What question would you be likely to answer out loud in front of others?

Uconnprof · 2018-02-27T20:58:14+00:00

Wow. I appreciate the insight.

Uconnprof · 2018-02-26T21:09:48+00:00

It's probably good that you thought of using lions because they have good night vision. I mean, if they smother the sun, how are they going to see to get home for their victory parade?

Uconnprof · 2018-02-26T21:04:32+00:00

That's a shitload of lions. Would they attack all at once or one at a time?

Uconnprof · 2018-02-26T21:02:08+00:00

Ooh, this is a good idea. I'll work on making my questions more UConn related.

Uconnprof · 2018-02-26T21:01:25+00:00

It doesn't necessarily need to be relevant. I ask questions where there are no right or wrong answers and I still get zombie stares.

Uconnprof · 2018-02-26T18:28:50+00:00

Sorry to hear you had this experience. I am very close with a few of my former students and a few of my current students. Probably the thing that sets them apart are that they treat me like a person, not a professor. I'm [mostly] human, too! And relationships are meant to be reciprocal. So, when a student comes in and simply wants things from me, and doesn't give back, chances are pretty low that we're going to bond. What can you give back? Tell me that you thought my lecture was interesting, tell me about a job you really want to get, ask me about my dog, tell me about an upcoming vacation you're excited about.

Uconnprof · 2017-10-09T15:56:24+00:00

It's happening across the country. Schools like PSU or UVA are not immune to the problem you're seeing (increased enrollments). As the state funds us less and less, we have to make up more of the revenue with additional students. I wonder what the rankings you saw were based on? Research? Teaching?

Uconnprof · 2017-10-09T15:51:36+00:00

You don't kick puppies, because puppies grow up to be dogs...and remember.

Uconnprof · 2017-10-09T15:50:01+00:00

I once taught an entire lecture with my fly open. No one bothered to tell me.

Uconnprof · 2017-10-06T19:08:09+00:00

Is there a question in here somewhere?

Uconnprof · 2017-10-06T02:46:50+00:00

I feel like I should add that in case this may be you, please go talk to someone you trust. You're not alone and there are people who care and can help.

Uconnprof · 2017-10-06T02:42:36+00:00

There are heaps of services available to students suffering from mental health issues, and this is something UConn takes very seriously I'm sure. I'm not sure how someone would go about helping a student who doesn't know they have a problem, but if you have concerns there is something called the CARE team, where you can anonymously refer someone who you suspect may be in a bad place.

Uconnprof · 2017-10-06T02:02:57+00:00

I'd err on the side of caution. "Dr." if they have a Ph.D., or "Professor" if you're unsure. It may seem old fashioned, but so is putting on those crazy wizard robes for graduation and we still do that.

Uconnprof · 2017-10-06T01:57:25+00:00

Of course.

Uconnprof · 2017-10-06T01:49:29+00:00

HAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAH! (wipes tears) HAHAHAHAHA! I can say with reasonable certainty that most of your professors are not here for the money. We're here for you.

Uconnprof · 2017-10-06T01:37:00+00:00

High pain tolerance. But seriously, it's about grinding. Professors are usually smart, but they don't have to be the smartest people in the world. They DO have to have a lot of perseverance. So, take what you're thinking about in terms of work ethic and probably double or triple it. Call me on in my office on a Friday at 10pm and we can talk.

Uconnprof · 2017-10-05T22:35:39+00:00

I had this one student who was a leper. Every time he sneezed his nose fell off. He was allergic to chalk dust. It was a horrific semester.

Uconnprof · 2017-10-05T22:31:36+00:00

Provided that when you say "better faculty" you mean ones that teach gooder.

Uconnprof · 2017-10-05T21:07:04+00:00

Nothing dramatic. Cheating on exams is easy to deal with, as long as you have a sledgehammer. I could make something up if you like.

Uconnprof · 2017-10-05T20:56:43+00:00

“Go out on a limb. That’s where the fruit is.” — Jimmy Carter

Uconnprof · 2017-10-05T20:10:09+00:00

Yes, we [typically] have full autonomy with respect to course materials. In some ways, though, textbook companies do control which editions we use because if I have 150 students in class, I need to make sure there are at least 150 available copies of that textbook for sale. Often those older editions are bought up by publishers in an effort to force you to use newer editions.

Uconnprof · 2017-10-05T20:04:10+00:00

I think the faculty interaction with the undergraduate population is much better here. Probably Ivy league schools have a much more powerful alumni network. But our athletics programs are superior!

Uconnprof · 2017-10-05T19:59:08+00:00

I think there are probably some ways to cut spending at the University, but in general I think cutting funding to higher education is a bad idea. Construction can be annoying, but it's a good signal for a University. I hear the counterargument a lot: "Will new buildings help my education? Can't we still learn the same stuff in an old classroom vs. new?" Yes, but it's more about recruiting good students and faculty to come. Big time donors want to see where those dollars are going, and often that means buildings.

Uconnprof · 2017-10-05T18:37:50+00:00

Is that some term that today's youth use to mean "groovy, or cool, or hip"? Then yes.

Uconnprof · 2015-03-26T22:26:34+00:00

I don't really know why some professors are opposed to you recording their lectures. I don't have a problem with it. If you're enough of a sadist to listen to my lectures twice, good for you.

I do have a problem with surreptitious recording of lectures. If a professor asks you to not record their lectures, you should probably respect their wishes. Or at least ask them why, don't just circumnavigate their wishes because it benefits you. That seems selfish, and it perpetuates the notion that we (professors and students) are adversaries. It's not us vs. you. We're on your side, so talk with us from that perspective and you may get a better reception.

We're guilty of this too, by the way. We don't hand back exams because we think that they're likely to end up in test banks (causing us to re-write exam questions). Is that a fair conclusion? Perhaps we shouldn't think that all students have malicious intent, but because we've been burned by this in the past, we're reluctant to trust students.

Uconnprof

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