Snot out of the Noses of the Student Body

As one who teaches in supposed 'higher education' all I can say is 'amen'.

The issues outlined in this article are the same ones that are making me seriously reconsider my line of work.

The biggest bunch of whiny-ass-titty-babies you've ever dealt with.... especially in the 'for-profit' education 'companies'. Because they are far more a 'company' than they are a 'university'.

Student Expectations Seen as Causing Grade Disputes - NYTimes.com:

"“Many students come in with the conviction that they’ve worked hard and deserve a higher mark,” Professor Grossman said. “Some assert that they have never gotten a grade as low as this before.”

He attributes those complaints to his students’ sense of entitlement.

“I tell my classes that if they just do what they are supposed to do and meet the standard requirements, that they will earn a C,” he said. “That is the default grade. They see the default grade as an A.”"
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"“I think that it stems from their K-12 experiences,” Professor Brower said. “They have become ultra-efficient in test preparation. And this hyper-efficiency has led them to look for a magic formula to get high scores.”

James Hogge, associate dean of the Peabody School of Education at Vanderbilt University, said: “Students often confuse the level of effort with the quality of work. There is a mentality in students that ‘if I work hard, I deserve a high grade.’ “"

S & A really expresses how I feel on the matter:

Scholars and Rogues � An “A” for effort

What a professor did do was launch a study to quantify just how much snot runs out of the noses of the student body. Ellen Greenberger found that two thirds of students surveyed said that explaining to a professor that they were trying hard should count towards a better grade. It will be great fun to see this horde descend upon the workplace in a few years time and tell their bosses that trying hard should be factored into getting a raise.
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They’ve been coddled and told that they’re special for their whole lives. Here’s a lesson for the youth out there reading that won’t even cost one credit hour of tuition: you’re not special; you never will be special…at least not any more special than anyone else. A few of you are actually special, but you’re not bitching about how you should get an A for effort because you’re special. It’s a big, mean world out there and you’re going to have to take off the diapers someday. Or maybe you don’t think that you’ll have to take off the diapers, and that’s a more serious issue than whether or not a professor gives you the grade you expect.

And I've been on this side of the debacle too.

The professors, however, don’t get the worst of it. From what i can gather, the administrative offices at universities spend a silly amount of time dealing with this issue. Worse than the students are the parents who call to set things right for their baby and have been known to go so far as threatening legal action when the university isn’t being “fair”. If Mommy is still making phone calls on behalf of baby when baby reaches his twenties, we can safely assume that teachers throughout baby’s academic career have been hearing from mommy about how the family expects their baby to be treated.

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"Unaware" my ass.

White House Watermelon Email From California Mayor Dean Grose Inspires Outrage:

"Grose confirmed to the AP that he sent the e-mail to Price and said he didn't mean to offend her. He said he was unaware of the racial stereotype that black people like watermelons."

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Prez has been getting a lot of shit done.

NPR: The Obama Tracker:

"President Obama has kicked off his term by making key leadership appointments, carrying out an ambitious economic plan and laying the foundation for foreign and domestic policies. NPR's Obama Tracker charts significant events and developments in the new administration, and actions the president takes as he settles into the job."

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I don't know what, I don't know where, but I do know that I want to go there and I want to play.

NSFW. Via Fugere.

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