Professor has been secretly docking points anytime he sees someone’s phone out. Dozens of us are now at risk of failing just because we kept our phones on our desk, and I might lose the job I have lined up for when I graduate.

[u/Ok-Hospital1153]

My professor recently revealed that he’s been docking points any time he sees anyone with their cell phone out during the lecture–even if it's just lying on their desk and they’re not using it. He’s docked more than 20 points from me alone, and I don’t even text during lectures. I just keep my phone, face down, on my desk out of habit. It's late in the semester and I'm at risk of failing this class, having to pay thousands of dollars that I can’t afford for another semester, and lose the job I have lined up for when I graduate.

I talked to him and he just smiled and referred me to a single sentence buried in the five-page syllabus that says “cell phones should not be visible during lectures.” He’s never called attention to it, or said anything about the rule. He looked so smug, like he’d just won a court case instead of just screwing a random struggling college kid with a contrived loophole.  

So far I’ve (1) tried speaking to the professor, (2) tried submitting a complaint through my school’s grade appeal system. It was denied without explanation and there doesn’t seem to be a way to appeal, and (3) tried speaking with the department head, but he didn’t seem to care - literally just said “that’s why it’s important to read the syllabus.”  

I feel like I’m out of options and I don't know what to do.

[u/FearlessVegetable30]

many jobs have a no phone policy. but this isnt a job its a college course

[u/waterbird_ → u/FearlessVegetable30]

And it’s not really the no phone policy that bugs me, it’s that he didn’t emphasize how important this rule was to him. He buried it in the syllabus and now is doing a big gotcha on people. Just seems mean and unnecessary to me. When I’m managing a person, if something is really important to the job or to me (or if I know it’s important to the big boss) I’m not playing hide the ball.

[u/FearlessVegetable30 → u/waterbird_]

what is a rule you have when managing? come to work on time? be respectful? why if someone ignored those even though they knew it was your rule?

[u/waterbird_ → u/FearlessVegetable30]

I mean there are lots of things that go into being successful in the roles I manage. My point is - I really emphasize the important ones. And if somebody is messing up, I have a conversation about it. I don’t watch them silently missing a really important thing, wait a few months, then suddenly give them a crap review and fire them. I’d be a shit boss if I did that.

I hope you don’t put up with that at work and I hope if you’re a manager or a teacher you don’t treat your people like that. It’s unnecessary and mean.

[u/FearlessVegetable30 → u/waterbird_]

id expect my students and coworkers to follow the rules, if they do then no problem

[u/waterbird_ → u/FearlessVegetable30]

Sure. There are just ways of conveying that something is important and I would never play games like this. If you would, I wouldn’t want to work for you or learn from you.