Group Etiquette Question

[burbuja0512]

Hi,

As most of you know, I'm in the middle of my Capstone class at COSC. The first three weeks we're doing group assignments and this week is my week as team leader. Everyone submits portions of the group essay and I gather and edit to present the final document.

Anyhow.. I have a question about a member of the group that isn't participating. I've never done online group work before so I have no idea of the proper way to handle this.

The story goes like this. Our team is 7 members and one person, we'll call her "Jane" has not been very participative from the start. On our first group assignment, Jane submitted her portion of the groupwork late. We had already completed the essay, so while she did try to participate, her efforts were very late, and we'd already completed the essay by then, so her contribution was pointless.

Now we're on the second group assignment and she volunteered to co-lead with me. I've been doing all of the work and not only has she not helped me, she hasn't even submitted her portion of the group work a second time. She did pop into our group forum for a moment earlier this week to apologize for her lack of participation and explain that her grandfather just got moved to hospice.

Am I being callous in saying that she should either work or drop the class? Even if her grandfather is in hospice, what is she going to do, hang out with him there all day? Couldn't she step away for a few to do a little work? *end rant*

My real question is, what is the proper way to deal with a non-participating member when the team assignment is submitted? Is it considered unprofessional to bring it to the professor's attention? I saw that another team on our first assignment listed their entire team's names, but listed one person's name and then the word absent right next to his name. Is this what I'm supposed to do? Or, should I just go ahead and turn in the team assignment and pretend that she contributed just like everyone else?

Thanks so much for your help with this!

[bkahuna]

Its been a long time since I had a situation like that but I would try and have a one-on-one with "Jane" and ask her what the issue is.

If she is too distracted to complete her required portion because of external factors, right now it isnt too late to drop the course and take the next one when things settle down. I think you'd have a better gauge if you talked on the phone and determined if she was just freeloading or if it was something legit. Then you could suggest that she isn't really getting her money's worth by not participating, and that the capstone course is important learning etc, infer she should make the right choice. Id also sound disappointed and let her know she is letting the team down.

If she straightens up or drops the course, great. If she continues to be an albatross for another week get the professor to call her and suggest she remove herself from the class.

[burbuja0512]

Its been a long time since I had a situation like that but I would try and have a one-on-one with "Jane" and ask her what the issue is.

If she is too distracted to complete her required portion because of external factors, right now it isnt too late to drop the course and take the next one when things settle down. I think you'd have a better gauge if you talked on the phone and determined if she was just freeloading or if it was something legit. Then you could suggest that she isn't really getting her money's worth by not participating, and that the capstone course is important learning etc, infer she should make the right choice. Id also sound disappointed and let her know she is letting the team down.

If she straightens up or drops the course, great. If she continues to be an albatross for another week get the professor to call her and suggest she remove herself from the class.

This is where the dynamic of an online class is weird. We don't really have any way to communicate other than email. I asked everyone to post their personal email in addition to their COSC email, but she didn't and doesn't appear to check her COSC email at all.

So I do totally agree with your approach, I just don't have any way of getting in touch with her other than the COSC email, which she's not using. So, I basically have to choose between giving her credit for the paper by adding her to our list of names, or making a statement on the paper by putting something like: Jane Doe (absent), or just emailing the teacher to let her know our group concerns.

[Shemrat]

I've had this situation twice.

The first time, we ommitted the two members' names from the title page of our paper that failed to contribute. We had attempted to notify them on several occassions, but they failed to respond until the night before the project was due, and their response was less-than contributory. It was more like begging and pleading. We were less-than sympathetic.

The second time, I was in a group of three and the other two members contributed maybe 10% altogether. The research paper was missing information that the syllabus had deemed necessary, and when it came time to present our project, only I was capable of delivering the information. Unfortunatley I did not do so hot on the midterm so I needed a good grade on this project. I earned an overall grade of 'D' while the other 2 members earned C's and as a result I have to take the class over in June when I would already be closing-up degree otherwise. My 'D' on the transcript is surrounded by A's and B's, and it has dragged my GPA down to a 3.4.

Would I have done anything different? You darn right! I would have gone completely solo and would be reflecting on my wise decision while working on my masters, yet here I sit waiting....

Moral of the story: It's college! You should not have to babysit grown men and women! Give them the hint and if they fail to contribute, leave their name off of the paper. It worked the first time. The second time I gave in to the peer pressure of my "friends."

[burbuja0512]

I've had this situation twice.

The first time, we ommitted the two members' names from the title page of our paper that failed to contribute. We had attempted to notify them on several occassions, but they failed to respond until the night before the project was due, and their response was less-than contributory. It was more like begging and pleading. We were less-than sympathetic.

The second time, I was in a group of three and the other two members contributed maybe 10% altogether. The research paper was missing information that the syllabus had deemed necessary, and when it came time to present our project, only I was capable of delivering the information. Unfortunatley I did not do so hot on the midterm so I needed a good grade on this project. I earned an overall grade of 'D' while the other 2 members earned C's and as a result I have to take the class over in June when I would already be closing-up degree otherwise. My 'D' on the transcript is surrounded by A's and B's, and it has dragged my GPA down to a 3.4.

Would I have done anything different? You darn right! I would have gone completely solo and would be reflecting on my wise decision while working on my masters, yet here I sit waiting....

Moral of the story: It's college! You should not have to babysit grown men and women! Give them the hint and if they fail to contribute, leave their name off of the paper. It worked the first time. The second time I gave in to the peer pressure of my "friends."

Very good points and I'm sorry you had to learn the lesson the hard way. I guess I am worried that the professor will see it as unprofessional if we don't include Jane's name on the paper. However, if she were an employee that worked for me, she would be disciplined, so it's unrealistic to act like nothing's wrong.

The good thing is that with such a large group and with 6 out of 7 people participating, the work is getting done. It's just annoying to carry someone that wants to go along for the ride.

[MomOfMany]

Give them the hint and if they fail to contribute, leave their name off of the paper. It worked the first time. The second time I gave in to the peer pressure of my "friends."

I agree.
no work = no credit for the work submitted

Goes double if she isn't going to bother to fullfill the minimum communication requirements requested at the start of the group.

[MomOfMany]

My dh works in training and development teams as a project manager.
Coworkers/contractors who don't contribute to the project - don't get their name added for credit. And they are brought to the mat for it too. That is VERY professional and standard business practice.

What is UNprofessional, is not showing up for work or communicating with the team and then thinking you earned the rewards and credit of other people's work.

[burbuja0512]

I really appreciate everyone's feedback and I have a plan. Last night, I posted the entire group essay (without Jane's contribution), I asked everyone to review and make comments and/or edits as needed by 10:00pm ET tonight.

I know that the rough draft does need some work, so I am truly giving her a chance to step up and do something to contribute. If she does not, I will go ahead and do the final draft and post it for a grade without her name listed.

I think that this is the right thing to do and based on everyone's comments, it sounds like it wouldn't be out of line.

[Storyteller]

I love your plan - it's so diplomatic!! Perhaps diplomacy is the direction you should be going in instead of business admin (lol)
Success to you and yours!

[PonyGirl93]

Wait.... You mean..... Anyone in your group participated??? milelol: I've just started to take for granted that I will do the entire project