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eternity
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The Responsible Student
I have always hoped to encounter an ideal class, a class consisting entirely of motivated, responsible, and dedicated students. Unfortunately, I have never encountered such a class. Many students do not meet my idealistic expectations. Are these student really irrespnsible and not dedicated to the educational process, or are they simply unaware of what is expected of them at the college level? Being the eternal optimisit, I have concluded that the actual problem is that many students really do not understaand what is expected of them, perhaps not only in school but also in the workplace.
Desiring to more fully and clearly explain my expectations, I now include a "Letter to the Student" in my syllabus. This letter not only describes my class room expectations, it also describes workplace expectation o the student. The first semester that I included my letter in the syllabus, I was amazed by the number of students who said this was the first time that an instructor's expectations were so clearly expressed. While this letter may not guarantee the "ideal class," my student are now more aware of my expectations and, as a result, are more willing to try to meet those expectations.
An Open Letter to My Students
Attending college is analogous to being employed. Success on the job is achieved only with hard work and efford. This is also truel of college.
Your emplyer expects you to be on the job everyday and to be on time and prepared to work each day. You are alloweed only a specific number of sick days each year after which your pay is "docked." This is also true of economics class. Regular and prompt attendance is essential, and your "sick" days are limited (see syllabus). Excessive absences wil result in a loss of "pay" (grade).
Meetings are an essential part of the workplace, and everyone is expected to attend regularly and contribute to the discussion. If you miss an excessive number of meetings and / or do not share vital information, your emplyment success is in jeopardy. The same holds true for this class. You are not only expected to attend all of our "meeting," but you are expected to contribute to our discussion and analysis of issues. This requires that you come to each class prepared to discuss the assigned material. Failure to do so will put your success in jeopardy and can result in a reducation in your "salary" (grade).
Your employer requires you to submit all reports on time. Failure to do so will endanger your employer's business and your sucess. The same is true for this class. All "reports" (tests and papers) are due at the scheduled time (see syllabus). If, for a justified reason, you will not be able to meet the time schedule, you must notify me, just as you would contact your emplyer if you needed an extension. However, as in he workplace, such extension do not come without a cost. Extensions result in a decrease in your "salary" (grade).
Performance reviews occur periodically in the workplace, and your employer determines the degree of your success during these reviews. Such is the cas in this class. The "performance reviews" for economics class are quizzes and exams (see syllabus). These reviews require you to show not only your knowledge of the material, but also your ability to use this knowledge in real-world situations. Your "pay" (grade) depends upon the magnitude of your performance.
Joyce C. Bremer, Assistant Professor, Economics.
I have always hoped to encounter an ideal class, a class consisting entirely of motivated, responsible, and dedicated students. Unfortunately, I have never encountered such a class. Many students do not meet my idealistic expectations. Are these student really irrespnsible and not dedicated to the educational process, or are they simply unaware of what is expected of them at the college level? Being the eternal optimisit, I have concluded that the actual problem is that many students really do not understaand what is expected of them, perhaps not only in school but also in the workplace.
Desiring to more fully and clearly explain my expectations, I now include a "Letter to the Student" in my syllabus. This letter not only describes my class room expectations, it also describes workplace expectation o the student. The first semester that I included my letter in the syllabus, I was amazed by the number of students who said this was the first time that an instructor's expectations were so clearly expressed. While this letter may not guarantee the "ideal class," my student are now more aware of my expectations and, as a result, are more willing to try to meet those expectations.
An Open Letter to My Students
Attending college is analogous to being employed. Success on the job is achieved only with hard work and efford. This is also truel of college.
Your emplyer expects you to be on the job everyday and to be on time and prepared to work each day. You are alloweed only a specific number of sick days each year after which your pay is "docked." This is also true of economics class. Regular and prompt attendance is essential, and your "sick" days are limited (see syllabus). Excessive absences wil result in a loss of "pay" (grade).
Meetings are an essential part of the workplace, and everyone is expected to attend regularly and contribute to the discussion. If you miss an excessive number of meetings and / or do not share vital information, your emplyment success is in jeopardy. The same holds true for this class. You are not only expected to attend all of our "meeting," but you are expected to contribute to our discussion and analysis of issues. This requires that you come to each class prepared to discuss the assigned material. Failure to do so will put your success in jeopardy and can result in a reducation in your "salary" (grade).
Your employer requires you to submit all reports on time. Failure to do so will endanger your employer's business and your sucess. The same is true for this class. All "reports" (tests and papers) are due at the scheduled time (see syllabus). If, for a justified reason, you will not be able to meet the time schedule, you must notify me, just as you would contact your emplyer if you needed an extension. However, as in he workplace, such extension do not come without a cost. Extensions result in a decrease in your "salary" (grade).
Performance reviews occur periodically in the workplace, and your employer determines the degree of your success during these reviews. Such is the cas in this class. The "performance reviews" for economics class are quizzes and exams (see syllabus). These reviews require you to show not only your knowledge of the material, but also your ability to use this knowledge in real-world situations. Your "pay" (grade) depends upon the magnitude of your performance.
Joyce C. Bremer, Assistant Professor, Economics.
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