Thread by @JillianWeise

Comprehensive exams in Ph.D. Programs for English need to change. The form of the exams -- and I am speaking my opinion on four different PhD granting programs in the USA -- is fucked.

There is far too much focus on time. Able-bodied notions of time. Being on time. Doing the exams in time. And "using" time in some kind of way that everybody just assumes (?) we know how to "use" our time.

I know of one program -- I'm looking at you, Canada -- where students may opt to take 24 hours to complete written exam on a given set of questions.

That is humane.

Other PhD programs rules and regulations about time? Not just inhumane, but silly.

When else, in your life as an #academic , is someone going to say, "YOU WILL TELL ME EVERYTHING YOU KNOW ABOUT MODERNIST POETRY, POSTMODERNIST POETRY, AND LATINATE LANGUAGE WITHIN TWO HOURS AND MANY PAGES."

That's a question to get the point across. I don't write questions like that for students. But the questions we are writing for Ph.D. students? Why are we making them answer in like two hours, four hours, eight hours?

Why don't we allow for pain flare? Or just slow thinking?

I gotta go to this business before it closes at 6:00 pm so can't keep going on this. But we need to return to the topic. Or tell me what you hate about the #CompExams at your #PhDProgram especially want to hear from students who feel secure sharing that kinda thing on here

And for the stray abled who is going to wander into the thread and say, "But we offer accommodations!" That's not enough. The entire form of comprehensive examinations needs to change. Not just for disabled students. Also all students. There's far too much anxiety around exams

The anxiety students have around the exams? That is harmful and unnecessary. Somebody needs to say, "This stops. We are not doing this anymore." People have said it. I'm saying it again. And I'll return to say it some more. #AcademicTwitter #DisabilityTwitter