Should We Buy Our Lecturers A Gift?

UCDCritic

I've met most of my lecturers now and I'm really happy with them.

I was really happy with my lecturers last semester too.

It makes me think do they feel appreciated in the work they do by the students.

I'd hate to think a lecture felt under appreciated.

We've got our exam results now. When you look at them, do you think you owe the result to the great effort your lecturer put in during the semester?

As class reps are great at organizing other things, maybe they could organize a collection and gift for the lecturer.

Jonny Blaze

Temptation to make jokes is serious here but..

Don't think they are allowed to accept gifts from students..

gifted

By any chance are you a lecturer?

Annasopra

Sometimes in the past I have done that yes.

When my lecturer left to go to another college we got one

When my lecturer retired we got one.

My old lecturer used to have class Christmas parties in her house.

Durz0 Blint

I helped organised a "piss up" with free Wine for some of our lecturers.


Does that count as a gift

convert

Most post-grad students will get their supervisor a present as a 'thank you' for all their help and support during the year(s) they were studying/researching. Likewise, undergrads who have to do a research project for their degree also tend to do similar.

I've known some tutors who have received 'thank you' gifts from students over the years. Usually it's something small like a box of chocolates or bottle of wine, but they really appreciated it and made it seem all worthwhile to them. However, the gifts were normally given at the end of the semester/after the results when there was no fear that it could be misconstrued as the student attempting to get a better grade/report.

As to your question 'do you have to buy a gift?': No, you don't, but if you feel that they really helped you and you would like to show your thanks, by all means get them something small as a 'thank you'. I doubt many students would actually get together to buy the lecturer a gift, but if you know one or two students who feel the same, then you could get together to buy something, but otherwise a small one just from one student is a nice gesture.

ironclaw

As a class we presented a bottle of fine whiskey to a lecturer who had been exceptional over the course of 2 years. But other than that, no.

Chet T16

ironclaw wrote: »

As a class we presented a bottle of fine whiskey to a lecturer who had been exceptional over the course of 2 years. But other than that, no.

One got flowers too

Riamfada

Round of applause after the last lecture?

blatantrereg

I'm offered gifts a lot by students. Never by Irish ones that I recall. Never by a half-decent student that I recall either. Most of them are just aimed to ingratiate/bribe. I never accept.

Never been given a gift in the way you are considering. I would probably not like it. A card might be a better idea.

Never liked gifts to people in charge, whether I was the one in charge or the one being pestered for money. The most annoying example was from when I was a postgrad: There was one person who had the bright idea to organise a whip-round for a professor's birthday. He was on a six figure salary. The students she was asking to contribute were on stipends not very far into five figures. I declined to contribute. She never tried to organise whip-rounds for students incidentally.

I have been thanked in person by students, received emails thanking me, had students request that I give future modules. These things I certainly appreciated.

I have also felt that the work I've done with at least one class was under-appreciated by the students. It was appreciated by the college though, since they did get very good results, so I didn't really care. Lecturers are doing a job. Good students are appreciated by lecturers just as much as the other way around. Teaching students who want to learn is rewarding. Teaching students who don't want to be there is painful. Getting good results means the lecturer will feel they were successful and also be a good thing on their record.

So I would think a gift would be unnecessary really, but some expression of thanks would probably be nice.

edit:

round of applause would make me personally cringe or laugh.
bottle of whiskey after two years and from class as a whole i would probably be very pleased about.

CramCycle

convert wrote: »

Most post-grad students will get their supervisor a present as a 'thank you' for all their help and support during the year(s) they were studying/researching. Likewise, undergrads who have to do a research project for their degree also tend to do similar.

Agree with this, and then only after the project is signed off eg 4th year project, gift after the corrections are submitted

kob29

Write a sincere card instead.