Re: OT - legal ramifications of web pages

The plot thickens.  Last night's class was terrific, exactly what I 
wanted when I signed up.  The prof was reasonable, interesting, etc.  I 
have no idea what accounts for the change, but I can only guess it has 
to do with getting towards the end of the semester.


I'd gotten the information about no evaluations from the school 
newspaper.  I'm not sure what the deal is, but the prof mentioned 
evaluations for next week (last class before the final), asked for a 
student volunteer to take care of it (not me), and it sounds like 
evaluations will happen as they always have.  I didn't draw attention to 
the article in my bookbag.


I agree about going over the teacher's head, but I tried that at the 
beginning of the semester and got nowhere with the department head.  She 
made it clear that this is a matter of the administration AGAINST the 
students, not moving towards decisions that are reasonable for everyone. 
 Then I learn that the department head is retiring this semester.  I've 
never spoken to the dean.  I'm not sure it would be worth it.


The whole subject of teacher evaluations must be a huge one.  Back in 
college (late 70s, private school), I had a horrible experience with a 
teacher, something I should have gone to the department head or dean 
about except that I was a naive kid who didn't know much about how to 
complain assertively or how to work systems.  I ended up getting a D in 
a class that had been rescheduled so I could never get there (teacher 
took a vote for changing the time from what was in the catalog).  I 
blasted the teacher on the evaluation and felt satisfied at the time. 
It took me years to realize that the evaluation had served to make me 
think I'd done something but that it never got into the hands of anyone 
who would care.  I had to learn the difference between a minor complaint 
about teaching style (appropriate for a teacher evaluation) and a major 
complaint about which one should go straight to the dean (I'm paying for 
and getting graded for a class I'm physically unable to attend due to 
the 2 places at one time problem).

Thanks all for the information and the websites.  I'm still thinking on 
this.

--Lia