Do you think a college professor has the right to do this?

[aaarcher86]

Is this free college? I mean, she's paying for it, right? Or her company? SOMEBODY is paying for it.

If she was being a distraction, the professor should have talked with her about it privately. Actually, she should have gone to him. But locking her out of a class she is paying for? No. Not unless she's getting her money back for the rest of the year.

That doesn't make any sense. There are still rules/guidelines that need to be followed, and that she agreed to follow while attending the college and taking their courses.

My kids go to private school. I pay for it. They still have to show up on time or face consequences. I won't get my money back for a failure to follow the rules.

 

[Handbag Lady]

I wonder if this had been you, any of you, whether you would have had the same response. I doubt it, if in the same situation. I will concede that it would have been wise to approach him, but she didn't. But I surely doubt that ALL of the people here who say she was 100% wrong would feel that way had it been you. In fact, as I read the posts of many of you, I can tell you all weren't / are perfect wonderful beings, and I just can't see some of you not doing something similar.

I'm raising my hand on this one. I WENT to college and worked while I did it. I had ONE class I needed that started at 8 am while I had the swing shift and sometimes graveyard the night before. It was the type of job where you couldn't leave until the person with the AM shift showed up. I went to the prof and let him know in advance if ever I was late that I was sorry in advance and let him know why. I was late once or twice and he did make sure I got what I missed.

I agree with everything the professor did to the OP's niece. She really said that about security? How incredibly childish.

 

[jrmasm]

Do you think a college professor has the right to do this?


Yes, his class, his rules.

 

[lillygator]

On that point, I agree, but when I went to college - and I didn't start until age 21 - it was all the 18 year old freshmen that I saw intentionally acting like idiots, and not the adults.

So yeah, she probably could or should have spoken to the professor, but I don't think she expected her hours to remain the same when they changed. I think she thought it was just for a couple of weeks, and it didn't turn out that way.

I still think the professor was wrong too, though. He ALSO could have just pulled her aside - in private - instead of trying to make her look bad in front of the class.

she is in the wrong not the professor and how childish and rude of her with the response she had...not adult or professional at all.

I wonder if this had been you, any of you, whether you would have had the same response. I doubt it, if in the same situation. I will concede that it would have been wise to approach him, but she didn't. But I surely doubt that ALL of the people here who say she was 100% wrong would feel that way had it been you. In fact, as I read the posts of many of you, I can tell you all weren't / are perfect wonderful beings, and I just can't see some of you not doing something similar.

so you don't like the responses?? come on, can you not clearly see she is the issue? How disrespectful to show up late for an entire month...once I can see, but more than that she knew. Wait until she is in a mgmt position or something similiar and her employees constantly show up late, will she just look the other way? DOUBT it!

 

[Allison]

Yes, the professor does have the right.

The student in question is wrong.

 

[Disney Doll]

I wonder if this had been you, any of you, whether you would have had the same response. I doubt it, if in the same situation. I will concede that it would have been wise to approach him, but she didn't. But I surely doubt that ALL of the people here who say she was 100% wrong would feel that way had it been you. In fact, as I read the posts of many of you, I can tell you all weren't / are perfect wonderful beings, and I just can't see some of you not doing something similar.

If you don't want to hear the answer, then don't ask the question.

Adult learner. Should have discussed her change in schedule with the professor when it happened rather than "slipping in late". Instead she slips in late, disrupts his class and then gives him lip like a 16 year when he calls her on it.

Sorry...not impressed with the woman's behavior or handling of this situation.

 

[ols386]

If the class start time changed after the initial start-up of the class, to an earlier time, then I think she should have talked to the professor about it, and it doesn't sound like she did.

I would hope that he would let her continue with the class, either that or give her a refund if he doesn't let her continue.

Personally, if she is coming in quietly, then I don't see it as a huge deal, unless the professor gave guidelines at the beginning of the term regarding late arrivals/departure for class time.

 

[wvjules]

If you don't want to hear the answer, then don't ask the question.

Adult learner. Should have discussed her change in schedule with the professor when it happened rather than "slipping in late". Instead she slips in late, disrupts his class and then gives him lip like a 16 year when he calls her on it.

Sorry...not impressed with the woman's behavior or handling of this situation.

 

[FireDancer]

I didn't read the whole thread so this might have been brought up but when her schedule did change did she talk to the professor?

If she didn't I could see the reaction by the professor and know why he did it. I imagine that at a Community College there are a lot of people working and going to school PT. Had she gone to him ahead of time instead of just coming in late it probably wouldn't be a problem.

Her reaction was wrong though. A better reaction would be to leave the class and meet with the professor after the fact to explain the situation. It isn't as good as informing him ahead of time but it beats what did happen.

 

[cinabug]

I actually have had the situation where work interfered with my ability to arrive to an evening class on time. I was teaching and adding an endorsement. I live very rurally, so the class was over two hours from my school. I spoke to the professor and my employer. Half of the time I left work early. Half of the time I arrived late. Since I talked to everyone involved ahead of time, they were understanding. Chances are this professor would have responded similarly had he been informed. This is a tough lesson, but since you say your niece is trying to better herself, this seems like a perfect opportunity. Learning to communicate with others will probably be more valuable to her than the curriculum or her grade.

 

[Elmo9607]

Sorry, but class starts at 7:30, not "whenever-the-student-can-show-up:30"

I have had classes where showing up 5 minutes late (at a 7 am class!!!) would count for a serious attendance infraction. Sounds like this professor has been MORE than lenient about her lateness.

If she is an adult she is more than capable of either speaking to her employer or speaking to her professor regarding her arrival time to class.

 

[crashbb]

If the class start time changed after the initial start-up of the class, to an earlier time, then I think she should have talked to the professor about it, and it doesn't sound like she did.

I don't think the class time change, I think her work schedule changed.

I agree with most of the others.

1) She should have spoken to the prof when she knew that she'd be late every week.

2) Her response was totally childish and made the situation worse.

3) The prof. likely has the right to kick her out of his class (and after her childish response last week will likely use any avenue he can to do so).

Her best bet is to (finally) actually act like an adult and contact the prof. before her next class. Apologise for her actions and see if something can be worked out. Is their a break? When is it? Perhaps she could join the class then (less disruptive to the others). Anyway she can change her work schedule slightly? I'm sure that she can come up with other ideas that may work.

 

[MushyMushy]

I wonder if this had been you, any of you, whether you would have had the same response. I doubt it, if in the same situation. I will concede that it would have been wise to approach him, but she didn't. But I surely doubt that ALL of the people here who say she was 100% wrong would feel that way had it been you. In fact, as I read the posts of many of you, I can tell you all weren't / are perfect wonderful beings, and I just can't see some of you not doing something similar.

Sorry, I still think she's way in the wrong. I spent 6 years of my adult life attending college (2 years of it with a nursing baby). It would have never occurred to me that it would be okay to just slip into a class late every session without a private discussion with the professor. Even then I wouldn't expect much sympathy from the prof.

I'm not going to say that your niece was being childish, just that she seems fairly uninformed about the academic culture. I'm sure this lesson will be a bit of a wake-up call for her.

 

[heatherwillmom]

I agree with the PPers. She should have talked to the professor in advance about being late. I think she was wrong to stay that security would have to take her out. Most professors would have gladly called seurity & taken her out which would have been the end of her college education there. Whether it's community college or Ivy League, he is still the professor & should be treated with respect. I think she acted like a teenager.

 

[tlbwriter]

I wonder if this had been you, any of you, whether you would have had the same response. I doubt it, if in the same situation. I will concede that it would have been wise to approach him, but she didn't. But I surely doubt that ALL of the people here who say she was 100% wrong would feel that way had it been you. In fact, as I read the posts of many of you, I can tell you all weren't / are perfect wonderful beings, and I just can't see some of you not doing something similar.

Oh, did you only want perfect people to respond? You should have been more specific.

I don't have to be perfect to see that she handled this very badly. You seem to think she should be cut some slack because she's an adult. Actually, that's why I would expect better from her - because she's an adult. Her snippy reply about having security throw her out was very immature.

But locking her out of a class she is paying for? No. Not unless she's getting her money back for the rest of the year.

Ah, the old "I paid for it" argument, always used by those who think they are above the rules everyone else has to follow. Doesn't hold water. Everybody else in that class paid for it as well, and they deserve a class without unnecessary disruptions.

 

[Plannin'Shannon]

I'm raising my hand on this one. I WENT to college and worked while I did it. I had ONE class I needed that started at 8 am while I had the swing shift and sometimes graveyard the night before. It was the type of job where you couldn't leave until the person with the AM shift showed up. I went to the prof and let him know in advance if ever I was late that I was sorry in advance and let him know why. I was late once or twice and he did make sure I got what I missed.

I agree with everything the professor did to the OP's niece. She really said that about security? How incredibly childish.

I could have written this entire post. I, too, have been in the OP's niece's position and handled it 100% differently - even as an 18 year old idiot.

Do I think the professor has the "right" to do this? What makes your niece think she has the "right" to be habitually late to class?

 

[luvmythree]

I am a 40+ year old single mother of 3 kids. I work and go to school at the local community college too. Your niece was out of line...plain and simple!

Every teacher gives out a syllabus *at least here* and most teachers go over it the first day of class. In my classes I am in mostly an open entry/open exit program which means in almost all of my classes I do NOT have a professor who lectures but I do have a professor that takes "roll" each hour. If we are more than 10 min late we can walk into the room but we don't get counted as being there. Even with THIS program in place I cannot imagine being late on a weekly/daily basis (and I don't even disrupt teaching) without discussing it with the professor ahead of time.

She needs to grow up, go talk to her professor AND her work if possible to see if there can be an option that works for everyone involved. She's not a young student she's a grown woman/mother....she needs to act like it!

 

[Deb in IA]

Oh, and I forgot to add:

Had any student of mine challenged me with that "you'll have to call security" bull crap, I would have immediately taken them up on it.

I would have called them to remove a disturbance to the class.

Your niece's professor is way more tolerant than I.

 

[Uncle Remus]

Oh, and I forgot to add:

Had any student of mine challenged me with that "you'll have to call security" bull crap, I would have immediately taken them up on it.

I would have called them to remove a disturbance to the class.

Your niece's professor is way more tolerant than I.

Oh hell yeah!

 

[CurlyGirl]

Not ONE person here said that they were perfect. Not a single one. I do not know where you're getting that from.

You came here asking for opinions on the situation and you got them. Don't like them? Then you shouldn't have asked us our thoughts to begin with. It's a crap shoot when you ask what people think.

And, if you only wanted support for your niece and her actions, you should've posted that you only want to hear from people who agree with you.