|
|
Question 1: Is this class interesting and useful?
Answer: I consider the class to be imperative for all serious students in all majors.
Your life will be incomplete without the knowledge gained in this class. Not
only can't you be a successful sociologist without this class, you cannot possibly
be a successful physicist, chemist, or engineer unless you pass this course.
Without fully comprehending the information I will cover, you will be unable to:
a) properly care for children, dogs, and Toshiba laptop computers, b) properly drive
automobiles, c) read street maps, and d) go golfing. Therefore, it is quite
important to attend all class lectures, read all assigned readings, study for tests,
and ask questions about things that you don't understand.
|
Question 2: I missed class today
(yesterday, last week, etc.), did you cover anything important?
Answer: I only discuss important things. Without the knowledge
of what I covered, your life will be incomplete and you will lose the respect of
people, pets, and landscape plants. For this reason it is imperative that you obtain
the class notes from another student. Unfortunately, the instructor (and his TA)
cannot re-cover what was already covered in class, nor can he provide notes beyond
the extensive material already provided on the class web site.
|
Question 3: I missed (or will have to
miss in the near future) a class. Should I email you?
Answer: No. I generally have well over 100 students per semester
in multiple classes. Although each and every student is important, I simply can't
keep track of everyone. If you find out that we had a test, a quiz, or an assignment
during the class period you missed, you may do one of two things:
Option 1) Not worry about
the missed grade (preferred option). I understand that good students occasionally
miss class due to emergencies and other obligations over which they have no control.
I have built additional points into my grading to compensate. As the syllabus explains,
I will drop the lowest quiz grade. That will fully compensate for a missed quiz
grade. Even missing two assignments/quizzes will not harm an otherwise good class
average. If you miss a number of in-class assignments/quizzes, nothing will help
your grade, your life will remain incomplete, and your pets probably will disown you (see question 1). Therefore, option 2 won't really work either.
Option 2) Bring the instructor or TA a "University Approved" excuse
for the absence and schedule a time to take a make-up quiz/assignment with the TA
(or the instructor there is no assigned TA for this course). I know that this sounds like something
from high school and I hate to ask college students
to bring me notes, but this is the University's policy on missed grades. If you are enrolled in a course
where there are in-class unanounced quizzes and you know that you will miss a class
and think that we might have a quiz, there is no point in bringing me an excuse
ahead of time unless it is a scheduled mid-term or final. If you choose this option,
save the written excuse and only present it if I give a quiz or other graded
assignment in a class you have missed.
|
Question 4: My final class grade seems
too low, how did you calculate it? Will you change my grade because it is important
to me? I need a higher grade to graduate. I will get kicked out of school if I don't
pass. My pets will lose respect for me. Are these good reasons to ask/beg to have
my grade changed?
Answer: I calculated
the grade as per the description in the class syllabus. Please check the syllabus
for details. I will not change grades after they are assigned, unless some extremely
rare mistake on my part has occurred. Before assigning grades, I check and re-check
the calculations, which are made automatically on an Excel spreadsheet. This makes
errors almost impossible. After I have checked and re-checked, I have my TA check
and re-check my work. To date, I have never found a single instance of a mistake
during final grade calculations while teaching at A&M.
In several years of teaching, I have not flunked a student who has attended
a majority of my classes. If you are having difficulty with the course, the time
to discuss the problem with the instructor or TA is during the semester, not after
grades are assigned or in the last week of class. The way to make sure that you obtain the grade you wish is
to follow the advice in the syllabus and study for exams (also see questions 3a
and 3b about attending class and completing the assigned readings).
A&M does not permit plus and minus grades. Students sometimes obtain a high
enough score to come close to the cut off for the next higher letter grade, but not quite high enough to be over the threshold.
At times, I would like to give someone an "A-minus" rather than a "B," but is is
not possible.
|
Question 5: Can I pass this class without
attending?
Answer: If you are enrolled in one of my research methods classes,
the simple answer is "NO!" Please don't even consider attempting to pass a research
methods class without regular attendance. My methods classes generally are filled,
and I typically have students who request to be enrolled in these already full classes.
If you are not planning to attend regularly, please do these students a favor by
dropping out immediately so that they can take your place.
If you are enrolled in one of my other classes, you probably could get a C or D
without regular attendance if you are a good test taker, completed the assigned
readings, and borrowed class notes from another student. The exceptionally smart student
might even be able to pull off a B if he or she is lucky. Exceptionally smart students,
however, are unlikely to repeatedly skip class because they: a) know that I always
cover very important topics each day (see question 1), b) know that their lives
will remain incomplete without this valuable knowledge (see questions 1 & 2),
and c) are interested in getting good grades and not simply doing enough to just
get by. Not attending class, of course, is a terrible waste of tuition money and
your life will remain incomplete (see question 1 & 2 above).
|
Question 6: Can I pass this class without reading the assigned readings?
Answer: Although this would be a terrible waste of my time in putting these readings
together, and you would be unable to obtain knowledge essential for a full and complete
life (see question 1), you probably could live a half-complete life by simply attending
lectures without finishing the assigned readings. You might retain respect among
many humans, but plants and animals are more discerning, so you may lose social
status when gardening or walking your dog. You might pass the course, but you should
expect to receive a relatively low grade.
|
Question 7: What material will you cover on the mid-term (final)?
Answer: I will only ask questions about vitally important material that is imperative
for a full and successful life after graduation. However, because everything I discuss
in this class is vitally important (see question 1), this means that everything
discussed in class is fair game for the tests. To be more specific, expect to find
questions in the tests about class discussions (even when they do not appear on
the overheads/notes), the main points of films/video-clips, the main points of the
required readings, and the main points or examples found in class handouts passed
out during regular class periods (web handouts not discussed in class are optional).
If you attend class regularly (see question 5) and complete the required readings
(see question 6), you should have no problem obtaining a decent score on the mid-terms
and final.
The instructor has spent a large amount of time putting together a review sheet
for each test that contains hints about what I am and am not looking for. The review
sheet also clearly spells out which parts of the syllabus will be covered on which
test. I also have spent a great deal of time developing a class syllabus that clearly
spells out the required readings. Please check these documents carefully because
they likely will answer all reasonable questions about test content. As I have mentioned
in class several times (please see question 5 about class attendance), I purposely
will ask test questions that I know students who attend class and take notes will
likely answer correctly while students who do not attend will likely answer incorrectly.
For those interested in the answers to silly questions that I've occasionally
been asked in the past:
No - I cannot give you the exact test questions on the mid-term or final.
No - if the review sheet says that the mid-term will cover the material from week
1 up to (and including) week 4 as found on the syllabus, the reading material and
corresponding class lectures/notes in week 5 will not be included.
No - I cannot elaborate about test content beyond the full-page review sheet, the
detailed class syllabus, the question/answer session during class, and the material
on this web site. Anything beyond would be giving you the exact questions (see above).
Yes - I really will ask questions about assigned readings even if I don't go over
them during class. Remember, everything in this class is vitally important for those
who wish to live a full and complete life. Because this is a selective university,
I know that all students enrolled in this course are able to read and comprehend
the main points of the relatively straightforward material that I have assigned. I do think that this is fair and appropriate because life after college (what some
have called "the real world" but others believe does not exist) will require you
to do similar.
|
Question 8: There is a term on the review sheet that obviously came from an assigned
reading. Would you explain what it means?
Answer: Good students (who intend to live full and complete lives after graduation) would
actually read the assigned reading to figure out what the term means (see question
6). If you really, really have finished the assigned reading and still have a question,
see question 9.
|
Question 9: I don't understand something you discussed during a lecture or in an
assigned reading. What should I do?
Answer: The best thing would be to ask about the confusing issue during class. Other
students may have the same question and the instructor may be unaware of this unless
someone asks. Remember, everything in this class is vitally important for those wishing
to live a full and complete life (see question 1). Because life (and reality in
general) is complex, however, this does not mean that everything is easily understood.
If you do not understand something from an assigned reading, you may ask for clarification
in class. If really necessary to contact someone after class, you could contact
the TA. If he or she is unable to help, you may then contact the instructor. If
you do so, however, here are examples about appropriate and inappropriate questions:
Appropriate question example: (those I am happy to answer): I've
read the assigned reading by XXX about YYY but I don't understand what the author
meant on page 8 when he said, ZZZZZ. I think that the author means WWWW. Am I correct?
Inappropriate question example: (those I shake my head about, hate
to even have asked, and begin to wonder whether the person asking is not following
my sage wisdom about the fact that this material is vital for a full and successful
life - see question 1): What was that one article about that you told us to read
last week? Did it cover anything important?
Another inappropriate question example: I slept through class
three days in a row and don't understand XXXX. I know that this was the major topic
on each of these three days and that I will flunk the class, get kicked out of the
university, live a rotten life, be unable to get a job, and be unable to gain the affection of common household pets and llamas without
this information. Can you explain what I've missed (by the way, I have another class
to attend in 5 minutes so can you just tell me what I need to know for the test)?
|
Question 10: Can I contact the instructor by email about a question? Why doesn't
the TA answer my email questions? Why doesn't the instructor answer my email questions?
Answer: I would prefer if students either ask questions before, during, or after class,
or contact the TA by email if they have a question outside of class. If there is
no TA, or if the TA is unable to answer your question, or if you have a very complex
question that you really believe the TA will be unable to answer, you can email
me. Unlike most TAs, who have lives and do not live next to computers, I do not
have a real life, but instead, spend most of my day on a computer that alerts me
each time an email is received (okay, this is an exaggeration, I really do have
hobbies, and if I'm not at my computer, I am either biking or working outside).
This means that I generally can answer appropriate questions (see question 5) asked
for proper reasons relatively quickly. It does not mean that I will put other work
(or other students) aside to answer questions that are readily found on the syllabus,
the class web site, the assigned readings, or the test review sheets. I probably
will ignore email questions like those found in question 2 above. I may ignore emails
that are rude (luckily, I receive very few of these). The only thing worse than
being rude to the professor is being rude to his teaching assistants.
I also may
ignore emails containing questions on test content from students who obviously have
not attended class and who are asking questions that I've either covered repeatedly
in class or covered during question/answer sessions, particularly when those questions
are received the night before a mid-term/final.
|
Question 11: I have a question about something that doesn't really have much to
do with the class, but it is one that I think the instructor can answer. Do you
mind me asking?
Answer: I welcome good questions. Although my office door is usually open and it
is possible to just stop by, I probably would prefer if you caught me after class
and asked your question while I walked back to my office. If you are unable to do
so, and your question can't be handled by the TA or by email (see question 6), you
probably should email me to ask when it would be convenient to stop by my office.
You might also tell me that you would like to stop by on a particular date and time
and ask if I am available.
|
Question 12: I am interested in graduate school and want to speak to someone about
this. Can I ask you a few questions?
Answer: Sure, I welcome students with questions
about graduate school. Either catch me after class or stop by the office after
emailing in advance to confirm my availability.
|
Question 13: What does the instructor of this course (and other instructors at this
University) prefer to be called?
Answer: University professors (at least in the United States), who have spent many years
obtaining their degrees, generally prefer to have the title of "Doctor" or "Professor"
attached to their names. On one hand, many professors insist that students address
them using one of these titles in emails and in person, and take offense when students
do not use these titles. On the other hand, a small number of professors insist
that students call them by their first names, nick names, names without titles,
etc. These professors likely have good and specific reasons for these preferences.
Others, like me, are somewhere in the middle - they have a slight preference for
the title "Doctor" or "Professor" but won't get offended if a student uses the term
"Mister." I will, however, be somewhat offended if I am addressed with the salutation
of "hey dude" or similar, no matter how young I look or nice I seem to be. Our university
occasionally has graduate students teach introductory classes. Generally, the correct
title for a graduate student is "Ms.," "Miss," "Mrs.," or "Mr." depending on their
gender, marital status, and adherence to arguably outdated cultural norms. You should
check the syllabus for the preferred title for these instructors. If you are unsure
of the instructor's preference or don't know if the instructor is a graduate student
or not, "Professor" is a very safe bet, which will never offend anyone or start
you off on the wrong foot. If you fail to follow this advice, you risk the instructor
arriving at the wrong conclusion that you do not respect him or her or refuse to
use titles for individuals who are members of specific gender, ethnic, cultural,
or disciplinary groups even if you had no intention of offending.
|
Question 14: I am offended by something that the instructor said in class or think
that something discussed is insensitive, misogynist (dislike of women), racist, specist
(people are more important than animals), unscientific, off-topic, dealing with
a controversial issue, against my religious beliefs, biased, one-sided, too conservative,
too liberal, etc. Why did the instructor say what he said and what should I do?
Answer: Sociology in general and the study of crime and deviant behavior in particular
(my specialty area) sometimes are uncomfortable subjects for some students. Social
science research methods (another area in which I teach) also may contain an occasionally
controversial topic. Although I attempt to say nothing that is intentionally offensive,
there have been times that students (and others) have explained to me that a statement
made in jest or an example given in class might have been understood in a way opposite
from my intent. On those very rare occasions where this has occurred and where students
politely explain the situation, I generally have been able to see their point and
not repeat my mistake. Sometimes, however, I am unable to avoid the discussion of
controversial and/or offensive topics.
Most people consider child abuse, sexual
offenses, and crimes again women as particularly offensive behaviors for very good
and obvious reasons. Because these behaviors are also crimes, they may be discussed
in a criminology or a deviant behavior class, and the methods that social scientists
use to answer questions about what may increase and decrease these behaviors and
what effect the behaviors have on victims may be discussed in a research methods
class. If any of this makes you uncomfortable, particularly if you or someone you
know was a victim of a serious crime, you may wish to speak to the instructor about
your concern.
The instructor generally attempts to take a "value-neutral" approach
in class. That means that you are unlikely to hear my personal opinions about issues
such as the death penalty, abortion, or the legalization of certain drugs. If we
discuss these or similar topics, I will attempt to present both sides of all arguments
as long as those sides have some legitimate claim to have a scientific or logical
backing. If I do present an opinion or a single-sided argument, you are free to
[politely] disagree, although I may ask if some type of scientific or logical
evidence exists to support your position. The fact that your friend's first-cousin's
talking parrot once told you something will not be considered scientific or logical
evidence.
In a university-level course, we should be aware that there are good
and appropriate places for ideology - that is, opinion statements about right-and-wrong
that are not backed by evidence (and may not need to have such backing). I generally
require each student to understand the scientific evidence for and against different
positions. If you wish to oppose a specific position that many social scientists take due
to a particular ideology you may hold, you are free to do so as long as you are
able to answer test questions that assess your ability to understand the positions you
oppose. You must also understand the difference between ideology and research/science
and the difference between statements that may be tested versus questions which defy scientific inquiry.
|
Question 15: Can I get my current class grade (i.e., part way through the semester)?
Answer: I generally provide grades for each assignment/test periodically throughout the
semester. The class syllabus contains information about how grades are calculated
and the weight for different assignment types. You should be able to determine an
approximate class grade by carefully examining these sources. Due to the large number
of students in my classes and the fact that most classes contain assignments having
different weights, I simply cannot provide exact letter grades or percentage grades
until the semester is over. Hopefully, each student should be proficient in basic
math that will allow him or her to determine that if a test has 56 possible questions
and you answered 50 questions correct, your percentage grade is (50/56) * 100 =
89%. If you have two exams where one is worth 25% of your overall grade and you
have scored 40 points out of 50 and one is worth 75% and you have scored 45 out
of 50, then you would multiply 40/50 * .25 + 45/50 * .75 * 100 = 88%.
|
Question 16: I have to miss class tomorrow. Will you tell me if you are having an
unannounced quiz?
Answer: No - by definition, "unannounced" means that I don't disclose this in advance.
|
|
Click here to return to the top of the page |
|
|