Dear Alma, I have one duff student. Do I fail him?
Daily Comfort ZoneDear Alma,
I am finishing a year of teaching at a university as a sabbatical replacement for an acquaintance. My duties span the usual – a studio of undergraduate to PhD students (mix education and performance majors), teaching a couple of classes, and coaching chamber and some large ensembles.
My question is this. I have one graduating master student, performance major, who is not up to the task. He is floundering with his repertoire for his senior (graduating) recital. His level on the instrument is very low, as is his commitment. He has already extended his degree by one year. I don’t think he should have been admitted to the program in the first place.
I am just here for the year, so my thought is to just pass him, and push him through, to make my life (and his) easier. If this were my full-time job, I would no do this. Of course it is not entirely up to me – there is a committee which approves or disapproves his final recital, but I have the lion’s share of the responsibility.
Should I fail him or pass him?
Alma, please advise
Dear please advise,
Being in an one-year position can be both the most pleasant experience and most awkward year. You don’t really have to deal with the regular back-stabbing and disfunction of a department, recruit, or make long-term plans. You can enjoy your new city and feel like you are having a year’s vacation from your regular life.
However, situations will come up in which you very much have an impact on a person’s future or the reputation of the school. You still have to represent that school’s values and try to make a continuous educational experience for the students who will have you as a temporary teacher. And your behavior and actions will be put into your permanent record to some extent.
I would reach out to your friend, the person you are replacing for the year, and ask their advice. They accepted this person and know the system. You don’t want to ruffle feathers – either your friend’s or the school. Take your friends’ advice (could be to extend the degree by another year, to just pass them through, or to have a meeting with your department head or committee). You don’t have to get too involved, just follow the advice of your friend.
It’s hard to not put yourself into this job, but I think your roll here, please advise, is to just provide a temporary road for this school. Not to create anything new or different. If they admitted this student, they think he is the correct level for the school.
Just sit back, and enjoy your last month of teaching, and thank your friend for the opportunity to take care of their studio for the year.
Questions for Alma? Please put them in the comments section or send to DearAlmaQuery@gmail.com
I’m sorry, the answer is obvious. A student who is not up to the pass standard should not pass. If they were hard working and substandard, then I can understand some misgivings. But if they are not even trying, it is an easy question to answer.
Anything else undermines the value of the degree issued to every other student.
Now, the difficult bit is: has the student been made aware that their progress so far has not been acceptable ? If this is not already abundantly clear to them, then something is wrong with the teaching, and perhaps you are already complicit in that.
Nivis – this is not good advice. The substitute teacher needs to find out the expectations for this school. She has taught at other places before and every school has different levels. Hans Eisler is different from University of Iowa. There are people of all levels who graduate and the name of the school shows the levels. Alma is correct that the substitute needs to find out the institution expectations.
I agree with you Marguerite, it is right to adhere to the standards set by the school, rather than impose one’s own. But the sting is in the tail, if the school’s standards are low enough to pass a student who is neither committed nor of a reasonable standard, they they have confirmed that their degrees have very little value.
It’s always a “tell” when you mention which school. University of Southern Kansas or Universität der Künste. All have their own standards. But if you play well, you will land the orchestra job you deserve.
The recital has not happened yet. Who knows – maybe this person will do well under pressure. It is also not up to just the teacher (thank goodness anymore) to pass or not pass a student. I believe those days are long gone.
Committee. Yes. That is correct. There is more say by the teacher but it isn’t the final word.
What is the pass level? That is what Alma is saying to find out. It could be anything.
There is much politic in every school. Some get in because of bribe. Some for family connection. Never clean. Never true.
This explains a lot. Hi winder sometimes how certain people even graduated. Sounds like a crooked system if you ask me.
The most important element in this story seems to be the lack of commitment. It is possible that this student had enough commitment when entering the trajectory. The least this teacher should do is to report this lack, since that shows-up a serious problem of both the student and the school system, and leave it up to them to handle it.
Yes speak to the school – and the grades themselves will take care of a pass or no pass for a degree.
The situation should have been addressed much earlier in the academic year! Unfortunately the bottom line is the student is either up to scratch or not. It’s an unforgiving profession with survival of the fittest!
A lot of college students just sleep through all of their classes, pull all-nighters, then pass the tests and finals. Could be the same here. All that really matters is that the student performs the final tests with a passing grade.
If a student is still doing that at the doctoral level, he is not serious. I met plenty students when I was an undergraduate who coasted, crammed and aced their courses. (Did a bit of it myself). But in graduate school, my colleagues and I were all pretty diligent. We had fewer classes, but attendance was almost 100% all the time, and we all spent a bucketload of time in the library.
There are organized people who practice slowly and methodically. There are people who cram. There are classes that take attendance and classes that don’t. There are all kinds of levels of expectations at different schools. There are diligent people who bomb recitals and flakes who win us over. If this person has had passing grades, and passed their final recital by the seat of his pants, he deserves the degree he paid for.
Degrees are not, or at least should not be, simply “paid for.” They must be earned. If he doesn’t deliver when tested, after apparently not working steadily in a committed fashion, then he does not deserve to get given a doctoral degree.