Tuesday, February 3, 2009

Why Don't Students Tip Professors?

I hate tipping. I do it, but (A) I usually don't carry cash on me (who does these days?), and (B) I don't understand the logic behind who should be tipped and who shouldn't. Why do we tip waiters but not flight attendants?

But most importantly, why don't students tip professors? In this economic downturn, every cent matters. If we do an ok job, we should get 10% of the tuition for that lecture. For an excellent job, we should get 20%. Given that students pay ~$100/lecture, and that my class has 200 students, I'd be getting $2,000 every time I give a mediocre lecture and $4,000 every time I give a good one. This will surely increase the quality of education.

Alternatively, I guess I could start singing about God and send the TAs with baskets around the class to collect money.

9 comments:

  1. Students don't hold that much money on a daily basis!!!

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  2. Because you have the power to control the grades and students do not know their grades beforehand hence they do not tip the professors.

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  3. http://images.google.com/imagelabeler/ that's why :-)

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  4. #1 who uses cash - Anyone who has found that if you are forced to take the bills out of you wallet versus swipe a card you spend about 25
    % less.
    #2 Student tips professor - They do, your own blog mentioned student appraisals and making sure they are done when the student thinks all is OK before you crush them.
    #3 Why waiters but not flight attendents? - Let's see, $600 to be crammed in a seat for 4 hours and view a movie we couldn't choose versus $50 for a good meal, and we decide how to reward? Oh, and when the flight attendent does the job (ala the Hudson landing) they go to the Super Bowl.

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  5. Don't worry. We tip you by hyping your class so much that people flock over just to have you crush them.

    You can't honestly say you hate unpaid advertising.

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  6. I am constantly dropping change in my office. One day, an anonymous colleague sneaked into my office and collected all the change and stuck it in a glass jar. I didn't really notice, until office hours. A student came in, and horror-struck, asked ``Is that your tip jar?''

    Russell

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  7. Tipping before graduation could be seen as a form of bribery, taking the apple from the teacher's pet to a whole new level. Designated giving through the alumni association, though, is not a bad idea.

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  8. "I hate tipping. I do it..." I hate typing. do it. Hunt and peck style. I don't carry a keyboard anywhere away from home. I have been seen with a cell phone keypad, but it is for travelling to call or receive in emergencies. I can text message on it. That's fun.

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  9. Hi,
    you have made me smile over the idea:) may be you are right but teaching is itself a respectable occupation and you shouldn't be influenced by beggars. You can not ask for money by yourself but you get paid from the University or institution. The idea can be applied in some other way.
    Essay Help

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