To have expected a reply by now

[QuestionableMouse]

I've got an assignment due in on Monday and the wording isn't quite clear about one part. I checked the module guide and it isn't mentioned in there.

It's broken into parts and what we're expected to do for one part isn't stated so you have the work for parts a and c but not b if that makes sense.

Lecturer doesn't celebrate Christmas and said to email any time if we need help. I'm still waiting for a response but I can't finish the assignment. The other students are also stuck. I contacted him on Monday and I'm still waiting for a reply. Aibu?

Feeling slightly stressed!

Agree completely with @YetAnotherSpartacus

Academics sometimes make errors when setting assignments and especially when writing exam papers (!) so if he’s read your email he might be working on how to rectify the situation.

However, in your shoes, just complete what you can do with a note about your tonsillitis delaying you starting the assignment and that’s why you didn’t spot the issue earlier.

If it is an error on his part, depending on how he deals with the situation, it might be prudent to mention this to your personal tutor and/or dept. Administrator at some point.

Thanks.

It's not the OU and he is actually my personal tutor in addition to teaching two modules I'm taking. I tried ringing but it's going to voicemail.

Yes it's my fault in not spotting it but sometimes shit happens.

To the person who asked, I'm in my third year. Finished second year with an average grade of 72% so... 🤷🏻‍♀️

It's not your fault. It's his responsibility.

What is the unclear wording OP?

How are other students dealing with the lack of clarity?

Do you not have friends in the class that you could ask? Perhaps they're struggling with the same thing.

I think OP - and some posters - have conflated "holidays" and "university closure period": the university will have been closed between the 24th and the 2nd at the very least - and many universities didn't reopen until the 3rd.

If someone tells you to email over the holidays and they'll respond, that means usually during student holidays (which, despite many students misconceptions, are not automatically staff holidays) - if they mean "when the institution is closed", then they will say "during the Christmas closure". So despite not celebrating Christmas, this lecturer may well not have been checking over the closure (it's not required, and nor is an out of office, since the institution is closed) and may not have seen it yet.

Obviously, most people will look at their emails as soon as they are back in the office - but if Friday is his designated research day, it's possible that he hasn't (because he never checks on Fridays).

It's crap for OP, but not crap of the lecturer.

Do you not have friends in the class that you could ask? Perhaps they're struggling with the same thing

The OP says in her initial post that they are struggling.

We are still required to put OoOs on our emails over any break.

Ffs, doesn't everyone leave it this late? If he said to email then he should reply to panicking students...

You'll probably get an extension if others have found it unclear too.

God the number of 5.000 word essays I wrote in 24 hours at uni means I think you're actually quite on the ball 😂

OP are you hoping to get an extension?

Get the other students who are stuck and all send emails together, marked URGENT to the lecturer saying that the majority of the class feel the question is unclear and you feel an extension is needed as there has been no clarification available until the day of the deadline. If enough of you make a written statement that the assignment is not fit for purpose, the university will have to look into it.

Most universities close for Christmas is he won't have been in work ...it doesn't matter that he doesn't celebrate Christmas.

Did he have an out of office on? I made it clear to my students that I won't be replying to emails until w/c 6th Jan.
It's out of term time too so he might be concentrating on research or writing. When I'm doing that I don't check emails often as they are a distraction.

Also.....he probably meant student holiday. My students aren't back for another 2 weeks. Don't resend the email - that will just piss him off. Wait for a reply

Try emailing the programme administrator for the school/department. I work as one and often get emails from students who can't contact the module tutor. Quite often we can either contact them on the students behalf and get the answer or find another colleague who is familiar with that module and who can help.

The problem is that she only has till midnight tomorrow to submit the assignment. So whilst she’s emailing administrators etc rather than just cracking on with the work she is risking not being able to submit and facing a penalty. It seems unlikely from what’s been posted here that all of the students are going to launch a joint extension request.

What subject is it? Possibly some of us academics on here could help

Have you checked the course Moodle/VLE announcements? If he's getting multiple emails with the same query, he may have posted a clarification on the unit page, rather than responding to individual emails. I've lost count of the number of students complaining about a lack of information, who have simply failed to check the Moodle area first.

Also agree with PP that if he offered help, he probably meant outside of closure dates - our students broke up on 13th Dec and aren't back til 13th Jan, and I've been available to them by email except 24th Dec - 2nd Jan.

If I were you I would resend the email (after checking moodle) though- it may be that he's had so many emails over the break, yours got overlooked. Be polite, and explain about your illness delaying work on the assignment.

My students are free to contact me as they wish.

I am free to answer as I deem necessary.

If a student emails when I’m on annual leave with a question that could/should have been asked during a class or in my office hours, or by actually reading the module outline or assessment rubric, I will answer when it’s convenient for me.

I suspect this is the case here.

And as others have said, just as the OP had an illness over Christmas, so might the lecturer. Most of us get ill at the end of term - it’s a typical response to the overload of work during the teaching term.

If it's unclear OP, and there's lots of us here available to help you, why don't you just tell us what the unclear wording is, changing it however you want so you can't be identifed?

Sorted!

There was a bit missing, he got back to me yesterday with it and I got it done today.