There was a good article in the Chronicle of Higher Education a few months ago. Among other things, it addressed how students communicate with faculty. The author griped about a student calling him on his (the professor’s) cell phone!
I’m not a big fan of cell phones. My wife and I recently bought into a plan with my brother and his wife–one of those “four-lines-for-$75/month” plans. At first it was nice–calling whoever I wanted whenever I wanted. But it got old. Quickly. Now my wife calls everyday as she’s leaving her school, but just to tell me she’s leaving and will be home in ten minutes. Well, I love her, but that is an unneeded interruption.
And that’s the big problem with cell phones–the unneeded interruption. Like any tool, they have their purpose, but like any tool, they can be abused.
I forbid students to have their cell phones on, or even out on their desks, during class. There are very few things that can’t wait for 50 minutes. If a student is expecting an important call (somebody’s wife, sister, partner or whatever) may go into labor at any minute, I ask them to sit by the door, put the phone on vibrate, and handle any call discreetly and politely. It’s not too much to ask.
My wife and I have come up with a system, too. When I’m working on something and don’t want to be interrupted by a cell phone call, I set it to vibrate; I don’t answer calls, though I can tell they’re coming in. If it’s an emergency and my wife REALLY needs to talk to me, she calls, hangs up and calls right back. I answer the second time. Thank goodness, we’ve never had an emergency that required interruption, but just in case, it’s good to have a plan!
