A crisp $100 bill has been sitting untouched inside a sealed envelope under a classroom podium since the first week of the fall semester—not because it was dropped by accident, but because not a single student read the syllabus closely enough to claim it.
Joseph Broghamer, adjunct instructor in computer science, decided to tape an envelope containing the bill under a classroom podium on Aug. 24. He then wrote instructions on how to find the envelope and buried it in the middle of his 14-page syllabus on Blackboard for CPS 110-02, Introduction to Information Systems.
In the middle of a description of an assignment, the following information about the envelope was included:
“In addition to the above sited seven-page document, each student will present a slide show outlining his or her paper. Taped to the underside of the lectern in Mercy Hall, room 280, is a white envelope containing a $100 bill. It is yours to keep; just contact the instructor as indicated by the enclosed note. These types of presentations are required in the public or private sector in order to get the resources, staffing and finance, required for successful implementation of your ideas.”
President Myers and Vice President of Academic Affairs David Rehm are aware of the situation.
“The President, the Provost, and the Assistant Registrar are all aware of this escapade. Dr. Myers even suggested I include a photograph,” Broghamer said.
Brogamer is disappointed none of his students claimed the money, but more importantly, he is concerned they didn’t read the syllabus.
“Instructors do spend a good deal of efforts in generating academic documents in support of their course work. At least in this instant, it was in the student’s best interest to have read this document in full,” he said.
Broghamer isn’t the only professor who has experienced a lack of interest in the syllabus. Rebecca Steinberger, professor and department chair of English and mass communications & design, has noticed a trend throughout her time as a college professor.
“In my more than 30 years of university teaching (25 at Misericordia), there has been a significant decrease in students reading course syllabi thoroughly. Before every semester, I spend hours constructing, revising, and perfecting my syllabus,” Steinberger said. “I expect students to read all that the course entails because it benefits them! Everything a student needs to know — from what we are doing in every class, to what is due and when, to course policies and so much more — is included.”
Steinberger also said not reading the syllabus will put students at risk of not succeeding in their courses.
“It is extremely vital for students to read their syllabus. Otherwise, how would they know what is expected? Not reading the syllabus may result in confusion, lack of clarity, lack of preparation, missed assignments, missed exams and violations of academic policies,” she said.
Jennifer Black, associate professor and chair of the history department, also fears many of her students don’t read her syllabus, which is based on the questions she gets asked throughout the semester.
“I often suspect there are folks who don’t read the syllabus. It’s very frustrating because professors often spend a lot of time writing up assignment instructions, late policies, etc., and students seem to ignore it. Most of the questions I get asked about assignments are answered on the syllabus,” Black said.
Although Steinberger was disappointed to hear that the money is still unclaimed, she was intrigued by the idea of including the location in the syllabus.
“Broghamer’s test is very clever. I may do something similar next semester,” she said.
Hopefully, this story will serve as a lesson for anyone reading this. Reading the course syllabus in its entirety for all future classes is to your direct benefit. In the meantime, read the syllabus for all your current classes in case you missed something the first time, and casually but quickly make your way over to Mercy Hall, room 280.