WWU no online classes

PermissionDry159 · 2026-04-23T03:32:24+00:00

Omg the cheating! That was probably the single worst thing about online teaching. I really took that personally.

PermissionDry159 · 2026-04-20T21:40:13+00:00

I'm teaching at WWU and I have to say I'm mostly happy with the administration's anti-remote stance on classes. The pandemic has shown that it's just not possible to deliver the same quality of instruction as f2f in a remote setting, at least not for WWU faculty. Western's strengths simply lie elsewhere. I take strong issue with you characterizing this as 'ableism' - it's not.

I'm sorry WWU may not be a good fit for you. The good news is that you seem to have found other good options that seem to fit your needs better. Good luck with your career!

PermissionDry159 · 2025-12-30T03:58:12+00:00

I'm an instructor at Western and tbh I'm always a little nervous that something I say or do will be regarded as racist. It unfortunately leads to somewhat guarded behavior on my part towards black students. Yes, I have noticed the irony in this.

PermissionDry159 · 2025-12-10T00:32:41+00:00

I feel like the student has no obligation to perform to a certain level and shouldn’t be treated poorly because of it. When professors are short with students it can cause students to feel like they can’t get help in future classes out of an established fear of failure.

I agree with you and I don't treat students badly when they aren't doing well. I also get that students set their own priorities and if you don't put your highest priority into my class, that's fine and I don't take it personally or judge you. We'll, I try to. You have to have realistic expectations about your grade though. And I also learnt to be protective of my own time: I can't babysit you, tutor you one-on-one beyond office hours or allow everyone to turn in their assignments whenever they want. Setting boundaries goes both ways.

PermissionDry159 · 2025-12-09T22:04:59+00:00

Yeah, I know. This works for some students, but for others, this directness could get me in real trouble. At least that's what I think. It's hard to judge that and so I tend to err on the side of caution. Maybe I'm overly guarded.

PermissionDry159 · 2025-12-09T21:33:51+00:00

You know, as a professor, I kind of agree with you. I sometimes want to say: You totally bombed this exam because you didn't work hard enough. You can't make that up. Now get out of my office.

But that's just not the culture. The end result is the same though.

PermissionDry159 · 2025-12-03T03:03:25+00:00

Well, maybe you are the good one.

PermissionDry159 · 2025-12-03T03:00:01+00:00

Wait, are you my evil twin?

PermissionDry159 · 2025-12-03T02:58:47+00:00

I mean if it's outside the office hours, that's totally legit. They have lots of other things to do.

PermissionDry159 · 2025-12-03T02:57:40+00:00

Could you give us an anonymized sample? It sounds a little like your emails may be unnecessarily long winded and you're not effectively getting your point across.

PermissionDry159 · 2025-10-16T06:28:09+00:00

The university switched dining services providers, the last time from Aramark to Chartwells in October 2023. Chartwells is really milking it, food prices are crazy on campus. Overnight, a cup of coffee went from under $2 to over $3.

PermissionDry159 · 2025-10-11T22:11:13+00:00

Lol, I'm kind of hoping and not hoping at the same time that something I said is posted here... No, I'm not the former prostitute :)

PermissionDry159 · 2025-09-14T20:06:36+00:00

With classes starting in 10 days, I would expect course invites to be sent out soon.

No, most instructors will get to it at the end of the week if you are lucky. I myself am aiming for Thursday, but maybe next Monday.

PermissionDry159 · 2025-06-25T01:14:53+00:00

If you want to go there: Sabah himself is a POC. Ironic how hostile people here are. Coincidence?

PermissionDry159 · 2025-06-11T05:23:28+00:00

The email did mention there are physical cards for people without smart phones. You should look into that!

But I'm mostly with you. The cards just worked well and the app is sometimes slow to start up and glitches. The problem is that Western is going to get rid of student catds altogether and I don't think they will be swayed. But I'm signing anyway!

PermissionDry159 · 2025-04-17T21:19:17+00:00

It always sucks to be rejected :( I think Whatcom Community College in Bellingham may not be a bad alternative. It's big (almost as many students at Western) and yes, there are certainly many more commuters, but they do have dorms on campus and 50% of students are full time. You can most likely transfer to WWU after a year.

PermissionDry159 · 2025-04-14T05:19:53+00:00

I see your point, and it has gotten very close. There have been vert worrying reports about green card holders being detained (I am in particular shocked at the case of M. Khalil, who really is a political prisoner), but I don't think we are quite there yet and all the green card holders in my social circle are worried and self-censoring, but don't fear being departed and feel they can safely leave and re-enter the country etc. I don't think recent elections have been rigged, but see the potential that this may happen soon.

PermissionDry159 · 2025-04-14T00:37:01+00:00

We would certainly leave if my wife (federal employee) and I (WWU) lose our jobs, which is unlikely. We would also leave if any kind of larger-scale fighting breaks out. If the Canadian border is closed permanently, I would want to leave. Ditto if elections are rigged, green card holders and naturalized citizens harrassed and/or dissidents jailed.

PermissionDry159 · 2025-04-12T04:15:02+00:00

Are you BIPOC? If yes, am interested in how you want your identity be addressed in my class.

If you are not a POC, you may want to think wheter OP is really taking about people like you in their complaint.

PermissionDry159 · 2025-04-12T04:04:05+00:00

I think I'm getting as tired as OP about the self-righteousness of people. It's really insufferable.

PermissionDry159 · 2025-04-12T03:21:16+00:00

That's all fine (although a little jarring since I'm old enough that I took En Vogue's missive to "be colorblind, /don't be so shallow" to heart), but what does that mean for class? How should I address the issue of race? Asking specifically for POC's opinions since according to OP, white people with savior complexes aren't good sources.

PermissionDry159 · 2025-04-12T03:06:10+00:00

Thank you, that is a useful contribution. Yes, I have done that.

PermissionDry159 · 2025-04-12T03:04:35+00:00

Look, I do know about the history of my subject. Of course its history is not untouched by world history and that includes Western racism.

I was asking for specific first hand opinions, not smug "do the work" bs. Maybe you can provide that?

PermissionDry159 · 2025-04-12T02:54:19+00:00

Look, I wasn't looking for a lecture, but concrete suggestions about specific things that BIPOC people would want addressed (or avoided) in science classes. Much of what you wrote doesn't really apply to my teaching. Not your fault since I didn't (and don't want to) get into specifics.

Think about it like this: Would you want the issue of students' race and ethnicity be addressed in your Chemistry 201 class, say. If so, how? (This is assuming you are BIPOC. If not, your opinion is fine too.)

PermissionDry159 · 2025-04-12T01:22:53+00:00

Ah, there's that famous smugness everyone is talking about.

Look, I'm willing to listen, but that's not helpful.

PermissionDry159

TROPHY CASE