Asking a professor to change a grade-- GPA issue

<p>Well, it is hard to believe that I have found myself in this situation. Essentially I took two summer courses, one of them which was 3 credits and I received an A (4 points x 3 credit hours= 12 points), the other which was 1 credit and I initially received a B+ (3.3 points). I explained to the professor by e-mail that the B+ affected my GPA (it is amazing how one credit can so drastically affect your GPA...) and dropped me under a 3.7 which is the required minimum for me to apply for a scholarship to continue my studies in graduate school. </p>

<p>Luckily he agreed to change my grade (he is actually not a professor, he was simply teaching a course because he worked in the field now that he is retired) to an A-....</p>

<p>He had said that he originally based the entire grade on one thing- the final test grade, for which I got 13/15 questions correct, but I also got the bonus correct which meant I got 14/15, which equals to a 93%, meaning that I very well could get an A, which would raise my GPA to a 3.7. </p>

<p>He said initially that he would raise my grade to an A- because of "other factors", such as participation. He was very understanding of my situation and wished me luck. After this grade change, my cumulative GPA now stands at a 3.69. </p>

<p>My question is, would it be extremely inappropriate to e-mail him again and ask for another grade change, particularly in lieu of the fact that I did receive a 93% in the course? He has already changed my grade and yet I am .01 points under. As I said, it is incredible how a one credit class can have so much impact on a cumulative GPA. </p>

<p>What should I do at this point?</p>

<p>Let it go. First, it’s difficult to change a grade once it is entered. And second, you’re liable to tick him off enough for him to give you the original grade.</p>

<p>what you said totally didn’t make any sense. If the professor orginally based the entire grade on one thing then how did you get a B+ when you got 93% on the test. You can’t ask the professor the change your grade again anyways becuase if you indeed got 93% on the test, that’s still an A-</p>

<p>From my understanding, the bonus question replaced one question which means 14/15= 93%. Why did I initially receive a B+? I don’t know based on what I received on the test. That is why I had sent my original e-mail, when he replied stating that he would give me an A-, that did not make sense either, as from my understanding that should had been my original grade. Also, at my College, a 93% is technically an A (although this depends on the professor). </p>

<p>This is what I am asking in my question. What shall I do based on what I have learned? E-mail him once again to clarify the grade? </p>

<p>I appreciate your replies.</p>

<p>yeah… that’s a bit confusing. so email him for clarification but not for grade change again. maybe you shouldn’t have asked him to change it as a favor in the first place instead of questioning why. </p>

<p>but how would it drop your gpa to 3.69 though? if you have the total of 12 points/3 credits +3.3 points/1 credit =15.3 points/4 credits then you have an average of 3.825 points. it won’t ‘drop’ your overall gpa to anything below 3.7 unless you don’t have 3.7 to begin with</p>

<p>nothing in this thread makes sense. lol… especially that 93% is an A or A- in some schools. in canada, unless you’re in the sciences, one person in a class of 100 might get 90 or 91, but that’s pretty much it.</p>

<p>What moommoombaba said</p>

<p>Your term’s GPA is higher than a 3.7, so how is it dropping?</p>

<p>The summer term GPA is not what matters. It is my cumulative GPA that was affected. </p>

<p>As for A and A-, I understand that some universities have different standards as to distinguish the difference. At my college, it is up to the discretion of the professor and based on the classes I have had, it is usually anything over 93. I have seen one professor only give an A for anything over 94, although that is quite rare. Since this one credit class was taught by someone who has never taught a class before, he never explained how he would grade the course. Therefore, I was confused as to what grade I received and I e-mailed him. I should have clarified my grade before asking him to change it. Essentially I asked him to change my grade without realizing that my original grade was a mistake. That is why I started a thread to ask as to what to do now. </p>

<p>I hope this is clear and not as confusing as some of you are making it seem. </p>

<p>Thank you for your replies.</p>

<p>If your term’s GPA is above 3.7 (right? (4x3)+(3.3x1) = 15.3. 15.3/4 = 3.825), and you were above a 3.7 before this summer term, how did your GPA drop below 3.7?</p>

<p>I’ve tried biting my tongue on this, but . . . I can’t hold back any longer.</p>

<p>I really hate grade-grubbing students. If I make a mistake, I’m all too happy to correct it, but the kind of haggling you are doing over a bonus question would tick me off. It’s not the professor’s problem that you started the semester below the minimum GPA for a scholarship. In fact, the professor cannot be concerned about any of the stuff outside of the classroom. He should grade you based on your performance in the class. And it’s within his rights to determine that a 93% is an A-. (FWIW, the standard percentage range for an A- is 90-93%.) </p>

<p>A three-credit A and a one-credit A- is a good semester.</p>

<p>I’m completely with Momwaitingfornew on this one. Leave the professor alone, OP. </p>

<p>(And if he is teaching a class, whether or not he’s an adjunct, or whether or not he has a PhD, he’s still a professor. Period.)</p>

<p>Once again, based on what I have read on this forum, I am sure if many of you were in my position you would e-mail to inquire if anything could be done. Being .01 points off is very discouraging and I simply asked if it would be a good idea to inquire, as my original post states. That is simply what I had attempted to do. To be called a “grade-grubbing student” is amusing to me, particularly in lieu of the fact that I have never been in this position before and have always had strong relationships with my professors and in no way have taken advantage of them in the strong tones that many of you have accused me of. </p>

<p>Since all of you were very keen in discouraging my attempt to simply inquire into my grade, I decided to e-mail the professor to simply clarify the questions I had remaining. I am pleased to report that everything has worked out and I am satisfied with the response that I received from him. </p>

<p>Thank you for your time.</p>

<p><em>roll eyes</em></p>

<p>Wow this guy is a hater. Don’t even post question</p>

<p>“Once again, based on what I have read on this forum, I am sure if many of you were in my position you would e-mail to inquire if anything could be done”</p>

<p>He has a very valid point though, most people here would have emailed the professor especially the kids who are usually on collegeconfidential</p>

<p>Oh my. </p>

<p>I don’t think you should even be in graduate school if you can’t learn to accept failure.</p>

<p>As a professor, I can’t believe you got away with your grade change! I judge this as inappropriate behavior and unfair to the rest of the class. You may see this attitude reflected in some manner in your letters of rec.</p>

<p>Getting an A and a B+ is a good semester.</p>

<p>Get over it. Life is more than getting a grade. You’re not a rack of beef.</p>