The study asked approximately 400 undergraduates aged 18 to 25 whether they agreed with these statements:
- If I have explained to my professor that I am trying hard, I think he/she should give me some consideration with respect to my course grade - 66.2 per cent agree
- If I have completed most of the reading for a class, I deserve a B in that course - 40.7 per cent
- If I have attended most of the classes for a course, I deserve at least a grade of B - 34.1 per cent
- Teachers often give me lower grades than I deserve on paper assignments - 31.5 per cent
- Professors who won’t let me take my exams at another time because of my personal plans (e.g. a vacation) are too strict - 29.9 per cent
- A professor should be willing to lend me his/her course notes if I ask for them - 24.8 per cent
- I would think poorly of a professor who didn’t respond the same day to an e-mail I sent - 23.5 per cent
- Professors have no right to be annoyed with me if I tend to come late to class or tend to leave early - 16.8 per cent
- A professor should not be annoyed with me if I receive an important call during class - 16.5 per cent
- A professor should be willing to meet with me at a time that works best for me, even if inconvenient for the professor - 11.2 per cent.
1 comment:
I think this survey shows just how consumer-minded people are today. It seems that we are living in a culture of "I'm the customer; I'm always right" rather than a culture of personal responsibility. Because they are so used to living in a consumer-driven society, students don't understand that a grade is something you EARN, not something you're given; education isn't a product you buy, and faculty are not there at your beck and call to perform for you like trained monkeys.
This is something that Tim and I lamented when we were still in student service positions (same type of attitude, but from a different perspective). I frequently had students tell me that I wasn't practicing good customer service because I was required to adhere to university policy. Things like the academic progress policy were--and probably still are--considered negotiable by a portion of students.
It's a shame, really, because education shouldn't be a consumer-driven product. It's something to better yourself. It's sad how self-centered so much of our society has become, from the student who thinks the appalling things on this survey to the woman who thinks she's too important to acknowledge the grocery store cashier with more than a sneer and a huff.
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