I have a couple of what I'm going to call "ethical dilemmas" where my job and a professional opportunity conflict with school. For what it's worth, I'm a doctoral candidate (should be graduating in the spring)

I have the opportunity to co-lead a clinic for middle school students next week that I found out about earlier this week. The problem is that I technically have a class that morning. I can afford to miss it as I'm not presenting anything and there's no lecture (others are presenting). The professor can dock my grade if he so chooses. This opportunity is worth it to me. But is this wrong? Is he going to stop me from graduating (he's on my committee, at least for now-really want to take him off for other reasons)? And how do I let him know? It's not like anyone is going to check e-mail until Monday and that's when I'm not going to make it to class.

The other ethical dilemma (with the same professor OF COURSE) is where the professor announces that two evening events are now required. There is no syllabus anywhere so I feel that it's unethical to require something that hasn't been on a syllabus anywhere. One night I have to work and the next night I'm on call for work. I won't know until that afternoon whether I'm working or not, but if I am, I am. If this was known at the beginning of the semester, I could have gotten subs or arranged something and it would be fine. But it just isn't right to force me to scramble trying to make new arrangements at the last second. If there are consequences for me skipping, again I have no idea because there's no syllabus. I'm not the only one not going to these events, but I may be the only one with an actual conflict.

I'm prepared to deal with any consequences for my actions, but am I totally wrong here? I simply refuse to live in fear of a professor, especially one that I'm starting to find unethical and frankly, a bully.