[Seminole]

A quick explanation. I am a teaching assistant for Florida State, so I, along with any other teaching faculty, received this e-mail a few weeks ago. St. Patrick's day is a huge deal here in Tallahassee and many bars open at 6am and those students who actually do go to class during the day are most likely drunk. My teacher a few years ago actually kicked the entire class out and took five points off our grade because we were all hammered.

So to the point. Florida State just got a new President, and apparently he doesn't approve of our fine tradition. I happened to find it hilarious that they had to send out an e-mail like this because the problem is so bad. Here is the e-mail titled "Reducing Potential Disruptive Classroom Behavior":

This message has been approved by Eric J. Barron, President of FSU, for distribution to all faculty and teaching assistants.

March 1, 2010

Dear Faculty,

All of us are committed to the health and welfare of students, faculty, and staff. The members of Healthy Campus 2020, a university-wide committee that assists students in achieving optimum wellness are especially focused on two upcoming events.

We ask for your support in encouraging a safe spring break and reducing potential disruptive classroom behavior that may occur on St. Patrick's Day, March 17 when local bars open early in the morning.

High-risk drinking behavior is one of many areas we address as part of our committee's initiatives. Research shows there is a positive correlation in the reduction of high-risk social behaviors when students are highly engaged in coursework and interacting with faculty.

Faculty can help reduce high-risk drinking among FSU students by:

- Taking attendance at each class.

- Giving exams or requiring assignments on Wednesday, March 17, and Thursday, March 18.

- If you are unable to hold class [because you yourself are drunk, haha], inviting a health educator from Thagard Student Health Center to speak to one of your classes.

Other alternatives and resources available to you include:

- The University Counseling Center (644-2003), Thagard Student Health Center (644-8871), and the Dean of Students Department (644-2428) can provide advice to faculty and professional intervention for students in need of assistance.

- MyStudentBody.com, a free online resource, is provided to learn more about alcohol, drugs, nutrition, stress, tobacco, and sexual health. You can also refer to http://alcohol.fsu.edu/ for additional resources.

- Integrate information on alcohol/other drugs and related cultural issues into instructional presentations, meetings, and the classroom.

If your class is disrupted by any student, you may ask the student to leave. If the behavior is severe, please actively respond calling FSU Police at 644-1234. Thank you for your attention to this matter.

Sincerely,

Eric J. Barron, President

[Dan in PA]

Ehh, I hate when there are disruptive drunk jackasses everywhere when I'm trying to learn...probably gonna get flamed for this

[M_Six]

We get the same type of emails about "Unofficial St. Patrick's Day," which is usually held on a Friday a week or two before the real St. Paddy's Day. The idea was a brainstorm of the local bar owners who realized our Spring Break usually takes place right around the 17th and they were missing out on the drinking $$$. So now the students get drunk on "Unofficial" instead. At least it's always a Friday.

[Dan in PA]

and i'M sloe aT lurninG so eye nEed my concenTrashun

[MCMLXXXIX]

... ...and?

[Seminole]

Originally Posted by MCMLXXXIX

... ...and?

I guess it was funnier to me and my friends that the school is encouraging teachers to give exams on St. Patty's day (or the day after) in order to try and stop us from drinking.

[lambtron]

my professor encouraged us to get out and party to "ease our minds" before finals. hahaha.

[Dan in PA]

Originally Posted by Seminole

I guess it was funnier to me and my friends that the school is encouraging teachers to give exams on St. Patty's day (or the day after) in order to try and stop us from drinking.

My professors always give exams on days where attendance is likely to be low...like Fridays in April.

[Blake]

good luck getting that to fly at FSU

[scollins]

- If you are unable to hold class [because you yourself are drunk, haha], inviting a health educator from Thagard Student Health Center to speak to one of your classes.

Is that part of the original email, or something you added? I'm guessing the latter, but I don't want to ASSume....

[darkcloud]

I had a Prof or 2 try to pull having an exam or paper due on a drinking holiday.

It would always go down like this...

Day 1 of class we get our syllabus and start checking things out. The classes ulitimate drunk would immediately recognize the overlaping day of a drunken festivity and a test/paper due date. Class would then be thrown into a slight uproar and Prof would deny knowing his/her scheduling mishap and hold fast that they would not adjust the date. After a class or 2 of pressure the Prof would then move said test/paper to class date that is before or after drinking festivity. Prof would do so on the grounds that "he/she didn't want anyone to struggle in class blah blah blah".

So this type of behavior is not new in the College arena. I graduated in 2005. I'm sure there are others older than I that can back my story up with a similar outcome.

Unfortunatly for FSU the idea is rather stupid since the email was only sent out a week or so ago. The Prof's can't start shoving dates around and moving exam's/paper's to keep students in class for a day because it will start fucking up the whole semester/quarter(whatever your on). They can take attendence for the day but they can't assign enough points to that to actually harm or scare anyone into coming. Same goes with a pop quiz.

This also feeds into my small annoyance of Universities. These students CHOOSE their school of choice for a variety of reasons and are hardly ever forced into that choice. Then the school CHARGES, typically a lot($20+k/yr), the students for their schooling. Then Profs and faculty get their panties all bunched up when students skip class in general. Now in high school I get it, kids are young, impressionable and the faculty is pretty much responsible for their well-being. But in College these ties should be near completely cut loose. The university is still paid when students skip or attend class. Just shut up and let the student do what he/she wants and if that decision fucks them then oh well. And hey guess what? The university would then make more $$$ because the student would then have to repay for the couse they fucked themself in.

[Muffnbluff]

Originally Posted by M_Six

We get the same type of emails about "Unofficial St. Patrick's Day," which is usually held on a Friday a week or two before the real St. Paddy's Day. The idea was a brainstorm of the local bar owners who realized our Spring Break usually takes place right around the 17th and they were missing out on the drinking $$$. So now the students get drunk on "Unofficial" instead. At least it's always a Friday.

Haha...YES! Glad to hear Unofficial is still going on at Illinois. I lived on Wright/White my senior year with 6 other guys, we had about 15 people stay at our house that year for unofficial. We drank from 7am to about 3am the next morning with a small break in the middle of the day.

[UltimateBMW]

Originally Posted by darkcloud

This also feeds into my small annoyance of Universities. These students CHOOSE their school of choice for a variety of reasons and are hardly ever forced into that choice. Then the school CHARGES, typically a lot($20+k/yr), the students for their schooling. Then Profs and faculty get their panties all bunched up when students skip class in general. Now in high school I get it, kids are young, impressionable and the faculty is pretty much responsible for their well-being. But in College these ties should be near completely cut loose. The university is still paid when students skip or attend class. Just shut up and let the student do what he/she wants and if that decision fucks them then oh well. And hey guess what? The university would then make more $$$ because the student would then have to repay for the couse they fucked themself in.

While I agree with this, you must also remember that they are an Institution/University of learning. And that also comes with a certain sense of obligation and devotion. The School isn't getting paid to let you slack off, they are being paid to educate you.(From the students perspective.) So if part of that education is creatively devising a method to get me to attend class when I otherwise wouldn't I would say they are doing their job fine. And in the end, it's probably a good thing that the schools care and try to get you to do the right thing. Because their aren't many other businesses out there that will anymore.

[UltimateBMW]

Originally Posted by M_Six

Classy.

I enjoyed those pictures thoroughly.

[Seminole]

Originally Posted by scollins

Is that part of the original email, or something you added? I'm guessing the latter, but I don't want to ASSume....

Something I added. All of my fellow TA's went out drinking themselves, came back to teach there class, then went back out again.

[TiAg335i]

I think your president is doing the right thing. The classroom isn't a place for drunken idiots IMO.

[ianthegreat]

Having a test the day of or day after is just being a prick. Nothing much about it. If the class recognizes it early enough, they can pressure the professor into changing it.

I totally understand about students being intoxicated in class. That would and has annoyed the shit out of me. But why would they go to class if they were drunk? Because professors make attendance part of the grade. If you want to tie it to their grade, make it extra credit only.

[solefald]

"stop college drinking"

these 3 words are already full of fail

[Zoobander]

Weak. Penn State never had these types of disclaimers. That's why we're #1 party school
I even got a disclaimer email from SMU as a distance education graduate student.

[Couch]

Do they think students don't go to school during a typical week drunk?

I know for a fact from my experiences guys that had a few drinks before class from time to time. I know I did a couple of times at a night class.

Most kids that go to class under the influence are probably high though, not drunk anyways.

[UncleWede]

I still remember that year when UCSB sent a note to all the colleges within about 200 miles that there wasn't going to be Halloween on DP that year.



Best of the 4 years I spent on DP!!!!!

[len56]

there's classes on spring break????

:/