The syllabus of the nanny state... to be signed and returned before proceeding

A student at the university where I did my undergraduate work sent me this list of policies and procedures for one of the classes he's taking this semester.

I feel sorry for professors that have come to need to force students to sign, date, and return a form like this. They should be teaching and not being asked or required to run a miniature nanny state! It's not surprising that some of them are so disinterested in teaching these days.

Here's how it goes:

• You are responsible for reading the syllabus in its entirety, attending all classes in full, staying informed of course developments, and contacting the instructor or assistant if you have questions or concerns (we are here to help!). Lapses in these regards will compromise learning and success in the course.
• You must write all exams as scheduled. You should not plan or accept a vacation or any other event whatsoever that conflicts with an exam slot or any due date. The mid-term will be on October 22 from 4:00-5:20; the final exam will be on December 15 from 3:30-5:30. Short paper deadlines as per syllabus.
• Set two alarms, including one with proper battery backup (or a windup clock), as sleeping late cannot count as an acceptable excuse for missing an exam.
• You must notify the instructor about any condition that might compromise your ability to write an exam prior to writing, as otherwise your earned grade on the exam will stand.
• If you miss a deadline due to illness or a similar reason, you must contact the instructor immediately. Immediately means immediately (e-mail is preferable). At the least, you can always leave the instructor a voice mail message, just as you would if you were calling in sick at your place of work. Unless you are unconscious in a hospital bed (or a directly comparable situation) or a mental health professional verifies on official letterhead a full-scale psychological breakdown, the instructor will deny any request for make-up work received after the deadline at issue. You need to provide updates daily via e-mail and voice mail messaging until the problem is resolved.
• If you miss an exam and contact the instructor in a timely way, you must still provide adequate corroboration indicating objectively verified illness of a significant nature (or bereavement or comparable condition) for every single day of the period at issue, including weekends. A purely hypothetical example: You could not miss an exam on a Tuesday and then unilaterally take several extra days, and perhaps even a whole weekend, to "recuperate" or to "try" to contact the instructor -- and end up offering a note that excuses you only for Tuesday. Such a note would be insufficient.
• If you wish to appeal informally a grade or some other matter, you need to submit a detailed written argument in support of your claim within three (3) weeks of the return of the item.
• If you receive a bad grade on a preliminary item of course work or experience substantial and/or chronic problems of any sort that compromise your ability to succeed in the course, you should give serious consideration to dropping the course. If you continue in the course past the official drop date, you must accept whatever grades you earn, with no alternative arrangements or remedies. The instructor will assess your standing in the course fairly using only relevant educational criteria.

Wouldn't it be nice to live in a place where you could inform the instructor of an illness because you had really been ill, receive favourable treatment, and not be treated like a liar because of all of the liars that came before you? This point of mine is kind of irrelevant, but the above suggests that any and all excuses to get out of responsibility have been tried on this professor one too many times.

Technorati: syllabus, nanny state