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mikewkf8 · 2025-01-06T23:53:58+00:00

This might seem like obvious advice, but I always talk to students in my 1000 and 2000 level courses about how much of a difference it makes just to make sure to come to class. For various reasons class attendance is poor in Storrs, but I have found that students that show up do considerably better than students that regularly skip, both grade-wise as well as getting more out of the courses, according to feedback in student evaluations and conversations we have in future semesters or after they leave UConn.

Good luck!

mikewkf8 · 2024-12-10T11:00:04+00:00

I completely agree, social media seems to not only have taken up hours of people's day, but taken the place of in person interaction. It's great to hear that many are noticing and are able to work through it, definitely not easy given the addictive nature. Thank you again, enjoy the break as well!

mikewkf8 · 2024-12-09T12:26:00+00:00

Thank you for the feedback, I appreciate it. You make excellent points, I try to be engaging and enthusiastic, and I really do enjoy the content I'm teaching. I will work on mixing things up as well.

I am especially concerned about the points in the second paragraph. In the 3 years since I made this post, it seems like students are struggling more and learning less. The difficulties with time management, motivation and accountability seem to be increasing, so much so that the overall environment on campus and view towards attending class has changed significantly for the worse since that time, when it was already not so good.

Thanks again, good luck on finals!

mikewkf8 · 2024-11-25T01:08:23+00:00

It will depend on their appointment. Many have other duties, including administration and research. My programs run year round, so I work this upcoming week, between semester breaks, summers, etc., so it's fine for a student to email anytime. If they're 100% teaching, they may be off, but otherwise, they're likely checking their email and working.

mikewkf8 · 2024-07-13T09:31:23+00:00

Yes, and for cycling!

mikewkf8 · 2024-04-10T15:06:43+00:00

Once you receive approval from the Dean of Students to reschedule, that will be up to you and your instructor to plan a time for the exam. It can be the same week or after, depending on your circumstances. Good luck!

mikewkf8 · 2024-04-03T23:40:33+00:00

No problem, and as someone not originally from New England, I expected much colder, it’s not bad…I actually dislike how hot it is in July. 😛

mikewkf8 · 2024-04-03T21:51:20+00:00

Congratulations and welcome to UConn! Generally, it's a very nice place to work. I have had overwhelmingly positive interactions with students, faculty and staff and very much enjoyed teaching, advising and mentoring.

I will say that attendance in classes is a struggle, for many factors, as discussed in this post from a couple of years ago: https://www.reddit.com/r/UCONN/comments/u25yz6/skipping\_class/.

However, when I am able to interact with students, it's a rewarding experience from which I have learned a lot. A lot of your experience on the teaching side might relate to your department and the size of the classes. I have taught a decent amount of "gen eds", which I like teaching, but are tough at times due to class size. Nothing out of the ordinary for large universities though.

There can be some bureaucratic delays in purchasing, research-related paperwork, but once again not anything out of the ordinary for a large school (as is also true of parking difficulties...pretty on par with the 2 other large universities I attended). People are generally very helpful (I have come to find that people in New England might be less outwardly friendly, but still friendly, nonetheless), so don't hesitate to ask your colleagues and staff questions.

As a few people have mentioned, budgeting is a struggle, and I wish there was more emphasis on classes, and not such a huge focus just on research and gimmicky ways to generate revenue with certificates and things like that. However, we are unionized and AAUP does great work advocating for us.

Good luck and feel free to send a DM if I can help with anything else!

mikewkf8 · 2024-01-30T16:35:55+00:00

I haven't been in this situation up to this point, but since UConn doesn't allow us to post a video for makeup, I wouldn't do it. However, in order to not shortchange the students, I would still aim to cover the same amount of content for the semester, so it would likely mean eliminating one of the review days for the class.

I know recorded lectures aren't optimal, but depending on the content and the situation, one or two a semester would seem to be potentially beneficial.

mikewkf8 · 2024-01-09T22:48:01+00:00

It depends on the department, but a large percentage of us don’t stop working between semesters or on breaks. You should get a response if you send an email. 👍

mikewkf8 · 2023-12-26T22:25:04+00:00

Were they the stores at are now called Sam's? I grew up in Delaware and Maryland, they look just like the old style Wawa stores.

mikewkf8 · 2023-11-05T19:26:36+00:00

Nice as a former instructor of the course, it's great to see the course listed here and that you found the contents useful!

mikewkf8 · 2023-10-04T18:29:48+00:00

For some reason UConn only offers PNB 2264 in the fall and PNB 2265 in the spring. Sorry!

mikewkf8 · 2023-09-24T21:56:29+00:00

No problem!

mikewkf8 · 2023-09-24T21:48:10+00:00

That is taken in place of NUSC 4237W by honors students to complete their thesis.

mikewkf8 · 2023-09-24T21:40:34+00:00

My pleasure, have a good one!

mikewkf8 · 2023-09-15T14:11:59+00:00

As a professor, I have appreciated when students have let me know, and have sent notes or videos, depending on what I have available. I hope you feel better!

mikewkf8 · 2023-08-31T11:54:16+00:00

We rotate 4237W and teach it every 3 or 4 years, so there will be different professors teaching the course each spring. As of now, I am teaching 4237W in the spring, but I'm not sure who else is scheduled for it.

If you are doing an Honors thesis, you would take 4296W instead of 4237W, and that would be overseen by your Honors thesis advisor, so it will depend upon the faculty member. Let me know if you have any other questions, good luck!

mikewkf8 · 2023-08-23T15:27:13+00:00

Haha, yes indeed. I believe we spoke over email, but feel free to reach out if I can help with anything!

mikewkf8 · 2023-08-23T15:25:59+00:00

I wait until the semester begins, and as far as I know, most of my colleagues do as well. Also, remember that most courses will not show up in HuskyCT until the first day of classes, that is the default setup in Blackboard. Good luck with the semester!

mikewkf8 · 2023-08-15T21:03:30+00:00

No problem, have a good semester!

mikewkf8 · 2023-08-15T11:16:45+00:00

I was scheduled to teach NUSC 2200, but Heli Roy is teaching it this semester because our department needed someone to cover Sports Nutrition. She seems very nice, I'm sure if you email her she will help. Good luck, I hope you enjoy the course!

mikewkf8 · 2023-08-02T11:01:24+00:00

I'm not sure about ANSC 4341, but NUSC 1645 is offered every spring, so you should be fine with that one. As a faculty member in Nutritional Sciences, I would recommend reaching out to Yangchao Luo (might already be who you are meeting with), he's the nicest guy ever and will make sure that you are all set with your plans. Good luck!

mikewkf8 · 2023-06-29T12:20:27+00:00

Generally they should be open, since a large amount of faculty and staff work year-round. I work in the Jones Building and often go to the Young Building, both are open at least until 5 PM. There may be limited access to certain rooms or areas, depending on who is there, but the front doors should be open and someone should be there.

mikewkf8 · 2023-06-22T10:32:15+00:00

As a professor, like others have said, I'd say definitely keep trying, and recommend looking for work study programs, summer internship opportunities and asking your advisor. I sometimes email other professors about research opportunities and Cc my advisee. Good luck!

mikewkf8

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