Dear Students

Dear Students*,

You cannot come to class four weeks before the end of the semester, having ONLY attended one week thus far and expect me to allow you to make-up every assignment. I don’t care if your other teachers will allow you try to earn a C. You have missed 10 weeks! 10 weeks! OMG 10 weeks! I don’t really care why; as no amount of sympathy on my part will help you do the work. It’s just not possible, and goes completely against my whole philosophy of writing: writing is process that produces a product. You will only have a product. It is not physically possible for you complete the amount of work at this point when you haven’t even started any of it. How is this fair to the other students who come to class despite having the same freshman-adjustment problems that you are having and do the work not knowing if they did it right. I can’t give you an option that I don’t give my other students. What made you think that there was a possibility that I would say yes to your request? Why, oh why, has any other teacher given you the chance to make up that much missed work? Who are these other professors?

I sympathize with your struggles, but I told you that you were failing this class, and that it would take a miracle to get a D. You need a C to pass. And yet you are still in my class. Why? Seriously, you are going to have to retake this course. A passing grade is not possible for the various reasons I have given you. And you’ve already missed one more class/assignment. I believe that I told you that if you missed anything else, that you were totally fucked. Why don’t you believe me?

Your sob story is truly saddening, and I am so sorry that you are going through this; however, you were already failing my class BEFORE you missed two weeks and failed to turn in two major assignments. Me allowing you turn in what you’ve missed in the last two weeks will not help you pass this class, as you were ALREADY failing. Maybe you can get a D if I let you make up the missed work, but to be honest, your excuse, while very sad, is a wee bit suspicious. Did you know that I have had a student ask to make-up work because s/he was dying? I told that student “no.” With proper documentation, I might say “yes” to you, but I’ve never had a student in your situation (amount of class and assignments missed) actually earn a passing grade. It is usually far too much work to do in far too little time.

I understand desperation, but you have to accept reality at some point, and believe me when I tell you that you have failed.

Sincerely,
Tree of Knowledge


*Note the second "S"--more than one student