(pregnant third-year) beggars can’t be choosers (in vet school), right? Obviously not.

Dr. Isis has posted on a recent going-on in the school of veterinary medicine at UC Davis. A third-year student became pregnant. Not having any formal procedure for dealing with such situations, the following email was sent to all of her fellow third-year students:

Dear Colleagues,

One of our classmates recently gave birth and will be out of class for an unknown period of time. This means she will undoubtedly miss one, or more, or all quizzes in VMD 444.  Dr. Feldman is not sure how to handle this and has requested the class give input and vote.  He has provided us with 6 options on which to vote and is open to any other ideas you may have.  Most likely a CERE poll will be up next week and a voting will close no later than Wednesday.  If you have other suggestions please email them to Dan or I ASAP. We will alert you to the opening of voting. Below are listed the options that Dr. Feldman has suggested. Please reserve comment on these options and provide us your opinion on them by voting when the time comes.  Thank you for your understanding in this matter.

a) automatic A final grade
b) automatic B final grade
c) automatic C final grade
d) graded the same as everyone else: best 6 quiz scores out of a possible 7 quiz scores (each quiz only given only once in class with no repeats)
e) just take a % of quiz scores (for example: your classmate takes 4 quizzes, averages 9/10 points = 90% = A)
f) give that student a single final exam at the end of the quarter (however this option is only available to this one student, all others are graded on the best 6 quiz scores and the % that results)

Please let us know if you have other thoughts on how to handle this situation and please keep your eye out for the upcoming vote.

Thank you for your time and consideration,

Your Presidents

When you finish swearing aloud at the computer screen, do pop over to Dr. Isis’s blog for the full story, including the reply Dr. Isis received from emailing their department chair. (NB. it will necessitate further swearing.)

(Thanks, J!)

stop bullying mothers about breast vs bottle…

reads the headline on a comment article in today’s observer. I don’t really follow Barbra Ellen, so I don’t know whether hitting the nail on the head is something she regularly does, but it’s clear she’s done it this time. Do read the full article, but here are couple of particularly shiny gems…

Let’s call them the Breastfeeding Mafia – those who your tits will obey! They are all over this report on weaning, as if it were a different report attacking breastfeeding, acting all offended at this imagined trashing of the lactating prowess of their breasts. Outraged (damn the patriarchy!) at the undermining of this precious feminine gift – “perfect food” for our babies. And, one wonders, when did “what’s best for baby” turn into “no choice for Mummy”?

…

There are areas of the world where breast versus formula is a life-and-death issue – women in famine-struck areas too undernourished to produce milk; others who are better off breastfeeding, which doesn’t cost money and doesn’t need purified water. Thankfully, in the relatively cosseted west, this is not our problem, so shame on those who seek to make it one.

FYI: I won’t be reading or replying to comments on this post. So, breasties, have at it (I won’t hear you!); and the rest of you, feel free to reply on my behalf.