Academic common room
Unreasonable requests from students: Sense check
LaChanticleer · 22/01/2022 15:09
Just a place to moan really - in the last week, I have received the following requests from students:
- that I come down (2 floors) from my office to the entrance of our security locked building to let them in for a tutorial they had booked with me because they couldn't find their id card (you know -slide the id card in the card reader to gain entry to an unportered building)
- after sending out an email to my students in a module with a link in the email to my tutorial booking website and put in bolded letters "KEEP THIS EMAIL" and also putting the link in my email signature, several emails from students asking me to send them the link.
I politely responded NO to all of these requests, but what I really wanted to say was:
grow up
you're an adult
I am not your secretary
AIBU as an academic? (btw, I'm a senior professor). Do these students realise that they're behaving quite rudely & unprofessionally?
But beyond my own frustration at them treating me as if I'm their servant, just how do we prepare them for a workplace, where behaviour/requests like this would really land them in the shit? if they asked a senior colleague or maybe their boss, or someone who was funding them, they'd be given short shrift, and probably have a bit of a black mark against them ...
MrBlobbyLivesNextDoor · 22/01/2022 20:27
I guess this is the problem when universities have moved into being businesses providing a service to customers.
And no I would have never have done this. No chance. Tbh I don't think I'd do it now, even if I was a student and paying. And I definitely wouldn't be impressed if students did that to me. I would be having words.
titchy · 22/01/2022 21:41
@lljkk
Good One. We all know how much PAs & secretaries have to mollycoddle the poor "Senior Profs". The Senior Profs never overlook any task, email or detail themselves, do they?
What PAs and secretaries?! The only person with a PA at my institution is the VC!
CovidCorvid · 22/01/2022 21:59
I’m a senior lecturer.
1). I’d go down and open the door. People forget ID cards. Colleagues have forgotten cards and not been able to get in, one day I might do so. I’d expect the student to be a bit apologetic but tell them not to worry.
2) I wouldn’t have put myself in that position of just leaving a link in an email even with instructions to save it as I’d know what would happen. I’d have put it on Blackboard or whatever VLE you use. Even then I know I’d still have been sent some emails asking where it was.
I do disagree with students being customers but I’m aware that’s how many view themselves. I’ve literally heard “I’m paying £9280 a year for this course” multiple times.
I do think it can put staff under increasing pressure as there is a tendency from some to think they can demand stuff, click their fingers, etc.
I’ve seen complaints at 9:30am on a Monday morning that an email they sent “days ago” (4:30pm on Friday) hasn’t been responded to. I’ve had emails from students asking for a link to an article when the journal is freely available online. I have one year of students who don’t like the current 50/50 split between online and face to face and want more face to face while another year complain every time they have to come in and want more online. I’ve certainly come to the conclusion some of them will never be satisfied. I do my best.
I’ve yet to come across a door that says Senior and therefore should not be disturbed go and bother one of the new staff because it is beneath me headintheproverbial · 22/01/2022 22:14
You sound a bit OTT. Obviously it's a right pain to have to go and let others in but honestly you've never forgotten or lost a card or key?! I have a v senior professional job and multiple degrees. I really wouldn't see it as beneath me to do this unless it was a regular occurrence.
The email thing is just lazy, you're right.
Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g · 22/01/2022 22:14
@lljkk
Good One. We all know how much PAs & secretaries have to mollycoddle the poor "Senior Profs". The Senior Profs never overlook any task, email or detail themselves, do they?
Nearly 20 years ago when I first worked in a university the professor in our department had a PA who printed out all his emails for him. Those days are looooong gone.
PegLegAntoine · 22/01/2022 22:26
I don’t think those two things in isolation are that bad, but I can see why you’re fed up if that sort of thing happens a lot.
Attitude would make a huge difference to me too - apologetic for a one off forgotten pass, of course I’d think nothing of it. Being entitled and demanding, not so much.
titchy · 22/01/2022 22:32
@BitcherOfBlakiven
All academic staff at my Uni are known as Professor. So nope, not a clue as to how long someone’s been in the post.
They give themselves the title of Professor - in the UK?
Or do you mean students refer to them as 'Prof'?
LubaLuca · 22/01/2022 22:38
I wouldn't think twice about nipping down a couple of flights of stairs to let the person that I was due to meet in, so they could actually meet me - that's something most people in most workplaces would just do, even for an underling.
I'd be interested to know what your hierarchy cutoff point is for helping people out at work. I'm guessing PG students are allowed a couple of human kindnesses per year, colleagues with equal seniority a few more maybe.
Blurp · 22/01/2022 22:43
Depends how they ask. Anyone can forget an ID card, but sending an email saying "I'm really sorry, but I've forgotten my ID card so I may be late for the tutorial as I can't get into the building without it" is very different from "I don't have my ID so I need you to come down and let me in".
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