Special Snowflakes

You knew the idea would spread.  The world is connected by social media.  The average college student has, probably, 624 friends on Facebook.  Ideas this "cool" spread like wildfire.

Many bloggers have been documenting the spread of the special snowflakes.  Pawpaw wrote this essay.  Shekel wrote this one and this one.

Children: Leave the room.  It is time for adults to talk

If a student wants to skip their finals because they were protesting or simply too emotionally impacted by events in Ferguson or NYC, they I say "Let them." with a few minor qualifiers.

The student should be required to sign a "Hold Harmless" contract with the University or Law School.  Considering the potential damage a law suite can cause to the prestige of a University, each contract should specify $1,000,000 should the student choose to break the contract and sue the University in the event they cannot pass the Bar, get into Med school or whatever.

Still, knowing how the courts work, the University must further armor themselves with vivid documentation that shows they exercised due diligence.  An interview with the student should be video recorded.  The student should be asked questions like:

• Do you understand the effect that incomplete knowledge in this class is likely to have on the classes that list this class as a prerequisite?
• Do you understand that incomplete knowledge in this class will reduce your chances of passing the Bar, or CPA, or LSAT, MCAT, GRE, GMAT?
• Do you understand the time value of money?  That is, do you realize the financial effects of delaying your working career by six months?

If the student willingly signs the Hold Harmless contract and allows the Due Diligence Information Interview to be video recorded, then they should be issued a Credit: No Grade for that class.  The circumstances behind the Credit: No Grade should be recorded on the transcripts so potential employers can make an informed predictions regarding the fit between the candidate and the firm's work culture.

The student gets what they say they want.

In return, potential employers get documentation regarding the candidate's priorities and work-ethic.