To Report Widespread Noncompliance with Accreditation Citeria

http://www.ncahlc.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=84&Itemid=112

Sigh

I know this is not anything new. What is new is my trouble. Every once in a while, I am so overwhelmed by the dishonestly from my students, I think my head will explode. Is this really who we are as a culture? Or, does it really mean anything in the vast scheme of things that we will make up absurd excuses, understand that our professors know we are not being truthful, but still expect the lie to be accepted? What really gets me is when we all know the truth and the student does not get what he or she wants, the student then complains of being treated unfairly--and very righteously I might add. Even worse, at many of the for-profits, professors are told to give the student what he or she wants, without question.

I currently have a student trying to bluff her way through a course without buying the textbook. The course relies heavily on references to the textbook in discussion, so without it, her grades are not so good. Instead of telling me that she doesn't have the textbook, she sends me emails attacking my grading practices, telling me she doesn't know what I want, etc. Her latest is to say I am not giving her timely feedback and that my removal of a discussion post of hers that contained profanity was "censorship." If this student spent as much time on her work as she does writing to me, she would be getting a decent grade without having to try and lie her way through. If she told me she couldn't afford the text, etc., I could probably help her get one.

The point is, there is so little respect for the teacher and his or her practice that burnout is surely inevitable for most. How can we support each other? How can we enforce ethics and equity in the classroom?

AFT Statement on Academic Freedom

http://www.aft.org/higher_ed/pubs-reports/AcademicFreedomStatement.pdf

In its fifth annual survey of online learning, the Sloan Consortium has found that enrollment in online education continues to outpace general college

I used to say, "When the bottom drops out of online education..." Hmmmm

http://chronicle.com/wiredcampus/article/2472/distance-learning-going-the-distance

http://www.sloan-c.org/publications/survey/index.asp

The Little Laptop that Could

http://www.islandsbusiness.com/islands_business/index_dynamic/containerNameToReplace=MiddleMiddle/focusModuleID=17674/overideSkinName=issueArticle-full.tpl

U. of Florida Police Subdue Student With Taser

I'm not sure what is worse, the fact that the campus police overreacted and used a taser or that no one (including John Kerry) bothered to get involved.

This article, "U. of Florida Police Subdue Student With
Taser at Speech by Sen. Kerry" is available online at this
address:

http://chronicle.com/temp/email2.php?id=GW68NHYRkcQnXvgynC6K8nvzjstRmvMS

This article will be available to non-subscribers of The
Chronicle for up to five days.

The article is always available to Chronicle subscribers at this
address:

http://chronicle.com/daily/2007/09/2007091805n.htm

The New Liberal Opportunity

This article, "The New Liberal Opportunity" is available
online at this address:

http://chronicle.com/temp/email2.php?id=rP2rwnvxzrPscysFsj29nt3Pddx858Pm

This article will be available to non-subscribers of The
Chronicle for up to five days.

The article is always available to Chronicle subscribers at this
address:

http://chronicle.com/daily/2007/09/2007090706n.htm