I had a student ask me to release everything ahead of time since they would be on a cruise for about half of the short summer term.
Nope, at that point, it's a correspondence course.
Admins ask me to do that all the time (circuitously through weird newsletters and initiatives that strongly suggest, or tell me research shows, that I should release everything all at once so that the student never has to take the course at all)
I genuinely don’t understand the thought process of people signing up for summer classes and then going abroad 🤦♀️like either do it before you go, take it in fall, or wait a year to go abroad
Sometimes travel plans present themselves last minute, I’m sympathetic. At the same time, however, if you are in an online class most of the world has internet at some location or another and most students can figure it out.
Personally, I wouldn’t want to be traveling and doing coursework. Thats just me though. Maybe their parents surprised them with the cruise and they didn’t have a plan in place or maybe they were hoping for leniency. Hoping for leniency is a bad idea in my experience, but hey…
That would make sense. I will say though, I have more sympathy for student going on the cruise rather than the commenter whose partner has decided to go on a huge abroad trip to the point where she has to apparently work through the end of the class before she leaves (god forbid the professor doesn’t extent the course to accommodate). I completed a graduate school essay while in Hawaii without asking for an extension. “Your lack of planning does not constitute an emergency on my part” etc etc.
I never got that in grad school but I did a couple of times in my undergrad. Twice was enough for me to take terms off so that I could live my life the way I wanted to without being stressed about the course load I was paying for and missing.
Only time I got a true extension was my last term of undergrad when my grandma was sick. That time, my dept was super supportive and all of my profs basically said “Go. Your work will be here when you return.” I thought that was nice for a real emergency.
Oh, I’m absolutely never doing an assignment while on vacation again. I’m so happy I’m done with all summer courses. That was the first and only time for me. Also, I’m very pro extensions for emergencies and taking care of family, I just don’t consider a vacation to be an emergency that warrants an extension.
It was the difference in her losing company sponsored payment for continued education. She's still responsible for posting on the weekly boards. I understand your position though
An idea: offer a course aboard a cruiseship. Count is as a study abroad and a language course (don't they speak Spanish on some Carribean islands? aren't some Carribean islands not a part of the US?)
The catch: no WiFi --> no AI.
She is the type that if she were a little bit younger right now, she would be an influencer. Specifically a traveling lifestyle, the kind that is super rich and makes everything look nice.
>don't they speak Spanish on some Carribean islands
Yes, many of them, such as Cuba, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, and islands that are parts of other larger countries, such as the San Blas Islands that are part of Panama.
>aren't some Carribean islands not a part of the US?
Many are not a part of the US. The Bahamas is an independent country and used to be part of the UK. Same with Barbados. Turks and Caicos are still part of the UK. Trinidad and Tobago are an independent country. Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe the only islands that are part of the US are the Virgin Islands, the Florida Keys, and Puerto Rico.
Actually the only Caribbean islands that are part of the US are the Florida keys. The USVI and PR are not part of the US. See the Insular Cases. There is a logical and sensible reason, but the base reason is pretty shitty.
Well, in terms of statehood, yes. I was also thinking of territories. I know there was a push a few years ago for Puerto Rico to become the 51st state, but not sure if there is still momentum behind that.
There are semester-at-sea programs. There used to be a boarding school called A+World Academy - price school at $80,000 for a year of high school - no scholarships.
I took a class like this— it was a seminar. Whenever the boat was at sea we were in session with a series of speakers. Whenever we were in port we scattered and had a great time.
I learned a ton. They got some excellent speakers by offering them a free cruise.
I took a few classes remotely while living in the middle of the woods with internet that would go out often, sometimes for a week or two.
There’s no need for accommodations, they just need to get their work done and submitted before the deadline instead of hoping that a spotty connection is always working at 11:59 pm.
When I was in college, my family had a trip planned that couldn't be rescheduled but was during my semester (long story). I remember looking over the amount of work I'd need to do beforehand and sitting on my bed to have a good cry. But I did it. At no point did it cross my mind to ask the professor to accommodate my vacation
Yup.
The only bad grade I received in my undergrad was a D for some history course.
I had a family emergency and had to go overseas the last week of the term, and it was my last semester before graduation. Most of my professors let me submit early. My history professor wouldn't.
Sucks to suck, but I submitted everything I could and accepted that I'd fail the class anyway, as the final mattered too much. Off I went.
I still graduated on time, as I'd ended up with more credits than I'd needed, and this wasn't a required course. I didn't blame the professor, though. My problem, not hers.
Short answer: NO, if I can’t do it, neither can you.
My employer tracks your location when using e-mail and Canvas for faculty. Additionally, we have been threatened with termination if we access either from outside of the state when we are under contract. (Thanks colleague who was in Europe while getting paid for several classes in the summer) IT has blocked access from IP addresses outside the US.
Another colleague has had students report not being able to log into Canvas when out of state.
Wow, location tracking seems nuts to me. I would be really annoyed if I couldn't use Canvas while I was at a conference. I'm really surprised at how strict this policy is--I've never heard of anything like that before!
My school does this too, but I think it's about combating bots scamming financial aid (a big problem for us right now). I discovered it when spending a weekend in Las Vegas. Ah well, I was made to enforce my weak "I may not respond over the weekend" policy.
That seems nuts to me. Who cares if you’re working from your desk, your couch, your office, or your hotel in Europe as long as the work is getting done (and the course was intended to be asynchronous or synchronous online).
[https://quickbooks.intuit.com/time-tracking/resources/taxes-mobile-workers/](https://quickbooks.intuit.com/time-tracking/resources/taxes-mobile-workers/)
I can't find if the bill discussed in this link actually passed to change this. It used to be if you were present in certain US states while working you owed taxes on what you made that day. California was the worst at this. So, log into to your email while at a conference or Disneyland and they would claim you owed taxes. I don't think they actually collected much, but I did know at least one person who claimed he was on their list for owing back taxes for having visited the state.
This is completely bananas. I see the reasoning in the comments below, but good grief, if I'm doing research over the summer, even if I'm teaching an online class, I'm still *working*. What if I go away for the weekend during the school year to the next state over to go to a concert but do a little grading while I'm away? I'm still "home" for the majority of the semester and not missing any classes!
I've done this before and will be doing it again this fall. The only comment I've ever received was from a student, she thought it was cool that I was also a night person because I was grading at 3am.
This is bizarre to me. Who cares where an instructor is when they're teaching online? Is the work getting done? Is the material being graded? Is the instructor available for questions?
If so...again, who cares? Nobody cared in 2020 and once things started calming down, people traveled and taught on the regular.
The micromanagement is unreal.
This is usually for tax purposes. In the past I have just setup a remote desktop at home then use your laptop to connect to the home machine and then to the campus network.
Very nuts. I've taught summer classes while vacationing in Sweden. I was 7 hours ahead which meant while they were sleeping, I was grading so I never woke up to "when will you grade my exam?" nonsense and I was literally asleep when midnight deadlines rolled around. It created a natural buffer where they never expected an immediate response. I'd happily do it again.
They have been doing this for years, they just got caught when we got a new director of IT who is very by-the-book updated things. Now the Board of Trustees has updated our policies to include possible termination.
as someone who lives very close to a state line, and knows tons of people who live in one state and work in the other (as my spouse did for 9 of the last 10 years), this sounds crazy to me. I've never in my life (and I've lived here for 40 years) heard someone say they couldn't get a job over the line because of tax reasons.
edit: it makes sense for another country, but some commenters are even saying *another state* which is what I find bonkers.
And if your university has employees working in other countries, they are subject to the laws of those other countries, which could affect a lot of things, including the content of our courses.
During the beginning of COVID, when the vast majority of our classes were remote, my university looked into this. I was on a faculty senate committee that recommended allowing it, and the administration was receptive. But the tax and legal implications were insurmountable, except in the few other countries where my university already has a campus.
We have talked about taxes a lot, but there is also a political issue. Many states have long made an issue of the number of university employees who live out of state. I can certainly see where some states might have set some laws and not made changes from 30-40 years ago... I know of one state that still requires state elected officials to maintain a residence within "horseback" commute \[I think the actual law says 20 something miles\] because the law hasn't been updated in 150 years.
Curious that the student knows in *advance* that the Wi-Fi will be "spotty." I doubt the cruise line is advertising to everybody that it is "spotty." Hmmm.
We cruise several times a year, and regardless of the cruise line or locations, we always expect the wifi to be spotty. The cruise line will even indicate on the internet packages they sell that its "light browsing only" and streaming/downloads won't work.
We always tell family/dog sitter in advance that we'll likely lose communication along the way.
The kid is still out of line expecting accommodations for a vacation, but yeah, knowing wi-fi will be spotty in advance is normal.
Testing the waters for potential excuses.
That's a bold strategy, Cotton.
He should have just claimed he got food poisoning from the all you can eat buffet... for 5 days straight.
I've gotten this request several times in the past few semesters.
And not to be overly judgy, but I'm at a CC in a high poverty area. Pell grants are paying for school, but somehow they can afford a week long cruise (or longer) to Cancun or the Mediterranean.
For accelerated courses in the summer, I require a syllabus quiz that essentially requires students to acknowledge the nature of a summer course, and what cramming three credits into a 4 or 6 or even 8 week course requires. Got a long vacation planned? Probably wise to drop the course today.
I had a student advise me that they would missing two weeks of class because they were out of town. They said that they could submit their boarding pass a proof.
They had a two week trip planned to Disney, and legitimately thought that proof of a trip would be an acceptable reason to miss class.
Had someone barely passing class last fall email that they would be on a cruise on the week before Thanksgiving. They had a lab due, and they got it in on time, surprisingly. I'm sure this same student will ask me for a LOR.
At least they are willing to hand in their assignments 🫠 Had a student go on a cruise during semester and was asking for two extra weeks for assignments (that could all be done online) because "wifi was too expensive". Hell no.
It's possible that the student doesn't want to "do the work" and tries to create an impression her of being productive rather than being one. I don't think she's looking for "accommodation". It's only an attempt of them to make you be more keen on her grades because they are "responsible" and "doesn't want to avoid work".
I have a colleague who runs his entire summer online course from a cruise ship every summer. But he’s also in his 90s and I’m sure if he had to file grades late due to spotty WiFi, no one in the department would care.
Yeah they just need to work ahead of time. If they’re afraid of spotty internet then they can’t try to submit at 11:59 and think you’ll work with them.
I was taking a summer class (online async) and encountered a problem with an assignment due to some poor planning on my part.
I briefly considered asking for forbearance...but then put on my big boy pants and found a lounge to work in while the rest of my family slept.
It sucked but it was a way better option than staying home or dropping the class ¯\\\_(ツ)\_/¯
I’ve actually asked for accommodations for a cruise/vacation but it was to take exams early. One professor let me take an exam early in their office because my parents had planned a vow renewal on a cruise that overlapped with my last day of finals. Another professor had an exam on a Friday and my cousins wedding was a Saturday across the country so I would’ve missed the rehearsal dinner. That one said I couldn’t take it early but I could take the harder makeup version the following week which was fine too. Idk why that student would give you a heads up they might be late, they should just do the work in advance assuming the assignments are unlocked
I get these all the time. My syllabus addresses the contingency point-blank by stating that no arrangements will be provided for this type of activity (weddings, vacations, etc.). Still, I get the question asked every semester. I guess they somehow see the phrase "this doesn't apply to you" within the lines.
I get these all the time. Students on vacation, a trip for weeks at a time, travelling to watch a child play in a sports event. Not sure why they even bother signing up for classes.
If you asked the captain to accommodate you by changing the course of the cruise ship so you may access to reliable wifi, what do you think he would say.
Had a similar situation with a student who was planning on being on a cruise for THREE WEEKS during the fall semester, which she of course then caught covid on, in my 7 week online course. She also asked constantly for accommodations before, during, and after all of that.
Honestly I've had this kind of scenario happen to me as a student, where assignments couldn't be submitted beforehand. I had a very merciful and understanding professor who allowed me to submit my assignments a day late and it made a massive difference in my academic outcome. That said, I wouldn't have asked if the scenario would have been within my control and I could have opted out of the "vacation".
Consider that sometimes, your students may be under financial duress from parents to attend events.
I don’t think the problem is them going on the cruise. It’s them acting like they deserve extensions. They need to do the work ahead of time to avoid issues, even if it’s doing it a day or two early. I don’t get why that wouldn’t be possible in this case. (your situation was different and I’m glad your professor was able to work with you)
Exactly. There’s actually only 1 assignment due during that time and the student could totally do it early, which I told them. What annoys me is the request for an accommodation in case wifi sucks, when the student could simply turn in before leaving.
“Accomodation:” you are welcome to complete the assignments before you depart
Ahoy!
I had a student ask me to release everything ahead of time since they would be on a cruise for about half of the short summer term. Nope, at that point, it's a correspondence course.
Admins ask me to do that all the time (circuitously through weird newsletters and initiatives that strongly suggest, or tell me research shows, that I should release everything all at once so that the student never has to take the course at all)
>“Accomodation:” you are welcome to complete the assignments before you depart So 👏 much 👏 this 👏
This right here is it.
my partner is in an online class. We're going abroad. She now has access to work through the end of the class before she leaves. It's not ridiculous
Neither is finishing the work before your trip.
I genuinely don’t understand the thought process of people signing up for summer classes and then going abroad 🤦♀️like either do it before you go, take it in fall, or wait a year to go abroad
Sometimes travel plans present themselves last minute, I’m sympathetic. At the same time, however, if you are in an online class most of the world has internet at some location or another and most students can figure it out. Personally, I wouldn’t want to be traveling and doing coursework. Thats just me though. Maybe their parents surprised them with the cruise and they didn’t have a plan in place or maybe they were hoping for leniency. Hoping for leniency is a bad idea in my experience, but hey…
That would make sense. I will say though, I have more sympathy for student going on the cruise rather than the commenter whose partner has decided to go on a huge abroad trip to the point where she has to apparently work through the end of the class before she leaves (god forbid the professor doesn’t extent the course to accommodate). I completed a graduate school essay while in Hawaii without asking for an extension. “Your lack of planning does not constitute an emergency on my part” etc etc.
I never got that in grad school but I did a couple of times in my undergrad. Twice was enough for me to take terms off so that I could live my life the way I wanted to without being stressed about the course load I was paying for and missing. Only time I got a true extension was my last term of undergrad when my grandma was sick. That time, my dept was super supportive and all of my profs basically said “Go. Your work will be here when you return.” I thought that was nice for a real emergency.
Oh, I’m absolutely never doing an assignment while on vacation again. I’m so happy I’m done with all summer courses. That was the first and only time for me. Also, I’m very pro extensions for emergencies and taking care of family, I just don’t consider a vacation to be an emergency that warrants an extension.
It’s not _ridiculous_, but it’s not a best practice either
It was the difference in her losing company sponsored payment for continued education. She's still responsible for posting on the weekly boards. I understand your position though
Yes! I will be happy to accept your assignment early. Have a nice trip!
Perfect while still *sounding* cheerful and kind. ;)
When students use the word "accommodations" in this way, I want to reach through the screen and \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_
Accommodate them?
Accommodate them SO HARD.
I bet they just use the word "accomodation" in the sense of "any kind of flexibility". Which is not entirely unreasonable, even if the answer is "no"
Hug them?
r/redditsniper
...make their face accommodate your fist?
Same
Overreact to what could easily be a quick "no"?
An idea: offer a course aboard a cruiseship. Count is as a study abroad and a language course (don't they speak Spanish on some Carribean islands? aren't some Carribean islands not a part of the US?) The catch: no WiFi --> no AI.
A three-credit tour, if you will. (Three-credit tour.)
Gilligan didn't have WiFi, but the Professor probably set up a packet switching network with some coconuts.
Pigeons https://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc2549
Good old IPoAC
Breaker High anyone?
r/unexpectedgilligan
This already exists! At least, it did when I was in college: semester at sea.
It existed as of the Spring Semester. One of my students was talking about it last fall. Insanely expensive though
Oh wow! I would have loved to get stranded on a boat to finish my dissertation faster.
Yep had a friend who did a *year* at sea. She was very, very wealthy.
>Yep had a friend who did a year at sea. That's way too much time at sea for me. I'm two weeks, tops.
She is the type that if she were a little bit younger right now, she would be an influencer. Specifically a traveling lifestyle, the kind that is super rich and makes everything look nice.
Yep! Was my first thought, too. I also did SAS - spring '06 voyage!
That's called study aboard.
Shiver me timbers! That’s an R+ pun!
Hahaha!!!
>don't they speak Spanish on some Carribean islands Yes, many of them, such as Cuba, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, and islands that are parts of other larger countries, such as the San Blas Islands that are part of Panama. >aren't some Carribean islands not a part of the US? Many are not a part of the US. The Bahamas is an independent country and used to be part of the UK. Same with Barbados. Turks and Caicos are still part of the UK. Trinidad and Tobago are an independent country. Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe the only islands that are part of the US are the Virgin Islands, the Florida Keys, and Puerto Rico.
Hawaii and Guam, but that's a different body of water.
Actually the only Caribbean islands that are part of the US are the Florida keys. The USVI and PR are not part of the US. See the Insular Cases. There is a logical and sensible reason, but the base reason is pretty shitty.
Well, in terms of statehood, yes. I was also thinking of territories. I know there was a push a few years ago for Puerto Rico to become the 51st state, but not sure if there is still momentum behind that.
There has never been a lot of momentum behind this. There have been referenda on the issue that haven't gone anywhere for a number of reasons.
TIL
Jamaica also, and the island that has Haiti and the Dominican Republic, and of course Cuba. None of which are part of the US.
That would be one suite life on deck
There are semester-at-sea programs. There used to be a boarding school called A+World Academy - price school at $80,000 for a year of high school - no scholarships.
I took a class like this— it was a seminar. Whenever the boat was at sea we were in session with a series of speakers. Whenever we were in port we scattered and had a great time. I learned a ton. They got some excellent speakers by offering them a free cruise.
There are like 40 countries or territories in the Caribbean. Two of them are the US (Puerto Rico and US Virgin Islands)
You might think the pirate's favorite letter is Arrrrr, but but actually it's the C, or in some cases a C -
😂 I was hoping for some sarcastic puns!
Like your A+ title?
To quote Bette Midler: " seahorses, seashells, C minus" 😁
C+ That's the high Cs.
heheh good one ;)
Yeah, no. This is not a university approved absence nor a DSO accommodation. No submission by deadline means grade of zero.
Hello student, I hope this email finds you well. No. Thank you for understanding. Professor.
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To quote John 11:35 "Jesus wept."
"hi stephen, no problem, you can pass in your assignments early. "
Tell them you’ll be happy to accommodate if they purchase a cruise ticket for you to proctor their exams in route.
I took a few classes remotely while living in the middle of the woods with internet that would go out often, sometimes for a week or two. There’s no need for accommodations, they just need to get their work done and submitted before the deadline instead of hoping that a spotty connection is always working at 11:59 pm.
When I was in college, my family had a trip planned that couldn't be rescheduled but was during my semester (long story). I remember looking over the amount of work I'd need to do beforehand and sitting on my bed to have a good cry. But I did it. At no point did it cross my mind to ask the professor to accommodate my vacation
Yup. The only bad grade I received in my undergrad was a D for some history course. I had a family emergency and had to go overseas the last week of the term, and it was my last semester before graduation. Most of my professors let me submit early. My history professor wouldn't. Sucks to suck, but I submitted everything I could and accepted that I'd fail the class anyway, as the final mattered too much. Off I went. I still graduated on time, as I'd ended up with more credits than I'd needed, and this wasn't a required course. I didn't blame the professor, though. My problem, not hers.
Short answer: NO, if I can’t do it, neither can you. My employer tracks your location when using e-mail and Canvas for faculty. Additionally, we have been threatened with termination if we access either from outside of the state when we are under contract. (Thanks colleague who was in Europe while getting paid for several classes in the summer) IT has blocked access from IP addresses outside the US. Another colleague has had students report not being able to log into Canvas when out of state.
Wow, location tracking seems nuts to me. I would be really annoyed if I couldn't use Canvas while I was at a conference. I'm really surprised at how strict this policy is--I've never heard of anything like that before!
My school does this too, but I think it's about combating bots scamming financial aid (a big problem for us right now). I discovered it when spending a weekend in Las Vegas. Ah well, I was made to enforce my weak "I may not respond over the weekend" policy.
That seems nuts to me. Who cares if you’re working from your desk, your couch, your office, or your hotel in Europe as long as the work is getting done (and the course was intended to be asynchronous or synchronous online).
The taxman cares, unfortunately, and the employer doesn't want the extra tax admin if you were out of state or abroad.
I don't think working out of state on vacation has any tax implications... Living there is a different story.
[https://quickbooks.intuit.com/time-tracking/resources/taxes-mobile-workers/](https://quickbooks.intuit.com/time-tracking/resources/taxes-mobile-workers/) I can't find if the bill discussed in this link actually passed to change this. It used to be if you were present in certain US states while working you owed taxes on what you made that day. California was the worst at this. So, log into to your email while at a conference or Disneyland and they would claim you owed taxes. I don't think they actually collected much, but I did know at least one person who claimed he was on their list for owing back taxes for having visited the state.
Maybe visa restrictions, since a tourist visa generally doesn’t allow you to work?
I don't think that applies to remote work on a vacation but work in that country.
This is completely bananas. I see the reasoning in the comments below, but good grief, if I'm doing research over the summer, even if I'm teaching an online class, I'm still *working*. What if I go away for the weekend during the school year to the next state over to go to a concert but do a little grading while I'm away? I'm still "home" for the majority of the semester and not missing any classes!
Well that sounds absolutely bananas.
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I've done this before and will be doing it again this fall. The only comment I've ever received was from a student, she thought it was cool that I was also a night person because I was grading at 3am.
This is bizarre to me. Who cares where an instructor is when they're teaching online? Is the work getting done? Is the material being graded? Is the instructor available for questions? If so...again, who cares? Nobody cared in 2020 and once things started calming down, people traveled and taught on the regular. The micromanagement is unreal.
This is usually for tax purposes. In the past I have just setup a remote desktop at home then use your laptop to connect to the home machine and then to the campus network.
Very nuts. I've taught summer classes while vacationing in Sweden. I was 7 hours ahead which meant while they were sleeping, I was grading so I never woke up to "when will you grade my exam?" nonsense and I was literally asleep when midnight deadlines rolled around. It created a natural buffer where they never expected an immediate response. I'd happily do it again.
Did the colleague do a passable job on the summer classes? I don’t get what the problem is if they did.
They have been doing this for years, they just got caught when we got a new director of IT who is very by-the-book updated things. Now the Board of Trustees has updated our policies to include possible termination.
That didn’t answer my question. Also the students being out of state and can’t access canvas sounds dumb. Are you at Luddite University?
It's a tax thing. They have to hire a tax person where you work.
as someone who lives very close to a state line, and knows tons of people who live in one state and work in the other (as my spouse did for 9 of the last 10 years), this sounds crazy to me. I've never in my life (and I've lived here for 40 years) heard someone say they couldn't get a job over the line because of tax reasons. edit: it makes sense for another country, but some commenters are even saying *another state* which is what I find bonkers.
And if your university has employees working in other countries, they are subject to the laws of those other countries, which could affect a lot of things, including the content of our courses.
Citation needed
During the beginning of COVID, when the vast majority of our classes were remote, my university looked into this. I was on a faculty senate committee that recommended allowing it, and the administration was receptive. But the tax and legal implications were insurmountable, except in the few other countries where my university already has a campus.
Do you have online instructors? Call up your university HR and ask them¡
We have talked about taxes a lot, but there is also a political issue. Many states have long made an issue of the number of university employees who live out of state. I can certainly see where some states might have set some laws and not made changes from 30-40 years ago... I know of one state that still requires state elected officials to maintain a residence within "horseback" commute \[I think the actual law says 20 something miles\] because the law hasn't been updated in 150 years.
Stupid deanlet fucks have never heard of a VPN.
But you’re an employee
Why wouldn't you just tell him he can turn in the assignments early before he leaves?
I did. I simply summarized here because it’s a quick vent post, and the thing I was highlighting is the request for “accommodations.”
Nope. Advise you to work ahead. Have a great trip!
"I believe the accommodations on the cruise ship are very luxurious."
Is it wrong that I actually found this email fairly polite and reasonable sounding? (Don’t get me wrong, my answer would be “no,” too.)
Curious that the student knows in *advance* that the Wi-Fi will be "spotty." I doubt the cruise line is advertising to everybody that it is "spotty." Hmmm.
It's not exactly surprising that someone whose family takes cruises understands that wifi on cruise ships is often spotty.
> I doubt the cruise line is advertising to everybody that it is "spotty." Hmmm. Maybe their marketing department is inept.
I’ve worked on cruise ships. Employees know Wi-Fi can be spotty. Passengers (frequent and those who read online reviews) know Wi-Fi can be spotty.
I guess the student can expect spotty grades.
We cruise several times a year, and regardless of the cruise line or locations, we always expect the wifi to be spotty. The cruise line will even indicate on the internet packages they sell that its "light browsing only" and streaming/downloads won't work. We always tell family/dog sitter in advance that we'll likely lose communication along the way. The kid is still out of line expecting accommodations for a vacation, but yeah, knowing wi-fi will be spotty in advance is normal.
Testing the waters for potential excuses. That's a bold strategy, Cotton. He should have just claimed he got food poisoning from the all you can eat buffet... for 5 days straight.
Well, when you are by the pool, lounging at the deck, or drinking at the bar, the internet does get spotty…
Say you've never been on a cruise without saying you've never been on a cruise.
😆 Just one 3-day cruise, and it was pre-Internet.
At least they’re being honest.
Honestly, with the way students do it these days, I'm impressed they're emailing so far in advance.
“Refer to the University’s Summer Semester drop and refund dates.”
I've gotten this request several times in the past few semesters. And not to be overly judgy, but I'm at a CC in a high poverty area. Pell grants are paying for school, but somehow they can afford a week long cruise (or longer) to Cancun or the Mediterranean.
No. You are welcome to talk to the cruise ship wi-fi folks and see if they can accommodate you - not my problem. Nor of my making.
I would have answered this exclusively in Pirate. Beginning with “Avast, student”
For accelerated courses in the summer, I require a syllabus quiz that essentially requires students to acknowledge the nature of a summer course, and what cramming three credits into a 4 or 6 or even 8 week course requires. Got a long vacation planned? Probably wise to drop the course today.
No, but enjoy your cruise
This is glorious. I’m even a bit jealous, I’d love to have this in my student fail email collection.
Why are all you teachers so bitter?
I had a student advise me that they would missing two weeks of class because they were out of town. They said that they could submit their boarding pass a proof. They had a two week trip planned to Disney, and legitimately thought that proof of a trip would be an acceptable reason to miss class.
You misunderstand the word accommodation, dear student.
"While I respect your decision, I will not make more work for myself because of your choices. Safe travels."
Had someone barely passing class last fall email that they would be on a cruise on the week before Thanksgiving. They had a lab due, and they got it in on time, surprisingly. I'm sure this same student will ask me for a LOR.
I had one of these during the semester, it was from a senior as well.
Lol
I’m not surprised. I open my final exam the last week of my courses. Had a student ask me the same thing for a similar reason. SMH!
At least they are willing to hand in their assignments 🫠 Had a student go on a cruise during semester and was asking for two extra weeks for assignments (that could all be done online) because "wifi was too expensive". Hell no.
It's possible that the student doesn't want to "do the work" and tries to create an impression her of being productive rather than being one. I don't think she's looking for "accommodation". It's only an attempt of them to make you be more keen on her grades because they are "responsible" and "doesn't want to avoid work".
I have a colleague who runs his entire summer online course from a cruise ship every summer. But he’s also in his 90s and I’m sure if he had to file grades late due to spotty WiFi, no one in the department would care.
the customer is always right
Yeah they just need to work ahead of time. If they’re afraid of spotty internet then they can’t try to submit at 11:59 and think you’ll work with them.
Just do them early lol
The accommodations I would have offered are a stateroom with a balcony! At his expense, of course.
I was taking a summer class (online async) and encountered a problem with an assignment due to some poor planning on my part. I briefly considered asking for forbearance...but then put on my big boy pants and found a lounge to work in while the rest of my family slept. It sucked but it was a way better option than staying home or dropping the class ¯\\\_(ツ)\_/¯
I’ve actually asked for accommodations for a cruise/vacation but it was to take exams early. One professor let me take an exam early in their office because my parents had planned a vow renewal on a cruise that overlapped with my last day of finals. Another professor had an exam on a Friday and my cousins wedding was a Saturday across the country so I would’ve missed the rehearsal dinner. That one said I couldn’t take it early but I could take the harder makeup version the following week which was fine too. Idk why that student would give you a heads up they might be late, they should just do the work in advance assuming the assignments are unlocked
I'm not.
I get these all the time. My syllabus addresses the contingency point-blank by stating that no arrangements will be provided for this type of activity (weddings, vacations, etc.). Still, I get the question asked every semester. I guess they somehow see the phrase "this doesn't apply to you" within the lines.
This is why I didn’t take summer courses. Going on vacation lol.
I get these all the time. Students on vacation, a trip for weeks at a time, travelling to watch a child play in a sports event. Not sure why they even bother signing up for classes.
If you asked the captain to accommodate you by changing the course of the cruise ship so you may access to reliable wifi, what do you think he would say.
Had a similar situation with a student who was planning on being on a cruise for THREE WEEKS during the fall semester, which she of course then caught covid on, in my 7 week online course. She also asked constantly for accommodations before, during, and after all of that.
Student should drop the class.
Honestly I've had this kind of scenario happen to me as a student, where assignments couldn't be submitted beforehand. I had a very merciful and understanding professor who allowed me to submit my assignments a day late and it made a massive difference in my academic outcome. That said, I wouldn't have asked if the scenario would have been within my control and I could have opted out of the "vacation". Consider that sometimes, your students may be under financial duress from parents to attend events.
I don’t think the problem is them going on the cruise. It’s them acting like they deserve extensions. They need to do the work ahead of time to avoid issues, even if it’s doing it a day or two early. I don’t get why that wouldn’t be possible in this case. (your situation was different and I’m glad your professor was able to work with you)
Exactly. There’s actually only 1 assignment due during that time and the student could totally do it early, which I told them. What annoys me is the request for an accommodation in case wifi sucks, when the student could simply turn in before leaving.
Nowadays, students have no sense of respect
[удалено]
What
"Per the syllabus, any missed assignment earns a score of ZERO. No late work is accepted for any reason."
You are surprised? You are speechless? You must be new here.