If Professors Can’t Respect Their Syllabus, Why Should I Respect Their Class?
Graphic by Emma Novy
At the beginning of the semester, I take the syllabus extremely seriously. Every reading, homework, project is put into my calendar, so I make sure I get everything in on time. I like to keep things organized. I want to know when I can have time to myself, and towards the end of the year I like to know when I can go home. When looking at my finals in each syllabus, I like to make a list of each date of a final and project. I do this so each thing gets its adequate time in my planning. However, when a professor changes the date of their exam or final project to be a closer due date, I start to get pissed off.
In my visual communications class, I must create a topical news story using video. This project is due on May 1st, as it says in its syllabus and was explained to us in class. With this project I had to do a bunch of stuff that I have never done before as a Magazine, News & Digital journalism. Interviewing people in front of a camera, gathering B-roll, taping myself with the perfect BDJ voice. While doing this so many people come up to me, asking me what I'm doing or staring at me. In all honesty, this project was in the back of my mind as I was totally new to this kind of thing. But I still knew that I was going to get it done. However, what took me out was when two weeks before the due date, my professor asked us to have it done a week early. Unfortunately, that's not happening.
As soon as those words were said, my hand shot up. I pointed out that I have other classes I’m taking, 19 credits, and how the work I needed to do for other classes this week would have to be on the back burner. This type of stuff takes over an hour a day to complete, and on top of that I get out of class at 6, I have clubs, exams, meetings, and homework. I don't mean to be annoying, but my original plan was to film in small increments over the course of the 2 weeks I had to do this project, not film every day of the week with lack of sleep. I care about getting 8 hours, this week I wasn’t even getting 4.
When it's syllabus day, I’ve had many professors explain: “If you are late for my class don’t show up at all”, “No eating or drinking in this class”, “No phones” although I think having no phones in class is understandable. My point is, I come into your class with respect for the rules, you should respect my time, energy, and mental health. Respect goes both ways. And if I don't get that respect expect my seat to be empty or a big W for Withdrawn on my transcript. When I come into a class the syllabus helps me plan my time and give you my best work, when you disrupt that my work will feel rushed and the quality will suffer. That shouldn’t come as a surprise. All I ask is for your respect for our time professors, most of us go into your classes with utmost respect.