Help, I'm having a school problem!

fridaysdance

I am in this senior seminar class that only takes up1 credit hour and 1 hour a week. He wants us to drive an hour and a half to a conference as a class assignment in our personal vehicles. The same day, i have two other classes that woild fall during the conference that i need to be in because i need good grades and the final is right after fall break. I do not feel that i can miss the classes. Is this unreasonable or is it just me? What should I do? He is the head of the department and sometimes hard to reason with.

fridaysdance

Also, the conference is 9-4 so I would miss all other classes.

JCbride2015

I don't think you're being unreasonable if you would actually have to miss other classes.  I think you should talk to your professor about the fact that you'll miss two other classes.  If he is really that unreasonable, you might want to get those other professors involved.  Either the other professors can help you talk to Dept Head, or they should understand he's placing an unreasonable demand on you and help you figure out how to make up the classes.

JCbride2015

How do your classmates feel about this requirement?  Is anyone else objecting, or are they all just quietly missing class?

buttercup1958

can i ask what your major is? I know for geology majors we have to do a senior seminar and people actually do a lot during that class. They talk about future projects and things like that. So i'm a bit biased towards the seminar

raw1299

I would definitely keep your other 2 professors in the know, and send them an email, or talk to them explaining I wont be here X day because of head of dept's seminar. Maybe they can give you notes or power points of that days lecture. 

winelover123

I had to take a few field trips for my art history class. If anyone had a conflicting class, they'd privately talk to the professor. Try seeing if you can do an alternate assignment and if that fails, talk to your other professors and see if they can excuse you for one class.

lovesclimbing

Ditto what others have said about explaining to all three.  Get a note from the one requiring the conference to give to the other two.  Or have him email them.

If all else fails and none of the three will budge, I would go above the dean of your department to the dean of your college  (not the dean of the whole university but the dean of the College of Liberal Arts, the dean of the School of Management, the dean of the College of Engineering and Mines, etc.  The dean who is over several departments within a certain broad area of study) and talk to him.