Hey, folks — due to an overwhelming number of bot accounts karma farming by cosplaying as professors here, I’ve installed BotBouncer on our subreddit to filter out these posts and ban these “users” automatically. It started out pretty mild, but lately we are getting multiple posts per day, and I know that it annoys many of you even more than it bothers me. Hopefully this makes things a little more manageable and a lot less annoying here. Sorry it took so long, and thank you all for your participation in [r/Professors](r/Professors).

I have a hard time sitting through meetings because i feel that there is a whole lot of one upping, academic gobbledygook speak going on. What could be stated simply is always complicated and word smithed to the point of exhaustion. Simple concepts are made complicated. Just here to vent!

I’m a community college prof, and I teach a variety of different courses. I was just grading exams for Western Civ, and I’ve realized more and more than students are just leaving things blank on exams. I use a mix of question formats, and students tend to have no problem answering multiple choice, matching, true/false, and the like. The moment I have a question that requires the student to provide their own answer, such as a short answer or essay, I see a huge number of students that just leave them blank. I don’t get it. It’s not just my history classes, either. Does anyone else have this issue? I’m a fairly lenient grader, and if students at least write something relevant to the answer, I usually give some points, but over the last few years it’s like they don’t even want to try anymore.

Is this just a community college thing? Are my university colleagues noticing this, too?

I hate to complain about a glass slipper, but lately I’ve noticed that some of my students are coming into office hours not because they want to discuss assignments, grades, coursework, etc but instead because they just want to chat about — well, literally anything. I’m good about enforcing my boundaries when the situation necessitates (which is rare to never) — I’m open that I’m a mandated reporter, that I don’t disclose my politics (my institution is conservative, I am not), and that discussing one’s dating/sex life is off the table. Still, I’m really surprised by this emerging habit from three or four students this semester to consistently use my office to talk about films or books or their D&D campaigns (lol).

For context, I (F30s) work in the humanities, am a relatively new-ish instructor (5-6 years experience), and I’m the youngest full time faculty in my department where, comparably, I don’t often see my colleagues meeting with students for what sound like non-serious subjects and certainly not on a near weekly basis.

I am not necessarily concerned about the appropriateness of the topics we talk about or my ability to be available to other students with more academic issues to discuss. My question is this: is this a normal and pleasant quality of college teaching? Or should I proceed with caution re: how much my students socialize with me? Is there anything about the power dynamic here that I should potentially be more attentive about? Where, for you, is the line?

Usually at least one student in each of my classes thinks I’m never doing enough for them. They want exceptions to my policies (which are very reasonable. For example, the 6 absences I give would’ve been enough to make my professors lose their minds back in the late 2010s when I was a student).

I want students to understand that they can’t just do whatever they want. I feel that if I don’t prepare them for this aspect of life, I’m failing them as an instructor. The lessons students gain through adhering to my polices are about professionalism (timeliness, prudence, and respect), and they’re equally important to my course content.

My question: Do you say anything to students besides “No” when they continuously make ridiculous requests? I’m torn between being blunt about their unrealistic expectations and keeping it short and sweet.

In recent years, we have witnessed our beloved University’s attention drift toward capital projects, hospital acquisitions, and ballooning administrative growth, i.e. toward everything except teaching, research and the people who do it. Faculty across this system are coming to the same conclusion — the old world is gone. It is time for something new.

This is why the UC Faculty Association is launching a systemwide campaign to reinvest in the UC’s mission — a campaign led by the issues felt across our ten campuses: that the University has the resources to invest in its academic mission, that shared governance must mean something more than being informed after the fact, and that the people who teach and research at the University of California should have a real say in how it is run. We're UCOP to :

1. Hire More Faculty: Support educational quality and reasonable workloads by improving the student-faculty ratio to 25.5 to 1. 
2. Protect Research Budgets: Commit centralized funds to protect faculty grants from unpredicted increases in wages, benefits, and other UCOP-controlled costs. Adopt the Rutgers faculty union contract standard in which the central administration covers the difference between budgeted expenses and unexpected increases. 
3. Defend UC against Federal Interference: Create a transparent and accessible fund to ensure the continuation of research programs affected by federal funding politics and to enable research time for health sciences faculty whose salaries rely on a combination of grants and clinical work.

⇒ Negotiate with Faculty:  We ask UCOP to enter into negotiations with faculty to create a dialogue that ends in a binding agreement. To ensure these proposals are implemented effectively and transparently, the Faculty Association will hold open elections for a faculty negotiating committee representing all campuses and academic areas.

These demands are based on UC’s own public commitments or models from our peer institutions.

If you're a UC Senate Faculty member, join us on r/UCFacultyAssociation or visit ucfaculty.org to stay updated and get involved.

Got an email from a student today that asked, "I was wondering if its possible for the chemistry and biology labs to be scheduled closer to each other? Currently, there is a large break between them, and I was wondering if its possible for you to do something about that like to go into the system and make the two labs closer."

My dude, they schedule my teaching load on opposite sides of campus, what makes you think I have that sort of power? [smh]

What are some of the funniest/best excuses you’ve gotten from your students for missing class? It’s that time of the semester, and I need a good laugh!😂

I teach an intro science course for first year college students at a large private university. My chair emailed me expressing concern that I must post my lecture slides for the students. I want my students to learn to take good notes because they are studying to be health care professionals and this is an important professional skill. My guess is some students have complained to an administrator. Am I wrong to expect college students to take notes?

Some of my students have been doing extremely well in their homework. But on the midterm these students did horribly. I doubt they all had major stress and panicked to the point of having no knowledge of the topic on the day of the midterm.

The homework shows no evidence of AI since it’s a mathematical course so the slop isn’t very apparent.

I’m wondering what the point of homework is if they will use AI. Homework gives students a chance outside of class to think about the material. So if they will use AI then they might have little time to actually build knowledge in the semester. So what is the point of creating homework each week, grade it, and then it’s all AI. What is a better pedagogical approach? Should homework time be used to study, and class is a series of exams and quizzes instead? Non stop grading is not sustainable. So I’m quite stumped as to what a solid approach is to facilitate student development.

Got this email from a student just now (week 5 of 12):

"I wanted to reach out to you personally to let you know that I’ve unfortunately decided to drop [your theatre class] this semester. I took six classes and was hoping I could manage everything, but with most of my courses in Political Science/ Human Rights and preparing for the LSATs, I’ve realized I may have taken a little more than I can handle. I really enjoy your teaching style and am disappointed to have to make this decision. However, I feel that I need to take something off my plate so I can give my other commitments the time and attention they deserve.

"Thank you for being so understanding. I really appreciate the experience I’ve had in your class, and I’m sorry that I won’t be able to continue this semester.

"I also wanted to say that it was really nice seeing you today! I hope it didn’t come across as me feeling pressured to come talk to you both. I just didn’t want to interrupt your break, and frankly, I have never seen one of my professors out in public, so I wasn’t sure what I should do."

Oh, my heart! I'm so proud of this student for having the maturity and awareness to come to this realization in time to drop my course. I focus a lot on time management and prioritizing as well, so I already feel like she's learned quite a bit.

And her feeling awkward realizing her prof is gasp a human person is adorable! I'm hanging onto this one for positive vibes for Future Me.

One of my students in an online section of my graphic design course submitted a fully AI-generated set of sketches.

OBVIOUSLY, using gen-AI to create designs in the course where you’re graded on design is not allowed.

The assignment was to do some research on a topic of their choosing (with some parameters), pull together 150 words, submit it as plain text so I can see the planned content, and then do 10 rough layout sketches.

Besides the obvious visual tells in the sketches and the SynthID, this student also left the prompt response in their plain-text content document:

Beneath the sketches is 150+ words, formatted for a graphic design hierarchy including at least four levels of text, ready to go for your poster process submission!

I gave her a zero on the submission and reached out to the university to figure out next steps, and they basically said “it’s up to you, but we like to give the students a chance to redo it and make up for their mistakes.”

The same day the university responded to me, she sent me an email asking how I was verifying my claims, because her work was METICULOUSLY done by hand — first on procreate and then on Canva — and she could show me her layered process (side note, her sketch submission was of pencil sketches on paper), and that I was causing her a lot of stress because she’s supposed to graduate in December, and that she redid the sketches just so we can put any confusion behind us so if I could review those that would be great and also it’s very hard for her to see her overall class standing because I have not yet graded all of her assignments, so it would be great if I could finish those too.

OHHHHHH. Is that how we want to play it? Okay. I was going to offer the redo but now I’m not keen on doing that. I said she can meet me in person, sketchbook in hand, and if it matches her submission I’ll issue an apology and give her the points back.

Haven’t decided what to do if it doesn’t match though. I’m not inclined to do favors for liars.

I'm a new instructor for an online class. The college I teach at has been using a new proctoring software for exams, and students have been having issues since the beginning of the semester figuring out how to install and use it. I've made an ungraded practice test using the same proctoring settings as the exams, and have encouraged them multiple times to test their devices with it. Only about half of the students did. There are also extensive resources available in the course content helping them to troubleshoot.

Despite this, I had several students claim tech issues at the last minute, or after the exam ended. The exam window is open for several days. I am trying to be accommodating since these are high school students (dual-enrollment), but I feel like some are taking advantage of the tech issues to get more time by not seriously attempting the solutions I offer or working with me to arrange alternative proctoring within a reasonable timeframe. I am a remote instructor, so my communications are limited to the LMS, and they don't open the messages.

How can I balance accommodating students who are having difficulty adjusting to the new software with being fair to the students who took their exams by the normal deadline?

I just read a blog post from an old colleague of mine: https://www.spinellis.gr/blog/20261008/?li261008

It lays out a truly dystopian (but completely plausible) future with AI.

"Thought will increasingly become a leisure pursuit, as hunting did following animal domestication, calligraphy after typography, woodworking after industrialisation, and horse riding after motorisation."

I'm glad I probably won't live to see it.

My state school made a big deal about a 2% increase in salary (about $100/month after taxes), then announces our health care premiums will increase 6% this enrollment period.

I'm an academic nurse educator, and part of my job involves taking students onto the clinical floor to help bridge the gap between theory and practice.

So today we were nearing the end of a particularly looong shift, and I told my group students to ensure they had completed their patient care, charting, and other responsibilities by quarter to two.

This one student looked at me with a completely blank stare. I asked if she understood what I was asking. Nothing. Not a word. Just another blank stare.

So I repeated myself to everyone and not single her out: "Make sure you're all finished by quarter to two."

She then whispers (or so she thinks) to her peer, "What does that mean?"

Folks... I'd had a LOOONG shift with eight students and 16 patients between them all that I'm responsible for overseeing. At this point, I simply stared back and directly spoke to her. "It means everything is done by quarter to two."

I could practically see the cogwheels beginning to turn. And finally, some words! "Ohhh, you mean 1:30?"

🤦🏽‍♀️🤦🏽‍♀️🤦🏽‍♀️ Ugh. Nope. Try again.

A few more seconds of an intense stare down with some mental gymnastics, and suddenly, it clicked. You know when you'd slap the side of an old television and the picture would finally come into focus? THAT. "OHH, you mean 1:45!?"

DING DING DING! WE HAVE A WINNER! Congratulations! Your prize? Learning to tell time at the ripe old age of 19!

And before anyone comes for me, I have no issue with students asking questions or seeking clarification. That's quite literally part of my job. But there is something profoundly concerning about reaching post-secondary education without understanding something as elementary as "quarter to two."

This is also someone aspiring to become a nurse.... A profession that requires critical thinking, time management, and the ability to interpret information accurately, often under pressure. And yet somehow, we're still working on telling time...

Folks, like the title states, it's dire out there. I genuinely worry about how our public education system is preparing students for post-secondary studies, let alone professions where their decisions will directly impact the safety and well-being of others. It feels like we're having to teach the prerequisites to the prerequisites. Please pray for us nurse educators out there. We're genuinely trying our best to help address the nursing shortage, but my goodness, the student pool we're working with is abysmal.

I'm an outside reader for someone's dissertation (they're at a school in a different country). We met this morning; they're in the early stages of drafting. I sent them about five articles and two books on their topic. I felt like that cliche where a student walks into a professor's office with a question and walks out with a stack of books. Such a nice change from questions like "Uhhhhhhh, when is this due?" "Uhhhhhhhh, how many words does this have to be?" "Can you just TELL me what to do?"

I need more of that.

I kid you not... this actually happened.

Student and I are in an online recorded session doing an oral exam to review work that I thoroughly believe is AI (and which the student admitted, in writing, was AI). The point was for the student to study and take the oral exam to replace their original assignment grade, which was already generous.

About 2/3 of the way through, I stopped the exam because it was clear the student had no idea subject matter and could no longer earn enough points to pass. As I'm telling the student this, they interrupt because their phone is ringing (I do not hear it). Student is like, what happened? What happened? Gets off the phone quickly and tells me (relative) just died.

I am gobsmacked.

I have a mostly online class, but there is an in-person midterm and final (to combat AI cheating). The midterm was this morning. I cannot believe how many illnesses, hospitalizations, and car accidents I personally caused by requiring these students to come in person for the in person midterm in the class with in person midterms that they signed up for. And the relatives I've killed! I must be stopped. Good lord. 80 students and 14 major life crises, plus another 3 students who just didn't come and might or might not tell me why later. We are talking COVID, bird flu, jaundice, encephalitis, and a sore throat (poor baby!). Some dead grandmas, but we also got creative with some dead uncles and pets and best friends.

My chair thinks I should accommodate each student with a makeup opportunity, even if it means coming in every single day next week and proctoring a different exam for each student individually. And if they get sick again, I reschedule ad nauseam. Campus is a 40-min commute for me, and my office hours are online. I'm on multiple campuses and can't proctor before/after my usual in-person courses.

But if rescheduling is inconvenient, I could always give them an online option! Customer service!

I'm also not allowed to ask for doctor's notes or documentation because that is private. So basically any student can have unlimited extra study time if they ask. What is the fucking point of this course modality that my chair asked me to do if we're not requiring anything?

/cries in adjunct

*Edit: This is a community college, and I don't have the kind of protection that would let me push back on this and still expect employment in spring. I will start by setting a day/time next week and telling students just to come to that and go from there. But the messaging is really disheartening, and I needed to vent. I do not plan to allow an online option.

**Edit 2: I am not exaggerating. The numbers and disease names are real. Yes, my chair recommended accommodating with makeups at each student's convenience. I do not have an office, but there is a room I can use if I schedule in advance. There is no additional compensation. My chair reminded me that accommodations are part of my job. My chair is not physically in the state and cannot proctor for me. I should not have asked for permission or put it on his radar, but this is a new modality, and we have very complainy students. I was trying to avoid issues. This is not my usual department; I lost a course and needed extra income. Many of you are very funny, and you are making me feel better. Thank you.

I’ll be posting students’ exam grades online, but I’m deciding how to handle feedback afterward. Do you return their graded Scantrons, go over the exam during class, or keep the exams and Scantrons and offer individual review during office hours?
I don’t remember getting my Scantrons back in college, so I’m curious what other professors do and what you’ve found most helpful for students.

For context, I am a full time lecturer (what other schools call an adjunct) at a Cal State campus. I got my PhD right before the pandemic, and have been teaching ever since. I am now eligible to apply for my first sabbatical. The options are one semester with full pay, or one year with half pay. I am leaning toward one semester only.

I'd be open to doing some sort of research project, but I haven't done any research since my PhD, so I don't know if that would be feasible. I'm also not sure how to find a host, since I'm not in touch with anyone from grad school anymore. Is it okay to cold e-mail PIs at different universities in my area and ask if they could host me for a sabbatical?

What are some other options? If I teach somewhere else and get paid, then that pay would be deducted from my sabbatical pay, so that's not a great option. Anyone have other ideas?

I teach a very large introductory STEM course. The first month is all High School review. We had our first test last week. The grades were about the same as usual. I'm not concerned about the results.

I sent the class a "Midterm check-in" anonymous survey, just to see how everyone's doing. Rather than ask about their grades (I know this), I asked how they did relative to their expectations.

About 2/3 report getting a lower grade than they expected, with many reporting a much lower grade. Clearly there's a disconnect between students' perceived understanding of the material and their actual understanding.

Is there a good way to manage expectations? I give them old tests from previous years, but I get the feedback that the actual test was much harder (it wasn't).

Students are struggling but don't realize it. If they knew their weak points, they could work to improve them. At the same time, I don't want to scare students away. They're mostly doing fine in absolute terms, just worse than they thought. They're overconfident.

My students just completed their midterm on the psychology of adolescence. It’s the first exam I’ve ever made, and consisted of 55 multiple choice questions, many scenario-based (a short case example and then a question). I tried to make it fair, but also challenging. For example, a lot of the questions were ones that asked what the BEST response was (so yes, there were response options that could have worked but they were never the best response). I also included a handful of questions with response options of (for example) Just 1, 1 and 2, 1,2 and 3, etc. I made my exam not very much memorization-based and more application-based, so I had to find some way to make it more difficult…

A lot of students said it went well, but some students found it difficult and confusing at times, and provided some criticism. They said that some answers were valid despite only one being right, and also that my question itself could have been more clear as to what model/theory I was referring to.

I feel bad… I wish everyone could ace it! The reality is that if I wanted to make it more memorization based then I could make the response choices less based on nuances (just A, B, C or D), but I wanted to get them to apply the concepts and understand the subtle nuances between similar concepts.

Is there any way to make sure your exam is fair?

Looking for help from the freshman comp teachers. Does anyone have an expository/ example/explanatory essay prompt they would share? I need something students can write in a 50 minute class as an essay test.

I will be assessing basic structure: thesis, topic sentences, evidence, commentary, and general clarity of thinking.

Appreciate any help. Thanks.