Verbie Prevost wrote:
> If you can find the inclement weather policy on the UTC web site (not an
> easy thing to do!), you will find the following statement:
>
> Remember, when it is necessary for the University to open late, we will
> likely open on an hour or half-hour.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
There is IMHO no reason for this, particularly on a Tuesday or Thursday.
It is just as easy to open at 9:25 or 10:50 as 9:00 or 10:00. Surely
9:25 is not too confusing for the highly talented TV and radio news
people in our area to be able to communicate to the public
> For Tuesday and Thursday time periods,
> faculty and students should report to the classes or laboratories in
> progress at the stated opening time. For example, if the University opens
> at 10 a.m. on a Tuesday, report to 9:25 classes.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
But report at 9:25, or report at 10:00 to just more than half a class
period? No wonder students are confused; this is a poorly articulated
policy. But even more fundamentally, it is unnecessary. Simply open
the University at a normal class start time and solve 95% of the problem....
> Very few faculty and even fewer student understand that policy (as
> evidenced by the number of students that showed up in my class at 10 and
> the number of my colleagues who did not meet class).
I had 2 show up at 9:25, several more show up at 10:00, and several
others did not come at all though they were on campus and made it to the
lab for the same class which meets at 10:50. (Two other students did
not come to lab, either, though it started after 10.)
> Can we PLEASE
> consider having someone check the schedule for Tuesdays and Thursdays and
> designate a time that corresponds with the beginning time of most classes
> on those days, i.e., 9:25 or 10:40 or 12:15 (I know there are a few
on odd
> schedules)? It just cannot be that difficult to make the opening time a
> logical one based on classes since that is presumably our major
reason for
> being here.
AMEN!!
Chuck, or whoever in the administration is over Chuck and responsible
for this policy ...
Can we PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE, if snow or some other event that postpones
classes should occur on a Tuesday or Thursday, open the University at a
time (9:25, 10:50, 12:15, 1:40) that coincides with a normal class time?
This would eliminate so much confusion on the part of the students,
not to mention the faculty.
Yes, I know that not every person on campus is a student or faculty
member ... but, taken together, those groups comprise the vast majority
of people. And, supposedly, teaching students is our number one reason
for being here ... so if synchronizing opening times to their class
times causes confusion for a few others who aren't in class, I think it
is well worth that to reduce confusion for our primary "customers".
(And yes, a few classes, especially labs, start at "odd" times, but
let's at least make things easier for the vast majority that start at
the "standard" times! It is always easier to handle the odd exception
than to fix a messed-up base case....)
To steal a line from a current commercial, starting at a normal class
time "is not rocket surgery." It's just common sense. Thanks, Verbie,
for promoting that all-too-rare concept.
Joe Dumas
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