A few days ago
Anonymous

Are college professors allowed to do this?

When I registered for my classes this semester, I told my advisor to give me a math professor who was great with people like me who hate math. Unfortunately, a last minute change in the schedule gave me another professor who is very young and only in his second semester as a prof. To make matters worse, English isn’t his first language so it’s pretty hard to keep up with him. He zips through his classes trying to fit in three or four sections in 1:15. He told us he doesn’t review for tests because “when [he] puts a problem on the board and some one doesn’t get it, [he] has to explain it over and over again when [he’s] already gone over it once”. My class’s average grade for our first test was a 64.2 and he blamed it all on us (btw, I totally bombed it).

Which brings me to my question. He told us that anyone who made a D or F on the test would have to come to him to talk about the first test before we’d be able to take the second one. If we haven’t talked to him, we aren’t allowed to take the second test. Is he even allowed to do this?

Top 10 Answers
A few days ago
williamdefalco

Favorite Answer

If it helps I had a professor like this, Cheryl Metrejean, about two years ago in accounting. Horrible teaching skills, not a very good bedside manner when it comes to explaining the difficult aspects of accounting to students. After the first exam, in which she used a ridiculously hard exam from a completely different book, there was only a 20% passing rate. Second exam there was only a 10% passing rate. By the third exam there was less than 10 of us left in the class, and the sentiment from her was always that it’s the student’s fault if they’re not able to understand it. Even for the students who found accounting to be a very difficult subject, they should simply study more.

Now I’m the kind of student that believes that in a class it should always be 50/50. The professor has an obligation to make sure that the students learn the class subject, but by the same token the student also has their own responsibility to study it too. But I never felt it was this way in her class, and it was instead like you mentioned above.

Well apparently a lot of the students who failed that class (and no doubt some students from her previous classes) had had enough and visited the Dean of Accounting there together. Her teaching matter was subsequently reviewed, and after everything was finalized she was “encouraged” to seek employment elsewhere. I heard she went to UT the next semester but lasted there only about a year. Last I checked she’s now teaching in Georgia.

Anyways the point is that yes, unfortunately professors are allowed to practically teach how they want (including yours) in their classrooms because teaching skills are practically non-regulated. But you as students have a right to ensure that their teaching skills are in conjunction with the students learning. And if you feel that is not happening, as in this case, you also have the right to let their superiors know about it because it will then hold them accountable for their actions (in my case to the point that the professor was encouraged to work elsewhere). Good luck with your schooling.

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A few days ago
EMT-207
Yes he can. You should talk to him first because he may just want to set up a review class for all the students that did not pass so that you all do well for the second test. If you are not satisfied after talking with him then go to your Dean of Academics and discuss your concerns. You may even want to start bringing a micro recorder with you so that you can replay the class instructions and help go over anything you may have missed the first time in class. Good luck.
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A few days ago
Serena
He rules the classroom. He wants to give you a chance to figure out if you are going to be able to pass his class. If the reason you failed was because you were just having a bad day or didn’t study enough, you’ll be more likely to want to continue the class. BUT if you don’t have “what it takes” to do well in the class, he is going to be able to offer help and also advise you on whether or not you should even continue taking the class. Be thankful. He’s giving you a chance to bow out now during drop/add instead of later, when you’d be either getting a failing grade or a W on your permanent record.
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A few days ago
Tesla Girl is Rokken with Dokken
Unfortunately professors are allowed to create their rules, and guidelines. I’ve had a couple professors that seriously had no place teaching college students, but they were there regardless. Usually you have the opportunity to “add/drop” within the first couple weeks of your classes. This is where you have the chance to switch instructors, and save yourself from a potentially hazardous class. Use this as a cruel, hard lesson and be sure to always switch professors early enough on, when you find that their teaching style does not fit your learning needs.
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A few days ago
justine lauren
Basically college professors get a lot of freedom to teach their classes how they see fit. Typically there are some general guidelines for how they deal with certain issues such as plagiarism, but its up to them how they handle their tests, grading and other classwork. You could complain, but I doubt that would do much good. My advice is to withdraw from the class and wait and take the class with the better professor rather than bring your gpa down.
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A few days ago
Anonymous
Yes, however he will have to answer to the administration if he fails 80% of his students (this won’t happen). Go talk with him. Do your best in his class. Maybe get a tutor who speaks English well. I had a number of classes like this. It’s very frustrating, but it will be over before you know it.
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A few days ago
deqwa_99
it’s a college class and the teacher can conduct his class any way he wants. if that is the way he wants to run the class that is the way he is going to run the class. there are people out in the world who would like to take a class with a teacher like that cause some people can learn things by only being told once
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A few days ago
Anonymous
Professors hold a rank of higher authority, but I dont think they are supposed to abuse it like it sounds like yours is doing. I’m not an expert, but my Spanish Professor used to do the same things. Except, he’d throw his coffee mug!

We told the Principal of the school and I think she told him something about it. So, I suggest you tell someone in a higher rank than he is that you have a feeling that he’s abusing his authority, and they’ll probably investigate it.

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A few days ago
Jazzy, I Miss U Love!
It probably depends of your school’s policies. Every school varies. You should go speak with the dean of students. I’m sure he/she will be able to help you.

Good Luck!!

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A few days ago
Chula24
you should go and speak to your adviser
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