Exception to the rules
Entering college, students are expected to adhere to the mandatory requirements of the college and the classes. This is also a requirement of the instructors and students throughout the school system. Unfortunately, instructors are not under as much scrutiny as the students; they may be tempted to flex the rules and requirements occasionally. My argument is that instructors should be graded by the students and their grades should impact their jobs as much as student’s grades do on their education.
I worked in the school system for 11 years and saw many infractions and abuse committed by teachers. Including handicapped students being hit and dropped and even a lack of following procedure that contributed to the death of a student. When I left my job in the school system and returned to college I did not even consider that there might be incidences in college to remind me of what I had left. Even though the following is very minor by comparison it did remind me that the accountability for teaches is not adequate.
In my one of my college English class I requested to take an exam prior to the scheduled time, because I had an early final for another class. My instructors rhetorical response to my request was to tell me that finals were scheduled the last week on the semester. I explained that it was for a performing music class and because of the difficulties scheduling concerts our finals were always prior to the last week of the semester. The instructor quietly stared at me then told me, no. I conceded with the stipulation that I would be there for the first half of class but would be leaving early. When I departed I felt that my request had been received with disbelief.
In an attempt to convince my English instructor that I had been honest, I emailed my music instructor for proof. The music instructor returned a letter confirming my situation. I forwarded the letter to my English instructor, who then informed me that my situation had been believed but the instructor was not willing to change the class schedule to accommodate one person, and did not want me to miss anything in class. As a reminder to the reader, I did not request for the class schedule to be changed, I requested that I be able to take the exam early.
The result was that I took the exam in class and was two hours late for my three hour final, arriving just in time to perform the first of four songs. Not only did my lack of warming up prior to performing, contribute to a case of nervousness on stage and make for an embarrassing situation, but without properly warm up prior to singing one can damage a throat, and the vocal range is not as large as it is after a warm up. Consequently I did not have a satisfactory performance.
To further insult my situation, the English instructor had informed the class at the beginning of the semester that all work was due on time, with one exception that was stated in Gavilan College’s on-line syllabus for English 1C for spring of 2012:
As a matter of practice, I do not accept late assignments. However, I know that sometimes life interferes with your ability to turn things in on time. For that reason, each student is allowed to submit one late out-of-class essay assignment over the course of the semester. Once that one-week extension has been utilized, no more extensions will be granted. In order to pass this class, you must complete each of the out-of-class essay assignments. (pg5)
Yet as we came to the end of the semester the instructor announced that one of the students would be late with a presentation (an in-class assignment) and we would be sympathetic if we knew the situation. I also found that another student had taken a one week extension on an essay, that’s absence would cause a failing grade in the class. The due date was stated in the Gavilan College on-line English 1C lesson plan for week 11 of spring of 2012:
Writing Assignment
· Prepare a final draft of your Research Essay ready for instructor assessment and place inside a manila folder along with any earlier version(s), your workshop form, each of the Toulmin reasoning models, and the essay cover sheet…………….due at the beginning of class Tues., April 24
On May 16 the student informed me that they had been given a longer extension on the assignment and the essay was almost finished. That would be a three and a half week extension. I know this student procrastinated about starting this assignment, yet whatever excuse was given, gained a prolonged extension. How is it that students, making fallacious arguments with an appeal to pity, can be granted extensions on crucial assignments? However, I presented a documented and legitimate request to reschedule an exam and was denied.
This is not just a complaint but an argument for the rights of future students. Colleges request instructors to honor scheduling for finals. In my circumstance this did not happen. Would it have been any different if I had a final scheduled through the disability resource center? If I had gone to the dean of the English department I am quite certain that my request would have been honored. My argument stands that instructors needs to stand by the rules of the class and the college. Two of the above situations impact a class grade enough to pass or fail a class. Reflecting how pass-fail assignments impact student grades in my English class, if I were to give this instructor a grade for this semester it would have to be an F, even though the instructor had performed well the rest of the semester and is a well-liked instructor. In the Gavilan College on-line English 1C syllabus for spring of 2012, one of the expectations in the class is, “To regularly take risks as a reader and writer.”(pg1). Grading one of your instructor’s is a huge risk but every person’s voice should be heard and carry equal weight.
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