So, hypothetically if you were a professor...(rather angry right now)

[Godhumor]

And a student came up to you and said that his sister was getting married at the same time as the class' scheduled final a week from Saturday would you a) let the student take an alternate test on a different day, b) tell the student that it is not a valid reason for missing the final, or c) laugh at the student, tell him to go pick up a happy marriage greeting card and give it the sister with an explanation on the inside of how she picked the wrong day to get married, and then come to the test.

Yes, I'm pissed. Sometimes I really wonder why I quit my profession at the age of 31 to go back to school...

On edit: I am the student, and my professor picked option c, sorry if that wasn't clear.

[Tuesday Afternoon]

1. a

the answer is a.

[bicentennial_baby]

2. Option A

Absolutely. And I say this as a TA.

Although, I do know of a prof at my school that allegedly told a student that if he missed the final to attend his brother's funeral, he would fail. The student's brother had been shot. Ugh.

[Cabcere]

10. Are you serious?!

That's fucking horrible. I just...there are no words. What a complete asshole!

[bicentennial_baby]

13. Dead series....

I was told that by one of his colleagues...

[Cabcere]

28. And he still has a job?

Wow. Just...wow. I really don't understand how some people can be so callous.

[Godhumor]

20. Huh, one of my friends ran into this while on the JET Program

He and I both taught in Japan for awhile. Anyway, 3 months after moving there, his father went into the final stages of terminal cancer. My friend requested time off to go be with his father in his last few weeks. His supervisor came to him with a highlighted copy of his contract showing that "grief" leave was 1 week for family members, and he had to choose between going to his dying father for 1 week or waiting until he died to make the funeral.

My friend took the other option which was to quit and go home to be with his family. 1 week after his father died, the supervisor sent him a bill for the airline ticket given to him to fly to Japan at the beginning of the school year, as he didn't fulfill the terms of his contract.

I don't think a JET has worked in that town since the incident.

[Cabcere]

26. That's awful!

I think I would've done the same thing your friend did. Sometimes I wonder about people like his supervisor...are they totally heartless?

[DS1]

38. I'd fail it

the prof can suck it, so to speak

[Mike03]

3. If this is a university (?)

Are there rules about situations like this, so that the decision does not technically fall on your shoulders?

Just out of curiosity what do you teach?

I loved my courses and would never think of skipping them or the exams.

[Godhumor]

5. Oh no, I might be misunderstood

This was ME going to the professor, and he picked option c

[ThomCat]

4. So, apparently your professor chose C?

[Godhumor]

6. Yeah, that would be it

I have an appointment with the dean of my MBA program tomorrow.

[ThomCat]

9. I hope your dean has more common sense than your professor.

[Dr. Strange]

7. I've always gone with option a.

I have the students take it during one of my other finals.

[Fox Mulder]

8. Definitely A.

I had something like that happen and the prof didn't let me get excused, so I complained to the Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs. Needless to say, I got to take the make up exam.

[Cabcere]

11. Definitely option (A).

That professor sounds like a real jerk. Sorry to hear that, and I hope things work out for you! (And congratulations to your sister!)

[Godhumor]

14. I assume we'll come to an arrangement tomorrow

My guess is that after I talk to the dean and he talks to the professor that the prof will claim he was "just joking".

Now, hopefully, I can get graded fairly (assuming the dean doesn't fight me on this).

[BlueIris]

12. At my school it would have been option C...

Because our profs prided themselves on their assholishness and saw it as a testament to the school's "integrity."

[ElizabethDC]

15. My cousin got a zero on an exam the other day because he had to go to our grandfather's funeral

the professor wouldn't let him reschedule (it's a class in which the prof drops the lowest test score anyway, but still, you'd think the professor would be more understanding.) Evidently, some professors just refuse to be accommodating, even when it comes to family stuff, and that sucks.

[Orsino]

47. And a zero on one exam isn't usually the end of the world.

So you fail a class and have to take it again? Unless you have to put off graduation and register for another semester, is this a huge deal?

I'm thinking generally not. Take the .03 hit to your GPA and drive on, if the wedding/funeral/birthday party is really important. I'm sure it looks different from the perspective of the student who has just wasted months of effort on a particular class, but in the long run the damage may not be great. These things happen all the time, and almost every student has to make some sort of similar choice.

[fishwax]

16. It would probably depend, but certainly not C

sorry your prof was such a jerk, but I hope you get some relief from the dean.

[petronius]

17. I usually go with option A, but occasionally choose option B

Technically, option B is the university-approved option.

As petty as it sounds, one of my reasons for choosing option B is when a student tells me he needs to reschedule rather than asking. Also, last-minute requests tend to be rejected - if I need to make special arrangements I need advance notice (a week would be OK, however)...

[KitchenWitch]

18. I missed a funeral of a very close friend because of a dickhead professor like that.

And I was too timid to go to the dean and ask for an override.

[Zodiak]

19. I'm a post-doc

Applying to be a professor.

The thing you have to bear in mind is that professor and teachers in general deal with an endless litany of excuses from students, many of which are dishonest cover-ups for not doing the work. A good teacher knows which ones are the repeat offenders, and often have a "one-time only" policy when it comes to missing an exam.

There is also the issue of having to rewrite an exam so one singular student can make it up. That is a lot of time to invest, especially because it is a final. If there are multiple tests on file, fine, but if not, it is essentially asking the professor to write the test again. Bear in mind that many professors do a lot more than teach (I am in the sciences and know that an academic's day is often quite filled).

Also, bear in mind that often a professor must turn in grades very soon after the final exam. It is a busy time.

So, if you have been a good student all quarter and didn't bug the professor with endless excuses instead of solid work, then yes, I'd let you take a make-up exam. Provided you did it the next day.

Harsh...perhaps, but fair, I think. And there would be no laughing at you. That kind of attitude lowers a student's morale and engenders distrust, even if the student is lying.

Now watch....I'll become a prof and the students will walk all over the "one-time" policy in my first few years, and I will have to say "no" to all cases unless the Dean's office tells me otherwise. That is how it ends up for a lot of profs I know...they lose their capacity to trust their students. I don't want that to happen to me.

[Godhumor]

22. I taught high school for 6 years, and I have many friends who are professors

In this particular class I have a 99.5 average right now. I warned my teachers at the beginning of the semester that my sister was getting married on the first Saturday of finals week, and when the schedule was ifnally posted yesterday I notified this guy that it conflicted with the marriage.

I know all about bullshit excuses, which is why I went out of my way to prove that this wasn't one. if the dean requests it, I'll even bring in a photocopy of my sister's marriage license (which is what i expected the professor to ask for in exchange for an alternate test).

[Zodiak]

36. Then he/she has no excuse

Prior notice and a good student = benefit of the doubt, even if you are an rules stickling, stuffy-butted curmudgeon. That is professional.

Get the Dean on his/her ass. Offer to take it early just to back the profin a corner on the excuse that you might be trying to buy study time.

And who the hell schedules a final on a Saturday?....geez!

[Godhumor]

37. Our program mandates that all sections of a class take a final at the same time

And in the same room. As a result, the school started using Saturdays as a 6th possible test day due to too many classes having overlapping finals during the week.

Apparently, this is the only class in the first year MBA curriculum getting a weekend final, so lucky me.

[CreekDog]

21. the sister's wedding is more important than your test

no i'm not kidding and usually in the lounge i kid.

besides, the final is on a Saturday! it's not like those are normal business hours. surely you have made exceptions for your Jewish and Muslim students.

go to the head of the department. not that it will work, but still.

[Godhumor]

23. Reread the OP

I'm the student not the professor.

[CreekDog]

46. I know you aren't the professor

I answered your question which was, "If you were..." and I answered as if I was the professor.

He was totally off-base. I would go over his head if I were you because the cost of doing otherwise is severe (failing an exam or missing a family member's wedding).

Good luck to you, I hope this gets resolved despite his thick-headedness.

[mzteris]

24. go see the department head

or the Dean . . .

That's BS.

[greatauntoftriplets]

25. Many years ago, I worked with a woman whose request for vacation time...

to get married was refused by the company.

She quit.

In a perfect world, I would choose Option A.

Best of luck to your sister....and you, in whatever you decide to do in the situation.

[Godhumor]

27. My situation is why I think the professor thinks he can do this

I'm currently going to school on a scholarship that comes with a defacto job offer upon graduation.

He knows I can't quit the program because of that. I'm putting a lot of hope into my meeting with the dean tomorrow. Otherwise I'm going to try and find a compromise with the professor.

[electron_blue]

29. Option b is the closest to what I tell my students.

I would never laugh at them.

I see your point of view, honestly I do. But have you any idea how many students lie about their sisters getting married, or other really important family events, such as funerals? It's pretty appalling how many students lie about that sort of thing, actually. Or seriously stretch the truth. They can't take the final on Thursday bcs their sister is getting married on Saturday, for example. Or they pretend they didn't know about the conflict for the wedding date even though the date's been set for 6 months and the final exam date was given back in September. On top of all the lies, the no-show rate to make up exams is about 75%, and of course as a professor you hear the students plea for a 2nd makeup exam.

Anyway.... bcs I sympathize with the students who *really do* have a conflict I always give them an out. I give 4 exams, and they can drop one exam. Whatever exam score is the lowest, even a zero on a final, will be dropped. I also give all the exam dates up front so people can sort out wedding dates and whatnot ahead of time. The final is always cumulative so that I can ensure that each student has been tested at least once over all the material. Over the years this works the best. It's not perfect, but I have the least complaints of all the things I've tried.

Having said all that - this is what I do for my large classes. For the smaller ones with majors (300-400 level) I might make separate arrangements and even a makeup. They overwhelmingly don't lie or take advantage of my time.

[bicentennial_baby]

30. But at some schools, like mine, the finals schedule

doesn't come out until 2 weeks before finals. Yes, we know which week, but have no idea when or where for each class until right now.

[Dr. Strange]

31. Seriously?

That's weird. I've always known when my finals were the first day of class!
You need to give somebody in administration a punch in the kidney!

[bicentennial_baby]

32. Yep...We just found out about the finals schedule,

as did our Profs. It's really weird.

[Dr. Strange]

39. That is so freaking wrong!

Is there supposed to be some sort of rationale behind this? Or is it just lazy-ass administrators?

[electron_blue]

33. I bet if you do a little digging you'll find the finals schedule was set before

the semester started - in some cases it's just carved in stone and never changes, but is correlated to class start date and time. Many profs aren't good about finding out when it is or publicizing it until the 2 weeks before finals. All the universities I've been at have their final exam schedules given in the student bulletin or website, but I'll grant you it's not always easy to find. Chances are if you told me your university's name I could find it on their website lickety-split.

[bicentennial_baby]

35. No, trust me...this is an ongoing issue....

Our Administration seems to exist solely to frustrate students and teachers alike...I'm a TA, and the schedule is as much of a surprise to the Profs as it is to the students. Never released before 2-3 weeks prior to finals. I have no idea why.

[msanthrope]

34. Go to the Dean. Better yet, email the Dean ahead of time, explaining

exactly what was said. Thing is, at most colleges and universities, it is the Dean, not the professors, who schedules make-ups....

[Godhumor]

40. QUICK UPDATE: SUCCESS IS MINE!

Just got an email from the professor. One of the classes scheduled for a Monday final is not having a final at all. My Saturday final just got bumped to that Monday as a result. I'm not going to miss the wedding!

Yes, it is normal for this teacher to be emailing students at 10:45 pm. He works at the school 18 hours a day 6 to 7 days a week--I have no idea why.

[DS1]

41. congrats!

It's a shame that it's not because he's a human being after all, but due to scheduling, and he's still a fucking prick.

[madeline_con]

43. Unfufilling home life would be my guess.

Look into online university. Best move I ever made!

[Lydia Leftcoast]

44. I know why he works so long

He is under "publish or perish" pressure.

[MissMillie]

49. to torture his assistant

I assure you.

[Godhumor]

51. Oh he did that in the second week of classes, heh

MAde his TA grade 30 long projects twice and then came over, changed all her grades, and said, "Next time grade like that."

He's a fun one.

[Tyler Durden]

50. love your sig line.

Appropriately sick...fits in well.

[madeline_con]

42. Go to school online like I do, so you can

have a few day period to take the test from anywhere.

[DarkTirade]

45. That depends. In this theoretical situation, am I a complete ass too? Or am I just myself as a

professor?

[MissMillie]

48. what school schedules exams on Saturday?

Here at the school I work they cater to the students.... way more than they should.

Most exams here are online. But there's a time frame... usually a window of 5 or 6 hours, but once the exam is downloaded the student has 3.5 or 4 hours to upload his/her responses.

But never on a Saturday.

[tjwmason]

52. Round here it's option D

and the professors don't get any choice in the matter. Alternate testing doesn't happen and all students have to sit exams at the same time - but if a student has a valid reason for missing the exam (which would include this) and can prove it, then a re-sit without penalty is offered over the summer (same as for a student who is ill on the day of an exam &c.).