[Jennygirl011]

Okay, Im in intermediate painting, Ive been working so hard and doing ALL my homework. Turning everything in on time.

Anyways, we are allowed three non excused absences for class.
Well, I had the flu and had six absences.
I have a doctors note for three of the days.

So, I am okay with the three.

She sent me a nasty email that upset me very much.

She said that she doesnt see how it would be fair to give me a good grade, and that I should drop the class.

I CANNOT DROP. Im not rich.


I have not done anything wrong with the three absences, everyone is allowed that.


I think I deserve a good grade since Ive done so well and done all my work, and done it well.



This is SO upsetting, what should I do?

I sent her an email and told her I cannot drop, and that I need to know the exact dates I missed so I can make sure the doctors note covers it.
And such, And told her I dont see why I dont deserve a good grade, if I have done all my work and everything?





I love that class.

[horsephotog]

I think your Prof. is really being unreasonable! The medical community is telling all of to stay home if we have the flu. Maybe she just wants the whole class to get sick so she can have some time off!

[Jennygirl011]

I understand that she probably thinks Im a slacker, but its just so heartbreaking.
I dont have the money to retake the class.

Ive had the WORST semester, my favorite dog died, and my Granny is slowly going..
So, I mean she should understand we are adults and paying for our school. Its not like I WANT to miss it.

She said well, I dont see how its fair to let you go on to the next level of painting? What? Why not? I have missed anything important in class?

[Caterina]

If she gives you grief, go above her and let them know she is giving you a hard time.
You have a doctors note for your absences, so she has no right to be telling you to drop the class. Your grades up till this point have been good?

[stephanie]

Talk to your advisor. Trust me, she is being unreasonable. I miss way more classes than I am supposed to, but am not effected as much as I have a chronic disease. Good luck!

[Kicks]

How are your grades? Not just that they were on time - but the actual grades.


Painting/Any form of art is so subjective that time in class (with the instructor)can be very important. Missing between 2 and 3 weeks ( 6 class days) rather they are 'excused' or 'not excused', can really get you behind fast.

Sit down with the prof., face to face (without a 'tude) and find out why she thinks you should drop, is there extra work you could do to 'catch up', exactly what she means by "good grade", etc. Do you plan on going on to 'advanced' painting? If so, don't you need at least a "C"? (If you want to go on and you get a "D" or "F", you will have to take the class again anyway to advance and it will be on your permanent record so why not drop and it's only listed as a drop.)

Yes I do understand that it's hard to pay for classes and upsetting to not "make the grade" when you think you have, but it is for the instructors to make sure that someone is really ready to move on - not just "passed on".

Good luck with getting this straightened out as it should be.

[sorrell]

Tell her you will do any make up work necessary to maintain a good grade. If she is still unreasonable about it, speak with the department head or dean. It is there job to mitigate between student and professor. She should allow you to do make-up work and understand that sickness happens.
Generally in test grades classes, if a student borrow the notes of another student and makes up the assignments, their grades will not suffer based on the absence.
If all else fails, ask if you can audit the class because you love it so much. Then maybe she will have a change of heart and let you stay in regular enrollment. Auditing is when you drop the class for a grade, but still do the work.
Teachers are very turned off by students who tell them, "I paid good money to take this class and I deserve to ___pass it____stay in it____ be treated like someone paying your salary____ etc. Those terms are heard often by instructors and make them bristle and be unreasonably rude in return!

[Tack Collector]

Grades are earned. If all your work is turned in and it's earned a passing grade, then I would think she'd still have to give you the grade. If it's a low grade, I don't know what to say. Try harder for the rest of the semester? Aren't you past the drop date now, anyway? See if you can do extra credit or otherwise put in more hours outside of normal class hours to catch up and/or bring the grade up. A low grade affects your GPA, which can affect lots of things from availability of scholarships and financial aid, to future employment.

On the other hand, if you have financial aid based on full time status and dropping the class drops you to less than full time, you might lose your financial aid. In that case, stick it out no matter what is probably best, even if it's a low grade. If you are enrolled full time anyway, there is a range of credit hours that "full time" allows and you can probably work the repeat of the art class in there at little to no additional cost.

[Berlunz]

Some places actually have requirements of how often the students have to be in class. Were you attending the same school as me you would been forcefully dropped from the class at this point. In reality you have an excuse for 3 days of absence, but not 6, my professors would have dropped you before now. I would say yours is being very kind in not doing so. Why did you miss the other three days? A lot of classes put heavy weight in attendance and your grade may not be as good as you think it is anymore. I think the professor was probably being polite in letting you know that the amount of class you missed has effected your ability and grade and you would probably be better off dropping. She is not demanding you drop or she would have done it herself, she is just suggesting you do it based on your current academic standing.

In a class like painting participation and class time is very important. I had a few classes where the teachers basically came out and said "This class does not have much to do with participation for the first few weeks I will teach everything you need to know and it would be wise for you to be here. Afterwards its all going to be lab time and you can show up whenever you want to use the labs (as long as they were open) but I recomend doing it during class time as I will be here to help then".

Check your course requirements that the teacher handed out at the beginning of class. Odds are she is probably skirting the rules by not dropping you but instead giving you the option to drop or bend over backwards to fix it. Because these courses are so spread out its a rarity that someone should need to miss more than three days and usually if they miss that much they will suffer greatly from missing class.

Her email does not sound rude to me at all, it sounds like, well, sorry to be harsh but it sounds like reality. How can it be fair of her to give you an A or B with other students who showed up to class everytime? How do you know they were not doing in class work and techniques that you didnt do? You said the note only covers 3 days so I am assuming you were not sick those other three days which I am assuming (correct me if this is wrong) your three absences got used up then you got sick and missed 3 more. I am not saying that you in particular are like this, but teachers see it all the time. Kids find out how many days they can miss and just skip days where they dont want to get out of bed and go and say "Well I have 2 more absences" then they really DO get sick and miss more class then they are allowed and try and plead with the teacher. Whether or not this happened with you I dont know but teachers see this happening all the time, heck I am just a student and I see it happening with at least a handful of people for every class I take. Depending on the teacher the student may or may not get mercy but I am sure the professors get tired of hearing the excuses.

Your option at this point may to be do do backflips to impress her and be happy with just a passing grade instead of failing or dropping. But this is a hard lesson a lot of college students have to learn, you can never write off your free days and just skip class, I assume because they were not excused that you did not have acceptable reasons to miss them (acceptable in the eyes of the teacher) or you did not inform the teacher you were going to miss them. At this point you went over the days allowed and she is just doing her job, you really cant get angry at her for that. You can only beg and plead and do your best to still pass this class. She did not say she wouldnt pass you she said she wouldnt give you a good grade. You may have to just be happy with a barely passing C

[Jennygirl011]

Thank you guys for all of the info. Very interesting. I will do!