Student Blather

Regarding the editorial that appeared in the Ann Arbor News and Michigan Daily, what follows are comments responding to my opinions on Jim Carty's series of articles in the Ann Arbor News.


Wolfe
posted 4/02/08 @ 8:36 AM EST
Instead of grading students relative to one another, or relative to the ignorance from whence they sprung, a third (controversial?) suggestion: grade students on their mastery of the course requirements (i.e., syllabus) - not on some subjective assessment of the calories expended trying. Worse still is grading students relative to one another based on professorial perceptions of such "sweat equity."


Randall Tessier
posted 4/02/08 @ 6:40 PM EST
To whom it may concern: "From whence they sprung," that's rich. All apologies to you, he or she, or Mr. or Mrs. smarty pants (I get so sick of he or she, try they). You're so cool not to be blessed with the "ignorance from which they sprung," you must be a legacy admission (like John Belushi in 'Animal House'). I don't know about the "calories expended" by you, but one component I grade students on is "sweat equity." You should think about composing your thoughts enough that you might be published by the Ann Arbor News and Michigan Daily, rather than bashing me on matters that are beyond your ken (improve your vocabulary by looking that word up, then you can ascend to the intellectual heights you so desperately seek).

Best - Professor Tessier


Art
posted 4/02/08 @ 5:37 PM EST

I would much rather hear your response to the allegations and what you as a Professor are going to do about this rather than a few exceptions to the rule. Would you meet with a student for 15 minutes every two weeks in the context of an Independent Study and give them an A ? Would you be able to handle that many students at the same time? Come on Professor. The article was written to address a perceived problem. So when is your meeting with Professor Hagen?



Randall Tessier
posted 4/02/08 @ 7:23 PM EST

Dear Art: What are you, some kind of discipline? I'm like the crocodile hunter and grizzly man thrown into one -- I love my students like they loved their animals. Yes, you twit (look that up), no one could possibly monitor a student's progress at the mighty, mighty U of M on the basis of 15 minutes of evaluation a week. Of course, I know it's impossible to assess the astronomical number of independent studies Hagen has supervised, DUH! I think ten minutes would suffice. Most of the students that generate athletic revenue for the university wouldn't be here if they were considered on the basis of their academic performance. They're here to make MONEY! What am I going to do about this ? I'm going to try to improve their intellectual skills.

Love - Professor Tessier