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My experience is that about 10% of any college level class you teach will flunk out, and you can spot the ones that will fail within the first week. Consequently, you bend over backwards trying to motivate those marginal students that are barely going to earn a C. Inevitability those students that get D's or worse are going to complain to the Dean that your teaching skills are below par.

I had one that didn't show up for most of the lectures, didn't do any of the homework, and then nearly hyperventilated during the midterm exam. He complained to the dean that my lectures were worthless. I responded to the dean, " how would he know that my lectures were worthless since he was never there." The dean responded, "don't worry about it he flunked all my classes too."

I learned after that and kept roll, sort of a CYA strategy. It is a shame to have to take roll call in a senior level engineering course, I equate it to treating the students like children in grade school. You got do what you got to do. That class was audited by ABET as a result of the complaint. I survived.

What is suprising is that a student can make it all the way to the senior level without basic math and writing skills. It catches up to them and they have wasted three years of their lives. It takes a large number of teachers passing on without merit, to get a student to this point. In the long run they harm the student and the education process, just to avoid conflict.

Anyone old enough to remember when a high school diploma was worth something can relate. Today a high school diploma is a joke, they are worthless. The same thing is happening to higher education.

We need a combination of home school and school. We need to stop blaming teachers and schools, but put the blame on parents who do not know how to prepare kids for school.

We taught our boys phonics back in the 60's before they started to school. Now their children are doing the same. All our grandkids are good students, and just one example illustrates. Wesley, in first grade, could read before kindergarten, and now has been tested and reads with comprehension on the fourth grade level. Teacher said he could probably handle higher grades since the fourth grade was very easy for him.

During the summer months their mother, each day, gives each child 10 vocabulary words and 5 to 10 math problems. The two older boys were having so much fun that the 2 year old wanted to "play too".

I could tell similar stories about the other kids, but the reason for this reply is to advise that we need courses in school on parenting so that new parents can prepare their kids for school, instead of letting the TV raise them.

WE cannot wait until the school years, much less high school.

I've experienced similar situations...especially with Title Four/Welfare to Work cases.

The worse part was, I had a gal who had 45% attendance, turned in one of six assignments (three class sessions late and not typed), and scored 41% on the sole exam I administer. She complained to the Dean and I was told that because she is state funded, we must make "accomodations for her".

I submitted a garde sheet showing attendance, assignments, and exam scores and wrote, "Final Garde: "A"...see Dean for explanation"

Obviously, I'm a loose cannon.

It takes a large number of teachers passing on without merit, to get a student to this point. In the long run they harm the student and the education process, just to avoid conflict.

The college I had been attending the last few years... instituted a "peer review grievance committee". I'm older than the typical college student, so I'm sure it was one of the reasons they asked me to sit in on reviews. My first review and several subsequent reviews ALL revolved around Jr. not doing his/her homework, shoddy work, not attending courses regularly and/or sleeping thru class... then blaming it on the professors. They would file grievances with the Dean and we would "hold court".

Since we were fellow students.....we could rake them over the coals (which we did) and cite our recommendations to the Dean to resolve the problem. This usually included mandantory tutoring with one absence permissable during the semester and reporting results to FAFSA (you got it...99% were gubmint funded party guys/gals) if they failed to attend. Most of the students brought to review, dropped out rather than toe-the-line. We called it separating the wheat from the chaff.

I appreciate the government assisted funding/grants to a point...but the welfare-to-work funding..... IMHO, is a grave failure. Most of those that I attended class with, were there because Mama wanted them out of her hair....not because they were interested in improving their education. They would talk constantly throughout lectures or sleep (up too late partying) and keep the cops busy at the dorms all night. One guy in particular....(who I constantly told to shut up during lecture).. had the nerve to ask me (begged, really) for a copy of my notes before the final exam. NOT.

It's really a shame that colleges have become a baby-sitting service for the willful illiterates.....who have no genuine motivation to succeed, waste the funding by dropping when it gets too difficult, then expect the taxpayers to continue to fund their lifestyle thru other welfare programs.