I've got some people depending on me for a grade in one of my classes.

[Tobin S.]

Marketing. It's a tough class and requires extensive work within a group. I think that's what makes it so difficult. If I was just depending on myself and didn't have to worry about anyone else, it would be easier. It would still be a lot of work, but I would be making it on my own merit.

I work in a group of 8 people online for the class. Two of them have not posted at all in the group the whole semester. According to the professor, they are still in the class. Group work and the forums make up 49% of the grade. I have no idea what they are thinking.

Of the remaining six, three of them only post sporadically and have not contributed anything to our marketing plan which is 25% of our grade and which is due tonight. Of the three left, I have done the most work and almost all of the heavy lifting. I am responsible for about 70% of the plan.

I get 'A's in college, but it's possible that I'll have that first 'B' from that class. I'm pretty sure the professors know who is doing what. If anyone is disappointed with their grade they might try to point the finger at me, though. I'll have one thing to say- Where the fuck have YOU been all semester?

In a business setting they call that social loafing. In a group setting, some people do the minimum or do very little because they think someone else has got it covered. Some people live their lives like that.

I've been waiting to submit the final plan until this evening in the event that someone else will come through with a better revision, or an edit, or more information. Nothing. I doubt I'll hear anything.

[PoliticAverse]

1. 'Social loafing' indeed, otherwise known as "whoever cares the most has to do the most work". n/t

[edgineered]

2. to ensure a job gets done, give it to the busiest person,

but if you're looking for the easiest solution, find the laziest.

[a la izquierda]

3. If you're only "pretty sure" the professors know...

make sure they "actually" know. Says a professor

[elleng]

4. ABSOLUTELY!

[Tobin S.]

9. 10-4!

[Taitertots]

5. Just do what I used to do... submit the assignment with only four names on it

That way you get to laugh in their faces when they fail the assignment (and the class).

If the professor balks. Just say "They didn't participate, the academic code of honor prohibits cheating, if you give them credit I'll take this to the Dean."

[Yavin4]

7. Correct.

Awesome response.

[rug]

6. The key to success in business is subtly placing the blame on someone else.

Be careful, it's a test!

[csziggy]

13. Or getting rich off the work of others...

[Jenoch]

8. I had a few courses like this when I was in college.

Of course, that was back in the stoneage, pre-WWW and our group had to coordinate everyone's schedule so we could meet up to get the course work completed. I think that was easier to accomplish.

Out of curiosity, where is everyone physically located? Are your group members spread across a city or across the country?

[Tobin S.]

10. Some of us are in the same city while others are in different states. One is in a different country.

[Jenoch]

11. I'm a dinosaur.

When I was in college nobody owned their own computer (unless it was a Commadore 64 or an Atari). There was a computer lab, I only used it as a word processor for papers.

I had a computer class in which we used key punch machines and the resulting punch cards were inserted into a reader and the data was transmitted to a different college where the central computer was located. This may sound like it was in the stoneage, but was actually fewer than 30 years ago, about the same time the first Macintosh computer came out.

[rurallib]

12. I was involved in several critical projects in my job

team oriented with definite "go" dates. And every one had "social Loafers."

One in particular the big social loafer of a team of eight was the bosses best friend. Never wanted to strangle someone so badly in my life.

We survived, we made it. The project was a huge success. Mr. boss and I had many nose-to-nose confrontations. The other seven of us worked so much OT and ridiculous hours it was unreal. It was a 2 year project. At the end I was so tired of dragging that dead weight around.

Good luck. People know who the leakers are. It is hard to hide.

[Arugula Latte]

14. I would carefully document all the work you have put in and present it to the professor

and explain that you're concerned that factors beyond your control will affect your grade when you are carrying more than your fair share of the burden.

[DebJ]

15. I know where you are at, unfortunately. I had a 4.0 until two classes that

required group work. No one was doing anything at all on projects that had deadlines that had been set many weeks in advance. Final week, nothing but from me. Four days out, nothing. Three days out, nothing. No responses to emails
except maybe an excuse or two...

I tried to be proactive and met with the other members of my team on campus just before the deadline. I explained that I had a 4.0 and was working hard to keep it, but without their participation in these projects, I was going to lose that. It wasn't a case where I could complete the projects alone. Two of the people were in my groups in both classes, very unfortunately.

Well, they were OUTRAGED. I mean, totally pissed. They went to the professors and complained about what I had very nicely (I thought) tried to point out and work out.

Both professors took whatever these people said and took it negatively towards me. To this day, I still don't understand why. I lost my 4.0 (ended up with something like a 3.94 or 3.96). Sucks. Ridiculous.

Now, if I was 18, MAYBE this could be a 'life experience' type of simulation where yes, you get screwed by co-workers on team projects. But I was in my fifties, and I'd already lived that experience. However, the work projects were completed in great shape, and I got credit for that...so did my peers, but I could live with that because the bosses knew who really did the work, and there was no negative impact on me.

On the other hand, the GPA you strive for is yours and yours alone to carry through life. Group projects suck for this reason. I will hate them forever, thank God I'm done with school. I was in an Education program, by the way.

If I was teaching, I would NOT allow this type of crap. It's bullshit.

On edit: The 'lesson' I learned: people will screw you over in college, including professors, and you get the negative results, while the loafers are supported and coddled.... what does that teach THEM about functioning in life and work? Teaches them to be irresponsible and mooch.

[RandoLoodie]

16. This could be an opportunity in disguise

what better way to demonstrate leadership ability than to get these slackers in line to at least get some form of deliverable out of them.

You can use that to strengthen your case regardless of the outcome.

Just summarize the expectations placed on the team and submit a "progress report" to everyone involved. Make sure everyone knows what is expected of them. See if you can get them to agree to the project expectations - a yes/no reply email should suffice. Have them sign off on it and keep for your files.