This isn't right

[amycooper]

One of the professors at the college is having her students do a genealogy project for class which is coming due soon - or rather it appears that they all have to present what they find in class and some have already and some have not.  The have nots are finishing up now.

And there is somethings deeply flawed with this assignment. 

First off, students are told that they must trace their ancestry back to their arrival to America.  This makes it pretty damn easy for our first and second and heck third generation Americans.  A little harder for others.  But you know who's really struggling?  A number of our African American students.  Slaves weren't exactly recorded in the census with the best of accuracy, you know?

Students are also told they need to have and answer to-in the class presentation-lots of personal information.  Like: why didn't you include a picture of you with your grandmother?  Why don't you keep in touch with your father?  Etc.

More to the point, we had a student in the library (who we know pretty well because she does work study) freaking out because her father abused her, she has no contact with him (he's legally not allowed to have contact with her) and she does not want to discuss it in class.  She's trying her hardest to craft her presentation so that she won't get any questions.  She's in a position where she's trying to talk about her abuser in her classroom as if she wasn't abused by him and everything is a-okay between them to try to avoid any questions.  And she feels like she has too because she states that one of her other classmates ended up having to talk about her father's affair (and resulting half-sister) when she obviously didn't want to and another got probed onto why her mother wasn't working which lead to why her mother was in jail.

This is deeply wrong.

One of the other librarians has plans to go the VP of Academics about it. 

Comments

[petzipellepingo]

This is deeply wrong.

One of the other librarians has plans to go the VP of Academics about it.

Very wrong and just not thought out at all.

[amycooper]

Yeah. :/

[justalurkr]

Also,on my mother's side, we're seventh generation in America and on my father's side? All we know is that his father was "adopted," which is what we now call "taken to raise."

Do I keep in touch with my father? Just the live one who adopted me. Pictures with my paternal grandparents? The cousins got those in the divorce.

THIS is what the prof expects to be disclosed???

[amycooper]

Exactly. Our student indicated that she did okay. She ended up mentioning her dad briefly then declaring him a major asshole and the teacher just left it. Apparently she made it clear he won't be discussed.

Sadly the next student that went up ended up having to talk about her mom's bipolar disorder and how her mom got diagnosed so... :/

[readerjane]

Wow. That is just so... wrong, and short-sighted, and naive on the prof's part. I hope the VP puts a stop to it.

[amycooper]

I know. I was dumbfounded.

[superbadgirl]

This seems like one of those things borne out of good intent but not at alllllll thought out.

[amycooper]

Yeah.

[prowler_pilot]

Unfortunately some academics (especially Boomers who didn't have to struggle to get a stable job after grad school) have no clue about life outside their privileged bubble.

This is so not kosher.

[justalurkr]

The professor is opening the door to two things:
1. Failure on account of "none of your business; "

And

2. Several lengthy call out screeds on why the questions are unanswerable.

I hope, if the VP doesn't stop this or force significant modifications, most kids go with option 2.

[amycooper]

Yes, exactly.