DD yr2 hasn't got module she wants and doesn't want back up module

[MyKingdomforaNewUsername]

Students were warned it would be first come first served for second year modules. She submitted her choices within the hour but hasn't got the one she really wants. Is it worth her emailing tutors and trying to make a case to get onto her chosen module?

Also, the back up she's been given "transgender studies" is one she has no interest in. I've suggested she email the uni about it but she's afraid of being accused of "hate speech." God help us.

Any useful advice would be appreciated.

Nope and it's clear this is a rage bait to make people think they're forcing students to learn about trans issues.

IF (on the very small chance this is true) she missed first come first served that's that. She can be asked to be considered if people drop it but unless she can find someone on the module who's willing to swap, she's stuck with it. That's how uni works.

Eeek I'd be really wary of transgender studies at uni in this current climate. I'm not convinced there'd be a diversity (ironically) of acceptable perspectives.

Id be tempted to post again in the feminism board even if that's not your/her leaning as a compulsory transgender topic would spark some interesting discussion.

Worth emailing. She shouldn’t expect to get her first choice, however. Explain she has no interest at all in the subject she’s been allocated, that she would not have chosen it as a back up, and provide three alternatives she’d rather be placed in.

She’s paying through the nose for a uni place. The least they can do is make an attempt to accommodate her interests.

Ask her to push for other options which might be available

Definitely email. She still may not get her first choice, but she can ask what other options are available. It isn't hate speech not to want to study something.

What degree subject includes this topic?

In exceptional circumstances students might be allowed to take a module from outside their degree so if she really doesn't want this module, she might need to be proactive in finding others with places that she does want. That said, I didn't get my favorite in my final year and was gutted but loved the 'replacement' and ending up doing my dissertation in that area.

I'd tell her to concentrate on requesting a place on other alternative modules because the back up is not one she is interested in. I'm even wondering how that backup came to be allocated. Do the students just bid for a place on one option, or is it a list of 3 in preference order.

Ask to be wait listed for her preferred modules and which others may still have space. There will be some last minute swaps but she needs to accept she cannot have her choice each time and suck it up.

Yes I'm rather curious about that too. Also in my day we studied 3 or 4 modules each year so this would only have been a relatively small percentage of the study time. I suspect we are not getting the whole picture here.

At many universities students may take a small number of credits outside their degree programme, typically within reasonable parameters. If no suitable internal module is available, I suggest DD find an external module of relevance and make an academic case for it if necessary.

Emailing is unlikely to help as a wait list would have been computer generated according to the order in which students attempted to sign up for the module DD wants. Attempting to jump the queue won’t affect the outcome but isn’t a good look

Best wishes to DD

I did a human geography degree and did a module in gender studies 10 years ago. Doesn’t seem unusual for a social sciences or humanities course.

Nope and it's clear this is a rage bait to make people think they're forcing students to learn about trans issues.

You couldn't be more wrong. However, your reply illustrates perfectly why a young woman is nervous about telling her uni she doesn't want to take this particular module.

I'm also a young woman.

If it's genuinely because she's not interested, she should email the uni. Nowhere have I said that she's transphobic, or accused her of hate speech

I suspect we are not getting the whole picture here.

Seriously?

She's doing a joint honours at an RG.

If I wanted to cause a row about trans issues, I'd post in AIBU. Instead I'm asking for advice on whether she should try to get on her first choice and how she can word her request not to do the back up module.

Hi, OP -

For clarity: Emailing about alternatives, internal or external, is a good idea. I should have been clearer about that.

My discouragement of emailing only related to the first choice course. Apologies

I’d contact the uni, tell them I need a different module, say that in the current climate I am unwilling to do ‘transgender studies’ as the higher education sector has demonstrated that it is unable to engage with the topic in a reasoned manner, that the published legal cases thus far demonstrate that academics and students in the area are known to engage in improper and bullying behaviours that are contrary to free speech, and that I don’t feel safe. It’s not about the trans issues themselves, it’s the need to self censor, risk of downgrading just because you don’t align with the lecturers views, and risk of social ostracism campaigns if you accidentally say the wrong thing.

If they said I had to do it I’d engage the university complaints system until they gave up and found me something else. Which they will, as student complaints about free speech and safe learning environments are expensive to handle and a PR nightmare. No one wants to be the next OU.

She might not like what is offered instead, but it’ll be a darn sight safer.

Worth a call or email to ask if any other back up modules are available. I did a bit of a niche degree so most of my classes were low in numbers but I’ve never heard of someone being told they HAVE to do a particular module, especially given many y2 courses are prerequisites for y3 ones.

Can she pick up a module from a different area, some unis were very flexible about letting students take a different module in yr 1 and 2.

Did they not ask her to rank her choices? It's unlikely that there were only two options.

@Lalalacrosse has offered good advice about rejecting the module. Your daughter won't be the only student who doesn't want to take that module. My husband's department had a similar option and only a very small number of students in the cohort wanted to take it. It was cancelled in the end.

How many students are in each module? It there's only 10 in each, for example, I can see how you'd miss out with first come first served, within an hour. She needs to speak to her faculty rather than her mum on this one. You can offer support when the dust has settled.

Thanks @poetryandwine for your good wishes for my DD and to you and others for the constructive advice.

@Lalalacrosse - you make excellent points but at 19 it's not a battle my DD could take on.

She's genuinely not interested in the topic but is afraid to say so in case she's viewed as a "Terf." I

Hopefully, it will be a matter of picking something else and she's getting stressed over nothing.

What is the degree subject? - not sure why you don't want to say.
She needs to speak/email the faculty for other choices.

My DD did a sociology degree and had a similar type of module offered in the 2nd year. She really didn’t want to do it as she was worried that there would be only one viewpoint/ perspective. It’s true that they often limit numbers for modules she and her friends set up alarms to go on and choose within minutes of the module choices opening, both in second and third years. The popular modules were quickly filled up within minutes.

I hope your DD manages to change the module to something she prefers. My DD read through all the specs. carefully before they opened them and had her first choices and back up modules in case she couldn’t get them. perhaps a suggestion of a module which took larger numbers would be possible? I think maybe a suggestion of could I do A or B instead of saying I don’t want to do C may be easier to say? My DD managed to change her seminar time / tutor when she worked out one of her school bullies would be in it! We had lots of angst about that, but in the end plucked up courage and was honest. The uni couldn’t have been more helpful. So I hope she has similar good luck.
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The first response to the OP does show exactly the attitude she was trying to avoid! It may not say transphobia but the implication is there. My DD had to keep her mouth shut over lots of things said in lectures and seminars about different groups of people. This was despite her living and schooling being in a perceived ‘rough’ and multicultural area. Some of the things mentioned in various modules did not chime with her lived experience but she felt it was safer to keep her head down and say nothing. What a shame that unis have become like this. I studied politics at uni over 30 years ago had some great seminars watching older trade union members debate with what I guess would be young conservatives. No one changed anyone’s mind, but the issues were debated without rancour.

It's unlikely to be the tutor that makes the choices. Did she not put down several options that she would expect? Honestly this is for her to sort out as you simply won't have the full info.