have provided feedback if I had emailed, but I'm so immersed with other subjects and my dad's health crisis that I don't even feel like taking the time for what I see is an extra step. 

 

It's been very eye-opening because I feel like (just speculation) that this professor puts this class on low priority since it's a quick online section. It has really played into my ability to give a rip about the class. If this was an area of study I wanted to pursue further, I  would be sorely disappointed, so it's not a good reflection of the department. 

 

and you paid good money for what ...

[elegantlion]

and you paid good money for what ...

 

A class that's required for all Bachelor's degrees at my school. Taking it online versus on campus takes about 1/2 the amount of time, even with the annoying parts. It's 8 weeks vs. 15, so I only have to be annoyed for half of the semester. If this had been so disorganized as an on campus full semester class, I probably would have dropped and taken it another semester. As it is, I can be annoyed for 8 weeks, the hardest parts are over anyway. The content is pretty basic, considering I used these skills in previous jobs, so the annoying isn't affecting the comprehension of content.