This fall, I have a student who seems unfamiliar with showering and deodorant. I haven’t said anything, hoping that the issue is just a one-off and that it will resolve itself. However, we’re quickly approaching the end of my patience, and I’m not sure how to proceed.

Everyone has a deodorant malfunction from time to time. Obviously, no one is going to be personally identified, even in a private email. My best idea so far is a general class announcement via the LMS that it’s been brought to my attention that we may have a problem and for everyone to please double check their hygiene before coming to class.

Have any of you all ever had to deal with this? Any suggestions?

  • dream_weasel@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
    11·
    1 year ago

    You may not get results that way, but it’s a start. I have had this issue and the student in question required a point blank conversation. He said it couldn’t be him because he used very expensive bvlgari deodorant… which I had to explain was cologne and was actually making the problem worse.

    This was for an extra-curricular, but eventually I did have to say I knew it was him because when he left the smell left with him. He thought that was insensitive, but I dont think one person gets to unilaterally ruin the experience of multiple others.

    Also we had to make a club statement that good hygiene is a shower with soap followed by deodorant followed by a CLEAN shirt. This I guess is not universally known. For a plain old class you might not be able to be that specific though.

    • CaptObvious@literature.cafeOPEnglish
      2·
      1 year ago

      Yeah, I’m not sure how specific to be. I am sure that this cannot continue for the rest of the semester.

      I used to teach in a department with a wider variety of cultures. It was sometimes an issue there, but student who had been here longer generally took them aside after the first day and had a talk about US expectations. Our student ombudsman was also a no-nonsense and direct person who could take care of the situation in a short conversation. I don’t have that skill.

      If the general announcement doesn’t work, I suppose I could always drag in the counselors. They seem to feel underutilized.