I have two instructors this semester who have made my last semester significantly easier, through both minimal course requirements and random class cancellations.

Both courses meet once a week for roughly three hours. For the first three weeks of the semester, one of them did not meet at all. (The first week the instructor was apparently ill, the second week was a holiday, and the third week the instructor’s mother died — no contest on this one.) Since that time, class has been cancelled an additional two times: we’re in week 10 out of 15 of the semester, but we’ve only met 5 times. 70% of our grade comes from 14 reading reactions consisting of two measly paragraphs each. This means, technically, I do not have to do anything else for this course, including the final five-page-minimum research paper, in order to pass the class with a C.

In the other course, we have had one take-home exam and one in-class exam, and one relatively small group project. For the remainder of this course we will have one more in-class exam and one book report (but when I asked the instructor about it, she made it seem like more of an answer-these-questions-about-the-book book report). My gripe lies with this instructor. Again, we’re in week 10 of the semester, and we have meet 7 times. Out of these 7 meetings, the instructor has been at least 15 minutes late for 5 of them, once being 1 hour late.

This week, my classmates and I went to class with nothing prepared, for the instructor has not yet given us a syllabus for the remainder of the semester. Fifteen minutes after the class’s designated start-time, she still hadn’t shown up. Folks are getting antsy and some are talking rebellion. Someone checks their email; no email. Another checks our class website; nothing. Two gals say, “This is fucking bullshit” and leave to go home. A dude leaves the room after them. A couple minutes later, he sticks his head in the door and says, “I went to the office; class is cancelled.”

Yesterday I sent three emails to the instructor — one through our university email, and two through our two different WebCT course sites (because apparently no one can figure out how to delete one of them, and the instructor jumps between the two). I asked what we needed to do for next week’s meeting and when we would be getting a syllabus. I haven’t yet received a reply. I know it’s only been one day, but, come on! It’s email; it’s stupid-easy to reply to email. I’m impatient because I’ve sent this instructor emails before and have never gotten a reply. I asked my classmates yesterday if any of them had ever emailed the instructor; those who had all said they’d never received replies.

The Partner says I should send an email to the instructor again, but this time also send a copy to her supervisor. I’m hesitant. Students going over instructor’s heads isn’t always taken nicely, and the last thing I want to do is piss this instructor off and then have to deal with it for the next five weeks. At the same time, it would be really nice to know what’s expected of me for the next five weeks so I’m not scrambling at the last second trying to juggle all of my requirements. I’m stuck.

Here’s what I’m listening to:

1. Tim Fite — Hay Man (free music!)
2. Diminished Men — Accidental Patient
3. Damien Rice — Me, My Yoke and I
4. Bratmobile — Cryin’ Tryin’ Lyin’
5. Le Tigre — Bang! Bang! (excellent music!)
6. Nouvelle Vague — In A Manner Of Speaking
7. The Hives — King Of Asskissing
8. Dopplebanger — mashup; Prince vs. Missy Elliott — Work It Off
9. Casper and the Cookies — Wave of Mutilation
10. The Moldy Peaches — Anyone Else But You (awesome music!)