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Higher education

Talk to other parents whose children are preparing for university on our Higher Education forum.

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Original poster

"Nice" end of year email from lecturer (not)

161 replies

Badbadbunny · 29/06/2021 10:57

DS has just forwarded me an email from one of his lecturers. When he saw the sender/subject he thought it was going to be "happy holidays" kind of email as they officially finish the year this week end and are all packing to go home.

What a shock when he opened it as it's a real old rant.

"Us lecturers have been working flat out all year....."

"I've started marking the end of year exams and am appalled at the standard of answers....."

"We've already lengthened the exam times to allow for technical problems...."

"We've already reduced the pass marks required...."

"You're all going to have to pull your socks up next year if you hope to get a degree....."

This is on the back of none of his lecturers actually being on campus all year, he's had no face to face teaching, seminars, etc all year. Many of the "live" lectures were actually recordings of the previous year with just a "live" introduction for a few minutes at the start from the lecturer. A few pieces of work he submitted before Easter still havn't been marked. Even work that this lecturer has marked hasn't included any feedback, just a "raw" mark with no comments, no suggestions, etc.

He's absolutely gobsmacked that a lecturer has sent that email and him, and lots of others in the groupchats have already complained to the Uni. It's not just this email they're complaining about, it's sparked them to complain about the other aspects too.

What a lovely ending to a truly miserable year for them!

OP posts:

Delphigirl · 29/06/2021 11:46

I would be very interested to know what uni this is, and what course, as I do think it would help lots of people applying for unis to know which unis are handling Covid badly (and which are doing it well).

I am really sorry your son had to receive that. What year is he in? If 1st year I’d say that was really unforgivable - if 3rd year of a 4 year course maybe the overall message is more justifiable, but the delivery and lack of acknowledgement of the real issues with teaching delivery this year is still pretty appalling.

Cam2020 · 29/06/2021 11:51

They started with 'us lecturers'? It's clearly not an English, or any other written-based degree then (I hope).

What the hell kind of teacher sends emails like that? I think this needs to be forwarded to the faculty head!

Kottbullar · 29/06/2021 11:56

I'm not surprised.
DD's lecturers all seemed to be constantly moaning about how difficult delivering online learning is and how students needed to make allowances for them while simultaneously denying online learning had any impact on the students experiences whatsoever and no allowances should be made.
DD's experience has completely put DS1 off going to university at all.

VanCleefArpels · 29/06/2021 12:15

So you don’t think that students should be told that the standard of work is not up to snuff?

sashagabadon · 29/06/2021 12:19

I’d reply point by point detailing all the below standard teaching I had received!

GlencoraP · 29/06/2021 12:19

It is appalling that they have not marked work or provided feedback. How on earth are students meant to know what they are aiming for. The first essay I did at university was a disaster , there is a real difference between A level and degree level and practice and feedback are how you improve. .

Delphigirl · 29/06/2021 12:21

I have to say my first year DS experience at Birmingham (politics) is totally different. Excellent online lectures and seminars, lecturers fully available for office hours online, essays handed in and marked within a few weeks with significant and constructive structured feedback, no moaning. So it doesn’t have to be like @Badbadbunny’s DS’s experience. Hence name and shame I say (have another DC about to enter the UCAS mill and this information will assist him in making decisions - for eg Manchester is off his list because of the disastrous Covid/handling displayed over the last 18 months…

TheSockMonster · 29/06/2021 12:22

@VanCleefArpels

So you don’t think that students should be told that the standard of work is not up to snuff?

I think if their work is not up to snuff (love this phrase!) the last email of term is not the time they should be first learning about it.

motogogo · 29/06/2021 12:23

Exh is a lecturer and course coordinator, he said it's been a nightmare. The staff did their best and he's been in work most weeks too apart from March - June 20 but some, well half he said if students haven't engaged at all then complained when they failed/scraped the year. They can tell if students have logged into lectures, seminars etc. Work not submitted and non attendance at in person labs etc.

25% are repeating the year

Delphigirl · 29/06/2021 12:25

@vancleefarpels, what do you think the chances are that every single person on the course deserves a group rant that their standard of work is not up to snuff? And if it really is the case that every single person on the course is underperforming that dramatically, what do you think the chances are that it might be something to do with the teaching and delivery of the course, and difficulties caused by Covid, rather than the inherent laziness of the entire cohort?

Delphigirl · 29/06/2021 12:28

And @motogogo did your DH rant at the entire cohort? I suspect he provided more targeted criticism given that 25% are repeating and not 100%!

Jahebejrjr · 29/06/2021 12:29

What’s the problem? Students are being told to do better.

GlencoraP · 29/06/2021 12:35

The problem seems to be that as they have had no F2F teaching and no feedback in work done in the year how exactly are they meant to know what ‘better’is.

Is it a problem with style ( a real difference st university level from a level, technical understanding, referencing , depth if reading, too long answers , too short answers. Exam technique ; very few in this cohort will have previous experience of online open book exams , I know people at post grad level really struggling with this .

VanCleefArpels · 29/06/2021 12:48

@Delphigirl I could say the same about my DD’s pandemic experience (just finished 2nd year).

I don’t see an issue in some tough love being meted out. If for no other reason than it will prepare them for the reality of the workplace. Yes it’s been tricky with no/less face to face teaching. But very many students have adapted and coped with good grace and a sprinkling of resilience. Very many academic staff have gone out of their way to facilitate this way of learning that nobody had trained for or experienced.

Students getting upset about this sort of email need to grow up a bit.

JudgeRindersMinder · 29/06/2021 12:54

@sashagabadon

I’d reply point by point detailing all the below standard teaching I had received!

Exactly what I would do, and remind them that you’re paying £9k a year for this shit!

CovoidOfAllHumanity · 29/06/2021 12:54

Lectures recorded from the last year
Wow that is next level 'dialling it in'
I would not be happy at all with that level of effort being passed off as lecturers 'working hard'
They will put themselves out of a job surely if they just do that. I mean why not have them watch a TED talk??

ibbydibby · 29/06/2021 13:03

Is this the whole email @Badbadbunny? I have worked previously in Distance Learning, and when giving feedback we were taught the "bad news sandwich" , ie start off on a positive note, then go into the trickier stuff, and then end on a positive. Since then I have tried to bear that in mind when writing emails which contain a problem/concern/criticism.

So applying this to the email sent to your son, it could start off by thanking students for their perseverance this year (or similar language) and then launching into the bad stuff, finishing off on a more positive note.

It's been tricky times for all: lecturers have had to hit the ground running wrt to delivering online material & setting up online exams; students have really missed out on F2F teaching etc etc. I think some departments in some universities will have got it right, while others will have got it massively wrong. My DS has just finished his second year at uni, and just can't wait to finish his 3rd year, and get out, because it's not been the experience he had hoped for. I feel sad for him & everyone affected. His uni seem to have dealt with it well (from what I can gather)

DrCoconut · 29/06/2021 13:03

To give the other side of the coin it's not efficient use of time to re record something that won't really be different. It's the support around the learning that matters, so being available for live lessons, one to one etc as well as recorded things. Students will be fine with last year's video if they have that backup. And I have had no choice about not going in. The building was closed and we were told to work from home (alongside having our own children around). No access to labs and other resources. Not the same as sitting in the garden sunning myself while my classes fail their exams. So, it's been a really tough year for everyone. I will say though that my employer wouldn't allow an email with that tone to be sent out to customers (because that's what students are now).

DuckbilledSplatterPuff · 29/06/2021 13:05

It sounds as if this particular lecturer is at the end of his/her tether but its been a horrible year for all.
But at the same time the students absolutely do need to know
We've already lengthened the exam times to allow for technical problems. We've already reduced the pass marks required.. You're all going to have to pull your socks up next year if you hope to get a degree
The question is how is that going to happen? An email isn't going to fix it. I think the situation needs to be examined by the university as a whole, and they need to come up with a plan to address it in time for next year and the new cohort. its not just the student's problem if the lecturer is complaining about the whole year group.

Crepescular · 29/06/2021 13:07

Is your 'DS' so much of wet blanket that he can't take any kind of criticism? Does he now have to 'report' it to someone because he finds criticism so traumatic?

Fucking hell!

Cam2020 · 29/06/2021 13:16

Is your 'DS' so much of wet blanket that he can't take any kind of criticism? Does he now have to 'report' it to someone because he finds criticism so traumatic?

Fucking hell!

The email is an unprofessional rant, it's not constructive in any way. The lecturer can't even construct a simple sentence.

Judystilldreamsofhorses · 29/06/2021 13:16

I'm a lecturer and did live teaching all year via MS Teams - it worked well for me and feedback from students was very good. BUT on the flip side, the amount of admin that has come from working remotely has been absolutely crippling - endless messages and online meetings with students which would have been resolved in a 30 second chat on campus. So I can completely understand why people pre-recorded stuff, or used existing recordings, which would allow them to claw back time during the working day.

I'm really proud of how well my students did (and told them this repeatedly) but it has been a very challenging year for everyone. I feel like my work should be funding massages for teaching staff who have spent the year hunched over laptops - my back may never recover!

Judystilldreamsofhorses · 29/06/2021 13:17

That's a joke about the massages, before anyone jumps on me.

YetAnotherSpartacus · 29/06/2021 13:21

What Motogogo said. Plus, we were not given any time allocation to record new lectures. We were told that if we chose to it would be in our own time.

fhbn2025 · 29/06/2021 13:26

So am sure that lots of lecturers have penned a similar email in their head....but I dont know anyone who's sent it ;-)

Suffice to say that everyone has had a crap year. Lecturers have had too much work and frankly teaching online has been quite a rubbish experience all around. Students have obviously also had a terrible year. I have to say that the overall standard in my modules has been substantially lower than in previous years and yes, I can see what students have watched, accessed and engaged with. But what can you do - there's been a global pandemic on and it's been tough for everyone.

Never in the million years should such an email have been sent to the students however. Thats totally unprofessional

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