Academic insanity strikes again

[Jimmy Higgins]

Unless attendance was compulsory to begin with, this is another example of over-reaction. And before anyone says the course is compulsory, that does not mean attendance is compulsory. Students are required to know the material regardless of attendance. BTW, anyone who has been a student knows there is a distinct difference between attendance and paying attention. So why is this an issue?

I am not familiar with Oxford law school, but the law school I graduated from had an attendance policy. The policy included the potential of the professor dropping the student from a class on the basis of too many absences.

There is a bridge between compulsory and too many absences. Missing a single class would likely not lead to being dropped from a class. It wouldn't be wise to skip any class in grad level college.

But as Oxford hasn't released a new policy indicating that students can miss a class if they don't like the topic, this really is much to do about nothing.

 

[laughing dog]

Unless attendance was compulsory to begin with, this is another example of over-reaction. And before anyone says the course is compulsory, that does not mean attendance is compulsory. Students are required to know the material regardless of attendance. BTW, anyone who has been a student knows there is a distinct difference between attendance and paying attention. So why is this an issue?

I am not familiar with Oxford law school, but the law school I graduated from had an attendance policy. The policy included the potential of the professor dropping the student from a class on the basis of too many absences. A student dropped, as a result of too many absences, from one of the required (compulsory) classes received a grade of F in the course unless the successful petition for a W designation (Withdrawn). I suspect an attendance policy exists at many law schools, especially since many seek ABA approval to be ABA approved they must comply with, among other provisions, the requirement of having an attendance policy found in 311(f) of the ABA Standards for Approval of Law Schools.

I suspect, but admittedly may be incorrect, that Oxford law school has an attendance policy.

I tried looking it up. There is an attendance policy for compulsory course for research degrees, but I could not tell what it was. But since Oxford denies there is an official policy about trigger warnings, I suspect all of this is much ado about very little.

 

[James Madison]

I am not familiar with Oxford law school, but the law school I graduated from had an attendance policy. The policy included the potential of the professor dropping the student from a class on the basis of too many absences. A student dropped, as a result of too many absences, from one of the required (compulsory) classes received a grade of F in the course unless the successful petition for a W designation (Withdrawn). I suspect an attendance policy exists at many law schools, especially since many seek ABA approval to be ABA approved they must comply with, among other provisions, the requirement of having an attendance policy found in 311(f) of the ABA Standards for Approval of Law Schools.

I suspect, but admittedly may be incorrect, that Oxford law school has an attendance policy.

I tried looking it up. There is an attendance policy for compulsory course for research degrees, but I could not tell what it was. But since Oxford denies there is an official policy about trigger warnings, I suspect all of this is much ado about very little.

I tried to determine whether Oxford law has an attendance policy and I did not find any information regarding an Oxford law attendance policy.

 

[Malintent]

And then there's me, who thinks that all these fragile snowflakes need some LSD, some MDMA, and a record on loop of all the things that trigger them.

Then nail that stands out gets hammered down. The solution isn't to coddle irrational anxiety responses. It is to break those responses.

I agree with your sentiment, but not your methodology.

 

[Loren Pechtel]

http://heatst.com/culture-wars/trigger-warnings-for-oxford-law-students-distressed-by-crime/

Law students can avoid lectures involving potentially upsetting crimes.

Sorry, you think you're not going to encounter the stuff when you use that law degree??? If you can't handle it in the classroom you don't belong in the field!

Perhaps they're going into civil criminal law and thus won't ever need to be exposed to such information?

Kinda like me teasing a doctor after she told me she fainted at the sight of blood during her residency rotations. "But you're a doctor!" I said.

She replied, "I'm not a surgeon, am I?"

And they'll never be involved in a civil case about something bad??

- - - Updated - - -

It sounds from the article that the students are just being warned, not necessarily excused from the class sessions.

Warned and allowed to excuse themselves based on the warning.

- - - Updated - - -

http://heatst.com/culture-wars/trigger-warnings-for-oxford-law-students-distressed-by-crime/

Law students can avoid lectures involving potentially upsetting crimes.

Sorry, you think you're not going to encounter the stuff when you use that law degree??? If you can't handle it in the classroom you don't belong in the field!

Just to quote the article: "It denied having a “formal policy” on trigger warnings."

It is the last sentence in the article.

So, an informal policy has the same effect.

 

[Nice Squirrel]

It sounds from the article that the students are just being warned, not necessarily excused from the class sessions.

Warned and allowed to excuse themselves based on the warning

Okay. What is bad about warning students that the content might be upsetting? Do these professors routinely treat PTSD or know how to deal with a student that suddenly drops out because they cannot handle reliving the traumatic event?

 

[fromderinside]

Perhaps they're going into civil criminal law and thus won't ever need to be exposed to such information?

Kinda like me teasing a doctor after she told me she fainted at the sight of blood during her residency rotations. "But you're a doctor!" I said.

She replied, "I'm not a surgeon, am I?"

And they'll never be involved in a civil case about something bad??

- - - Updated - - -

It sounds from the article that the students are just being warned, not necessarily excused from the class sessions.

Warned and allowed to excuse themselves based on the warning.

- - - Updated - - -

http://heatst.com/culture-wars/trigger-warnings-for-oxford-law-students-distressed-by-crime/

Law students can avoid lectures involving potentially upsetting crimes.

Sorry, you think you're not going to encounter the stuff when you use that law degree??? If you can't handle it in the classroom you don't belong in the field!

Just to quote the article: "It denied having a “formal policy” on trigger warnings."

It is the last sentence in the article.

So, an informal policy has the same effect.

Thread started with what seemed to be a yucky policy which turned out to not be so since students were responsible for questions concerning all cases presented.

Now we're down to guidance for freshmen on attendance. I recognize not all here are almost 75 so understanding attendance requirements at top tier schools has some curiosity value.

But really?

Yes King, this case is closed.

Bye the bye I still need rope for a little Town running exercise.

 

[laughing dog]

And they'll never be involved in a civil case about something bad??

Faulty reasoning. Students who might find a violent rape cause or multiple murders with mutilation might very well be able to handle other "bad" situations. And, they can always refuse a civil case if it is too upsetting.

Perhaps someone with actual legal education and training can comment on this, but I suspect it is possible for someone to learn the law without being subjected to specific cases that might be very traumatic to that person.

So, an informal policy has the same effect.

No, it does not. An instructor ignoring a formal policy can get in formal trouble while an instructor ignoring an informal policy may or may not get into informal trouble.

 

[Jimmy Higgins]

http://heatst.com/culture-wars/trigger-warnings-for-oxford-law-students-distressed-by-crime/

Law students can avoid lectures involving potentially upsetting crimes.

Sorry, you think you're not going to encounter the stuff when you use that law degree??? If you can't handle it in the classroom you don't belong in the field!

Just to quote the article: "It denied having a “formal policy” on trigger warnings."

It is the last sentence in the article.

So, an informal policy has the same effect.

What effect?

 

[Nice Squirrel]

What effect?

Promotes effeminate goldbricking.


Only one way to stop this:

 

[credoconsolans]

Unless attendance was compulsory to begin with, this is another example of over-reaction. And before anyone says the course is compulsory, that does not mean attendance is compulsory. Students are required to know the material regardless of attendance. BTW, anyone who has been a student knows there is a distinct difference between attendance and paying attention. So why is this an issue?

Bingo. With some instructors as long as you pass the tests, whether you attend class or not is irrelevant.

 

[Jimmy Higgins]

Unless attendance was compulsory to begin with, this is another example of over-reaction. And before anyone says the course is compulsory, that does not mean attendance is compulsory. Students are required to know the material regardless of attendance. BTW, anyone who has been a student knows there is a distinct difference between attendance and paying attention. So why is this an issue?

Bingo. With some instructors as long as you pass the tests, whether you attend class or not is irrelevant.

Of course, if you aren't attending class and passing the tests... thinking maybe the class has some sort of flaw. But that is another discussion. Don't want to derail this shitting of the pants OP.

 

[Colonel Sanders]

Faulty reasoning. Students who might find a violent rape cause or multiple murders with mutilation might very well be able to handle other "bad" situations. And, they can always refuse a civil case if it is too upsetting.

Perhaps someone with actual legal education and training can comment on this, but I suspect it is possible for someone to learn the law without being subjected to specific cases that might be very traumatic to that person.

See my post on page 2.

It may matter, it may not.

 

[beero1000]

There's also the issue of being forced to confront the situation, and your initial reaction to it, in public. That's very different than going over the details at your own pace, in private, dealing with it, and then making your case. The vast majority of lawyers only do the latter anyway.

 

[credoconsolans]

Bingo. With some instructors as long as you pass the tests, whether you attend class or not is irrelevant.

Of course, if you aren't attending class and passing the tests... thinking maybe the class has some sort of flaw. But that is another discussion. Don't want to derail this shitting of the pants OP.

[shrug] Sometimes your classmates are very brilliant. Attending class is a waste of their time. One of my ex-s had a photographic memory. He could read something once and have it while I spent hours reading the same stuff over and over to try to get it set in my mind.