Monday, June 6, 2011

Do I have a valid case to get my grade changed?

I just finished my first year of college recently found out my final grades in my classes, one of which I was very surprised. I asked my professor for that class what my percentage actually was for the class (since they only say letter grades) and she told me it was a 69.5%. I was mortified, after talking to her about how I think .5 points is not much at all, and that I think I deserved a 70.0%, she informed me that the labs (week long assignments which ranged from 35-175 points each) were weighted to all be the same amount of points and equal to be 50% of the final grade. I looked at the syllabus for the course and there was absolutely no mention of weighting the labs (trust me, I looked at it like 10 times), so naturally, I felt very upset. I decided to check what my grade would be if the labs weren't weighted and I would have gotten a 74.3%. She refused to give me a 70% because she said I didn't earn it, but that I earned a D (my school has no D+ or D-, just D, its stupid I know). I asked about 5 other people in my class if they knew about the weighting on the labs and they said that they had no clue. What makes it even more confusing is that for each lab assignment, it would say how much each lab was ';worth'; (not the weighted amount), and we have had labs as low as 35 points so I wouldn't worry as much on doing it perfectly so I would get a little less on it, but when the grade is amplified, it counts for a lot more points lost. Even if I didn't have my argument to get my grade changed, I have a freaking 69.5! .5 points isn't gonna kill anyone, but yet she makes it a huge deal, like it somehow affects her more than me when its MY grade. One of the reasons my schools Academic Appeals Committee it states that a grade may need to be changed is if a professor did not address something that affects the students grade verbally or in writing (on our syllabus). I am seriously thinking about getting my grade appealed by my schools Academic Appeals Committee, do you think I have a good case, or at least a good enough of one to get my grade to a 70?Do I have a valid case to get my grade changed?
Unlikely. Academic appeals officers are -very- hesitant to change a student's grade. It only happens in a case where one student was graded on a different basis than everyone else. If the same grading system was used for all students, the system was equitable and an appeals officer isn't going to override the Professor's decision.Do I have a valid case to get my grade changed?
It seems like you have a good case. Talk to your academic adviser first to see if they think you have a case, otherwise go for it!
No, you don't. If the syllabus was unclear as for the weighting of the labs, it was your responsibility to ask her earlier. It is also possible she mentioned this in class, which would not be grounds for an appeal. If the cutoff for a C was 70, then you failed to reach that mark and you don't deserve the C.

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