Imagine the scenario: You buy tickets to see the orchestra. They're playing at 7pm. But, you know, you have to do laundry. Or your roommate invited you to play World of Warcraft. Or you needed to go see some other show you also had tickets to at 7pm. Or you were sleeping.
So obviously, the logical thing to do is email the conductor and ask if they can't play again, just for you, at 8:30pm instead because you are so, so sorry but you really don't want to miss anything.
While it might never cross my students' minds to do such a thing to an orchestra conductor, they seem to think that this is a completely reasonable request of a college professor.
Kids, it's a performance. An expensive, expensive performance, if you do the math (not that I see much of that phat loot). You cannot just email me after you've skipped class and ask me to meet with you privately to "go over what you missed."
If you miss my show, you miss it. Get a review from someone who bothered to attend.
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Non-refundable education
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7 comments:
Well said. I don't think many students do the math to figure out just how much those tickets are, but they should.
Yeah, most of them (at least at this institution) are not footing the bill themselves, so they don't need to do that math. And they definitely don't do the math that I do -- $12/hr in child care in order to work! While I don't mind meeting with them about their projects (that's the exciting part of teaching, after all) I definitely don't want to feel like I'm just repeating myself.
But really, I should stop bitching. :-)
You should absolutely not stop bitching. That's ridiculous. I can't say I've never cut a class in my life, but when I have I certainly haven't asked the professor to make it up for me! Ugh.
Yeah, my students pay $1.87 for each of my fantastic lectures.
But the school pays me $75.
Hmmm....remind me not to start a college as a business operation.
Hey PMS, you inspired me to do the math...
Counting lectures, office hours, and class preparation time, I'm paid about $15/hour to teach this class. This doesn't include health insurance or any other benefits.
Meanwhile, each of my 25+ students (assuming they take 3 courses/quarter) pay $3908 to enroll, which works out to $205 a lecture.
I don't think I even need to add a comment. Speaks for itself, doesn't it?
Yeah, your lectures must be really really good.
I wouldn't even pay $205 to have Jessica Alba give me a foot massage.
$75 tops.
Well, if they take four classes a quarter, it works out to be a little less. :-)
Obviously, that money isn't just paying for my amazing (?!) lectures. It's also paying for our efficient, wonderful administrative staff... can't have a college without them! (Seriously, now!)
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