I finally did it.Last evening, in the class I hate with passion because they sit motionless and silent as the dead as if waiting for pigeons to crap on them, I tossed a student who was texting beneath his desk. (My God, how secretive do they think they are? I could practically read the text. No one assumes that position even if he is masturbating, not that I would know.)
"Out," I said. "Get the hell out. You are violating the policy stated on my syllabus about electronic devices. If it happens once more, I will send a letter to the head of student affairs informing him of academic dishonesty because I will assume that you are cheating." (In this class, I have a signed grading contract that says the student has understood the policy regarding electronic devices.)
Surprisingly, and to my great joy, he packed up and left. However, I wonder, what recourse do we have? Here at Crap-Tech Public JUCO, where students are admitted because they exchange oxygen for carbon dioxide and the academic stars can spell their own names, I doubt, really doubt, I will have any administrative support for tossing students from class for this.
