I agree wholeheartedly.
You should complain. You are being riped off. You paid for instruction that you are not getting. Give 'em hell.
I think you have a right to be upset, but you can, I think, make your point without it developing into adversarial issue.
If a number of students from the Professor’s class went to either the head of admin for your faculty (such people, at least in Australia, wield considerable influence), or to the Head of your Department and said something like, “Dear Professor X, we’re a bit worried about Professor Y. I know she missed our first class because the weather was awful, but she’s been sick for the last two, and wonder if she’s OK. We’re also a bit concerned because this is compulsory class and we really need her guidance. Is it possible that someone else can fill in for her while she’s away, just so that we can be sure we fulfil the course requirements. Oh, and please tell her that we hope she gets better soon.”
You’ve made your point, you’ve been nice about it, and if there are a few of you then it’s clear that it’s not just one super-conscientious student, but the class as a whole.
If the professor, or a reasonable substitute doesn’t turn up for your next class, then you can make more of a fuss, but you can start off reasonable but clear.
And really, I taught in a University for four years, and I had my share of students who didn’t like my marking/teaching style/whatever and made that clear in their evaluations. It would never have occurred to me, nor, I am quite sure to my colleagues, to retaliate against that student when it came to their grades. I had students I disliked intensely, but again, I was as fair as I could manage. I don’t think you need anticipate retaliation just because you express concern as to the whereabouts of your teacher.
It seems that the professor has some chronic health problems that began to resist treatment, requiring at least one hospital visit so far, and sick time as she begins and adjusts to other medications.
I did speak with another professor in my department, and he said that the department is aware of the situation, but that due to various policies, no other instructor can step in and take the class. They are looking into other options, but for the moment, they can’t do much.
I’m not unsympathetic to the professor; I’ve had similar problems. I’m just incredibly anal about my grades and I don’t want this class to go into limbo on my transcript. (One possibility is that we all get an “incomplete”; these turn into an “F” if the grade isn’t replaced.)
Robin
I attended your university five years ago. When one of my English professors had a health crisis mid-semeser, that instructor’s classes were divided up between different teachers. We came in one day to find another instructor in class, who told us what happened.
That in mind, the only policy would seem to be that she doesn’t want to give up control of the class.
And, after class last week, some of her comments led me to that conclusion as well. She begged us not to talk to the department chairman anymore; that he couldn’t cure her problem. Great, fine, wonderful, but that’s not going to teach us writing for media, it’s not going to satisfy any requirements, and it’s still going to waste a lot of our time, money, and energy. One of my classmates is trying to figure out what percentage of a course has to happen before the students get credit. Yes, it’s come to that.
Robin
This is a steaming crock of shit. The entire fucking point of college is to provide instruction to students! You’ve paid for the service, it is the school’s responsibility to provide you with instruction, regardless of who is at the front of the class.
The very idea that they can’t get another professor, or a grad student even, to cover an introductory writing class is absurd.
I would suggest talking to the department head about this, since it doesn’t appear to be a one-time thing (if the prof is chronically ill) and the dept doesn’t seem to have an action plan to make sure the students are properly instructed.
The department head knows about it.
The professor swore that, after Spring Break, she would be in class 100% of the time. Should that not happen, I am going over the head of the department chair and to the Dean. I am through playing these games.
Robin
Personally, I wouldn’t wait even that long. You’ve missed enough class as it is, why allow it to continue? And if she can be back in two weeks, what is preventing her from coming to class now?
Spring Break. No one’s in class now.
Robin
Well my spring break starts March 15, and you know everyone follows my schedule, don’t you?
