What the saying? March comes in like a lion and out like a lamb?
If only that was true in academia.
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Yes, health care is important...
...but as I watch the House debate (and the lady in the awful green suit text the whole time), my most pressing question is the following:
could I get a gavel for my classroom?
could I get a gavel for my classroom?
Thursday, March 11, 2010
spring freakin' forward
Hatesssssssss it.
Spring semester is bad enough as it is. Now I have to give up an hour of sleep?
Spring semester is bad enough as it is. Now I have to give up an hour of sleep?
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
D/F/W rates
At PermaU there is quite a bit of pressure in regards to D/F/withdrawal rates. In my department, the DFW rate is about 30% (so 30% of a class gets a D, F, or withdraws by the end of the term). When a class doesn't meet this number, eyebrows are raised. Is the professor too easy? It couldn't possibly be that the class was just better than average, right?
I maintain my standards from semester to semester. I do not believe in curving. The first exam average was an 80% (B-). The latest exam had an average of a 75% (C). These are, in my opinion, fairly high. Despite this, my DFW rate right now is right at 25%. With still another half of the semester to go, this percentage will likely go up. So this semester, I would guess I am on track for a 35-40% DFW rate.
My department maintains that the national DFW rate is between 50 and 60%. I find this insanely high, but it is likely that I am just out of touch. Could it be that the DFW rate really is that high in the sciences? Do you feel pressure to keep a certain average in your classes?
I maintain my standards from semester to semester. I do not believe in curving. The first exam average was an 80% (B-). The latest exam had an average of a 75% (C). These are, in my opinion, fairly high. Despite this, my DFW rate right now is right at 25%. With still another half of the semester to go, this percentage will likely go up. So this semester, I would guess I am on track for a 35-40% DFW rate.
My department maintains that the national DFW rate is between 50 and 60%. I find this insanely high, but it is likely that I am just out of touch. Could it be that the DFW rate really is that high in the sciences? Do you feel pressure to keep a certain average in your classes?
Sunday, March 7, 2010
Googling candidates
The hiring process is not fun on either side. On hiring committees, opinions often clash. Feelings get hurt when there is talk of degree superiority. Gloom descends on the department when offers are turned down.
We all know the long list of forbidden interview topics. You don't want to gain information that might lead to discrimination.
But what about google?
Is it kosher to google a candidate to check the CV? What about if you stumble on their blog? Or a twitter feed?
If you look them up on Facebook and see that their profile picture is from their wedding, is it now common knowledge that they are married?
In this age of too much information, where is the line in the hiring process?
We all know the long list of forbidden interview topics. You don't want to gain information that might lead to discrimination.
But what about google?
Is it kosher to google a candidate to check the CV? What about if you stumble on their blog? Or a twitter feed?
If you look them up on Facebook and see that their profile picture is from their wedding, is it now common knowledge that they are married?
In this age of too much information, where is the line in the hiring process?
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