I have been bemused (amused??) by the discussion of nonattendance at office
hours, etc. Until two years ago, I had almost forgotten what teaching
undergrads was like. I changed subject fields fairly late in life as these
things go, and have been teaching in a professional (MS in Library &
Information Science) graduate program for about 10 years. Graduate students
really want their moneys worth!!!! Undergrads, on the other hand...... Office
hours are a joke! (On the other hand, e-mail consultations are on the rise --
the tekkies in the group really like it.) I had a call from a student from
last term:
Student : Um, I took your course last quarter...
Me: OK...
Student: Um, I failed the course...
MeL OK...
Student: Um, I was wondering what I could do about it...
Me: Well, most students generally take the course over again......
sigh
Students never (what never? Well, hardly ever...) come to office hours, but
they always offer the excuse that you could NOT be reached. E-mail is a
wonderful antidote for that! I am known for responding at midnight.
I don't think I have noticed as much gender discrimination (our undergrads
are majority male) as class standing (the more mature the student, the more
likely s/he is to see the value of office hours and professorial conversation).
Kate McCain
mccainkw at duvm.ocs.drexel.edu
