WWYD: My daughter's college professor is constantly cancelling class

[Hikergirl]

tell us the UNI-you aren't there anymore-right?

Yes please let us know. I have a daughter starting college in the fall and a son starting in a few years. I'd like to make sure neither of them consider that school. Not because I plan to involve myself in their college issues but because I wouldn't want to support the practice of what goes on in the registrars office.

 

[bethy]

Without reading any other replies I would say that if your daughter is unhappy with this situation then she should be the one to address it directly with the school.

 

[littleblackegg]

The only time I ever heard about a parent calling on behalf of a student, it was the student who bore the brunt of the embarrassment. She was instructed to call her mother and tell her that the College of Nursing requires she handle all her own concerns. I never heard anything else about it, but I can assure you there is a lack of respect for students whose parents try to intervene. Professors value maturity and self-responsibility. Interfering with a student and his/her academic development is just icky. They are adults.

 

[Shanan]

Back to OP. I think that the poster should NOT have made that call. Loving reading the other posts.

 

[scrapquitler]

We pay out of state tuition, and my daughter's professor is constantly sending out last minute emails about cancelling class. One reason was he was called out of town, but the rest are vague. I'd say that this semester alone, 7 classes have been cancelled. The class meets two times per week. That is over 3 weeks worth of class cancelled so far, and the semester doesn't end until May!

I called the Dean's office and talked to a young girl who works there. I told her that I was unhappy with the situation and she was going to take my name and number down and have someone get back to me. I wasn't comfortable with that, because I don't want my daughter to get punished for my complaint. She said she would deliver my generic complaint to someone at a manager level.

WWYD? Would you risk giving out your info? Would you expect a refund? Any thoughts/advice would be appreciated.
We pay $20,000 a year for her to get an education. The professor isn't making up any of these cancelled days. I'm angry!

Suggest to your daughter that she complain about it on the class evaluations that are done at the end of the semester. Administration sees them, and the professor doesn't see them until after grades are turned in (and they are anonymous).

 

[Shanti]

So, just to ask.....Do you find it acceptable that a professor is essentially stealing our money by not performing what we've hired him to do? How will anyone at the school know this is happening if someone doesn't speak up? The kids sure aren't going to say anything!

FWIW-My daughter has no idea I called the Dean's office and left a complaint. I won't tell her either.

Your daughter is an adult and it is time for you to let her handle her own problems. You are not helping her by doing this.

You also have no idea why the professor has been out. Maybe there's been a severe illness/injury or death in the immediate family, & he doesn't want to broadcast it to students. I'm a teacher & tomorrow morning I'm going to my colleague's mother's funeral. She unexpectedly had a heart attack, then went into a week-long coma, and last week she died. That teacher has been out quite a bit, & at school we try to both shield the kids & protect the teacher's privacy by not sharing details. Real life happens to educators, too. Think about that before judging this professor whom you've never met.

 

[Shanti]

Many kids of helicopter parents cannot prevent their parents behavior and to penalize them for "slights" by their parents, often I would guess unbeknownst to the student, is just wrong. This behavior is juvenile and something I would expect to see at an elementary school, not a college/university.

Please don't slander elementary school teachers. Just because we teach children, doesn't mean we act like children. Elementary school teachers typically have a more demanding job than college professors, anyway. We can't just cancel our classes when something comes up- ever. We are held accountable (at least in my state) for our students' learning; we can't just put the onus on them to show up, behave & learn on their own. We have to take responsibility for all three.

We also have to deal with more helicopter parents than you could ever imagine. Most parents are normal & nice, but the 5% each year who are not can make our jobs very hard. My colleagues complain more about unreasonable parents than anything else. Difficult kids we know how to work with & we love them, but parents who act like difficult kids, that's really something else.

 

[Allons-y!]

Please don't slander elementary school teachers. Just because we teach children, doesn't mean we act like children. Elementary school teachers typically have a more demanding job than college professors, anyway. We can't just cancel our classes when something comes up- ever. We are held accountable (at least in my state) for our students' learning; we can't just put the onus on them to show up, behave & learn on their own. We have to take responsibility for all three.

We also have to deal with more helicopter parents than you could ever imagine. Most parents are normal & nice, but the 5% each year who are not can make our jobs very hard. My colleagues complain more about unreasonable parents than anything else. Difficult kids we know how to work with & we love them, but parents who act like difficult kids, that's really something else.

I think you may have misinterpreted what the poster was saying, but I'll leave that for her to clarify if needed. And "slander?" Really?

More importantly...Why would you ask for respect for elementary school teachers (I am one), yet turn around and show none to college professors? I cannot stand it when teachers make themselves out to have the hardest job of all, as if other professions don't have challenges. You make it seem like most professors aren't held accountable and don't put effort into instruction. You overlook many responsibilities that professors often have that you don't, including advising responsibilities and requirements to publish. Teachers who pull out the "woe is me" attitude every are the very reason so many people roll their eyes when teachers express legitimate concerns.

 

[wide awake]

Hope this class isn't in your daughter's major. Might make things a little uncomfortable for her for the next few years. Please, give her a heads up that you called, so she can make an attempt to repair the damage. Also, the prof knows he has missed classes. He will most likely be more generous on grades to avoid complaints...so it would have been a win-win for your daughter...less sitting in class and the possibility of a higher grade.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

Suggest to your daughter that she complain about it on the class evaluations that are done at the end of the semester. Administration sees them, and the professor doesn't see them until after grades are turned in (and they are anonymous).

I have been told that a website called Rate my Professor is also excellent.

In college, I really didn't tell my mom anything about school. I handled my own matters.

We did have a problematic professor. Lots of complaints. Turns out (not to slam tenure) that due to tenure, it was not simple to deal with. I think within a year or two--he was able to teach a course that was more in line with what he wanted to teach. (He took our broad range course that was required for our degree, made us essentially rewrite our textbooks and then spent class time only an an extremely narrow subtopic. His new course was only on that subtopic so that he could explore it properly.

To my knowledge, no parents called the dean.

 

[DisneyOma]

So, just to ask.....Do you find it acceptable that a professor is essentially stealing our money by not performing what we've hired him to do? How will anyone at the school know this is happening if someone doesn't speak up? The kids sure aren't going to say anything!

FWIW-My daughter has no idea I called the Dean's office and left a complaint. I won't tell her either.

Others have addressed this post, but I wanted to add - what other stuff do you sneakly do behind your daughter's back? Are you planning on doing this for her for how long?

BTW, my daughter's best professor had to cancel classes quite a bit one semester. He had a health issue. The students banded together and made sure he was well taken care of, he made sure they got the info they needed to meet the requirements of his course. I think he missed a couple of weeks of lecture and lab? I would never think of calling the school to complain.

I truly don't understand this. Registration has never worked like this even back when I was doing it with pen and paper. With the use of computers now, it certainly doesn't work like this. If a class holds 35 students then one by one those seats are filled until 35 people close the class. After that there is a wait list. There isn't some maniacal wizard sitting behind the curtain rubbing his hands together while deciding which students have the privilege of taking the class that semester! Why have registration at all? Why not just allow faculty to choose? The fact that adults would put together a list like that tells me a lot about the school and makes me think the "crazy" parents may not be the problem.

My daughter has registered early for classes, and been bumped out of labs, etc, when someone else's schedule wasn't as flexible as hers. She's gone to the head of the department and complained, sometimes with success, sometimes not. So not all schools do it the same way. Private schools have a lot more leeway than public ones.

 

[Shanti]

I think you may have misinterpreted what the poster was saying, but I'll leave that for her to clarify if needed. And "slander?" Really?

More importantly...Why would you ask for respect for elementary school teachers (I am one), yet turn around and show none to college professors? I cannot stand it when teachers make themselves out to have the hardest job of all, as if other professions don't have challenges. You make it seem like most professors aren't held accountable and don't put effort into instruction. You overlook many responsibilities that professors often have that you don't, including advising responsibilities and requirements to publish. Teachers who pull out the "woe is me" attitude every are the very reason so many people roll their eyes when teachers express legitimate concerns.

It's not my job to try to interpret another poster's insult. She said an unprofessional act was something she would "expect to see in an elementary school, not college", so I rightly defended elementary school professionals.

I'm sorry if the truth offends you.

 

[nugov2]

It's not my job to try to interpret another poster's insult. She said an unprofessional act was something she would "expect to see in an elementary school, not college", so I rightly defended elementary school professionals.

I'm sorry if the truth offends you.

Yes, it is your job to interpret a post if your going to respond. Your response makes no sense because you did not read and comprehend what that poster was saying and that just makes you look foolish. She was referring to helicopter parents being juvenile and something expected more at elementary level and not at college. Nothing to do with college or elementary teachers. So after you pry the foot out of your mouth go back, read what she posted and see the error in your interpretation.

 

[mom2rtk]

I have been told that a website called Rate my Professor is also excellent.

My kids love using that site.

But I doubt that a lot of ratings saying the professor cancelled class a lot would scare most kids away away.

 

[Chernabog#1fan]

Yes, it is your job to interpret a post if your going to respond. Your response makes no sense because you did not read and comprehend what that poster was saying and that just makes you look foolish. She was referring to helicopter parents being juvenile and something expected more at elementary level and not at college. Nothing to do with college or elementary teachers. So after you pry the foot out of your mouth go back, read what she posted and see the error in your interpretation.

The way that it was written was in reference to how the college handled helicopter parents, not the actual helicopter parents themselves. I can see why the poster felt like it was an attack against elementary school instructors. That may not have been what was intended, but it was not talking about the helicopter parents.

 

[nugov2]

The way that it was written was in reference to how the college handled helicopter parents, not the actual helicopter parents themselves. I can see why the poster felt like it was an attack against elementary school instructors. That may not have been what was intended, but it was not talking about the helicopter parents.

I did not interpret it that way, but I'm not the op of that post so only they can say for sure. Either way if I take something as offensive and someone offers me another perspective I try to see it from both sides and clarify. To each their own though.

 

[goofy4tink]

You may not like it, but that's how it was. If you would like to believe that I've made it up, feel free to do so if that's what you prefer.

Okay...my dd is a senior, graduating this May. She studied abroad last semester. So, when they returned (the study abroad kids) they have to be squeezed into existing housing. However...they are also supposed to be given preferential treatment, so that they get their choices met prior to anyone starting the college spring semester. Well....my dd and her future roommate had requested to be together (this other girl already has a roommate, but it was her former boyfriend). The other girl has some issues and has to have a support cat..doctor documented for PTSD. She had to leave Europe early because she could no longer deal without the cat. So, they needed an apt..which this girl had already been promised. My dd, and her friend, did everything they were supposed to do...from Europe during the fall semester. Emails were exchanged with the Housing director. But, by mid-Dec nothing had been accomplished. Dd was returning to school right after the first of the year..during intersession. She needed to know there was a room for her! So, Dad got involved. He is good friends with the a man who's nephew is one of the housing assistants. So, we emailed him to get the ball rolling. The housing people said that they didn't know dd was arriving that soon...however I saw emails dd had sent that stated her return date, from 2 months prior...so they were trying to cover themselves. I finally got word, the morning of her arrival date, that they had a room for her!!! Talk about stressful. When she checked in, we were told they had had to have custodial go to the off campus apt to get it ready for her, that day!!!
So...tell me...my dd did everything she should have done, as did her roommate. If parents hadn't been involved, I'm not sure she would have had a place to sleep.
Or, the time that flight arrangements were made for the study abroad kids. It seems that no parents had ever questioned the airfare before. Well, I sure as heck did!!! I found airfare that was $400 less than what the school was going to book. They use a service to do all the group reservations, and no one had ever questioned what the airfares were...until I did!

I am not a helicopter parent..although I do admit to being more involved in dd's life than I should, and I'm trying to fix that. She is 22 and an adult. She has had to deal with her classes in college. If they got cancelled and it seemed to be happening too often, then it was up to her to go to the dept head. She actually had one professor who was an idiot....this professor tried telling the students that Africa is a country!!! The entire continent is one country. Unbelievable. So, as soon as the class ended that semester, dd went to the dept head and had a talk with them.
She has had course issues...she has dealt with them, herself. She has been locked out of classes due to the 'system' adding freshmen before juniors....and the juniors needed the class to graduate! But, she talked to the professors and she was able to get into her desired classes.

I can only hope that she is learning to deal with her issues herself. It would seem that way. But, I have allowed her to give it her best shot, and if that didn't work, we got involved. For some reason, it seems to take an unhappy parent to get attention! Is it right? Nope. But it has happened, so we have dealt with it. But for a school to have a system that penalizes students for their parent's actions? That's just wrong. There are sometimes very viable reasons a parent gets involved.

 

[bdcp]

Even though you are paying tuition, this is not your fight. It's your daughter's if she chooses to pursue it. My DS (29) worked in the IT department at his college and anytime a parent would come with a student in to see them, they would talk to the student, not the parent. The policy was, the student is going to school there, not the parent and it doesn't matter whether the parent is paying or not (their choice), the student is their client.

 

[already]

Okay...my dd is a senior, graduating this May. She studied abroad last semester. So, when they returned (the study abroad kids) they have to be squeezed into existing housing. However...they are also supposed to be given preferential treatment, so that they get their choices met prior to anyone starting the college spring semester. Well....my dd and her future roommate had requested to be together (this other girl already has a roommate, but it was her former boyfriend). The other girl has some issues and has to have a support cat..doctor documented for PTSD. She had to leave Europe early because she could no longer deal without the cat. So, they needed an apt..which this girl had already been promised. My dd, and her friend, did everything they were supposed to do...from Europe during the fall semester. Emails were exchanged with the Housing director. But, by mid-Dec nothing had been accomplished. Dd was returning to school right after the first of the year..during intersession. She needed to know there was a room for her! So, Dad got involved. He is good friends with the a man who's nephew is one of the housing assistants. So, we emailed him to get the ball rolling. The housing people said that they didn't know dd was arriving that soon...however I saw emails dd had sent that stated her return date, from 2 months prior...so they were trying to cover themselves. I finally got word, the morning of her arrival date, that they had a room for her!!! Talk about stressful. When she checked in, we were told they had had to have custodial go to the off campus apt to get it ready for her, that day!!!
So...tell me...my dd did everything she should have done, as did her roommate. If parents hadn't been involved, I'm not sure she would have had a place to sleep.
Or, the time that flight arrangements were made for the study abroad kids. It seems that no parents had ever questioned the airfare before. Well, I sure as heck did!!! I found airfare that was $400 less than what the school was going to book. They use a service to do all the group reservations, and no one had ever questioned what the airfares were...until I did!

I am not a helicopter parent..although I do admit to being more involved in dd's life than I should, and I'm trying to fix that. She is 22 and an adult. She has had to deal with her classes in college. If they got cancelled and it seemed to be happening too often, then it was up to her to go to the dept head. She actually had one professor who was an idiot....this professor tried telling the students that Africa is a country!!! The entire continent is one country. Unbelievable. So, as soon as the class ended that semester, dd went to the dept head and had a talk with them.
She has had course issues...she has dealt with them, herself. She has been locked out of classes due to the 'system' adding freshmen before juniors....and the juniors needed the class to graduate! But, she talked to the professors and she was able to get into her desired classes.

I can only hope that she is learning to deal with her issues herself. It would seem that way. But, I have allowed her to give it her best shot, and if that didn't work, we got involved. For some reason, it seems to take an unhappy parent to get attention! Is it right? Nope. But it has happened, so we have dealt with it. But for a school to have a system that penalizes students for their parent's actions? That's just wrong. There are sometimes very viable reasons a parent gets involved.

Apples and Oranges. Actually not even the same fruit.

It is far different to step in and help after your child has done everything right and hit a wall. Sometimes our young ones are not taken seriously and need the clout of somebody more experienced to step in and move that wall. The difference is that your daughter tried it by herself first. You did not go behind your daughter's back without her knowledge and interfere with her schooling.

A more similar scenario to the OP's would have been that your daughter had secured housing and had not complained. But you were not satisfied with her accommodations and went behind her back to complain to the housing department that her housing was not up to your standards and you were not getting your money's worth on the type of housing she was assigned.

I don't think anybody here has said parents need to be completely hands off. But, the new adult does need to learn to solve problems for themselves, learn to advocate for themselves, and then know when to bring in the big guns when things get stalled or they are hitting an impasse. The important part is that it should be young adult driven. Parents should not step in without being asked, without discussing the plan of their involvement with their adult and absolutely should not be done behind the young adult's back.

 

[Mkrop]

I worked in a registrar's office for a number of years.

All offices (financial aid, bursar, registrar, deans, department chairs, etc) had access to student files. We requested that IT add a field for us called M&D - Mommy & Daddy. Each time a parent called in for something their adult child should be handling, we put an X in this field. At registration time, priority was given to those students with no or few Mommy & Daddy Xs, as we felt it was a nice reward for those who took responsibility for themselves & their own education. M&D was reset each semester to allow for personal growth.

One of my coworkers moved across the country and began working in the registrar's office of another school. She called me, laughing, and said, "they do M&D here as well!" (Not under the same name, but the same idea.)

If your daughter is "timid," it is because you have allowed her to be. Let her fight her own battles. She is probably already marked as "that kid" with "that mother" - don't dig the hole any deeper.

I hope my son is not choosing this college in the fall. What an awful way to prioritize classes? As others have said you have no idea if the student even knows what the parent is doing. Very unfair. Plus I do love how a parent isnt suppose to get involved but these colleges sure love to tell parents what is their responsibility financially but no say in anything else.

Some courses are in such high demand that students were registering for seats they did not need and then selling their seat in a desirable section or with a favored professor to other students for hundreds of dollars. They would meet, pay, and then drop/add simultaneously. To combat this, those courses required manual registration.

I think this college has more issues than parents calling....my goodness.




If this were my child I would encourage my child to go find out from the dept head or higher up if necessary what is going on with the class. I would not be calling about this and certainly not before my child exhausted all of his resources to get to the bottom of it.



Back in the 90s, we had an awful professor, he did not teach anything, sat their with his newspaper and assigned things that were quite difficult to learn on our own. This class was part of our major. There was a huge group of us who went above his head to complain, bc unfortunately he was the department chairperson. There had to be at least 40 of us that went and we had a spokesperson etc. The university did not care. They totally dismissed us. Well they started to care when they heard from a bunch of parents, some who happened to be big donors as well. That is when the class changed. My parents didnt call because they had no clue what was going and that wasnt their style and they didnt go to college so would never have felt comfortable advocating for me. Thank goodness for the parents who did step up. I appreciate them advocating for us when no one would listen!