Grade dispute?

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of California - Los Angeles
1

Hey all, I just wanted to get your advice on a grade I think was incorrectly submitted or otherwise undeserved. The grade I got was a B-. I’m usually not very concerned about grades, but this case has been bugging me for a while. When I get a grade I’m not satisfied with but I think I deserve for the work I put into the class and the work I produced (ie: midterm, final essay, etc) I chalk it up as me having to do better the next go around. However, I just don’t think I deserved the grade I got in this class for the following reasons:

First, I had a good grade on the assignments (87%) and the midterm (100%) and I felt I understood the material quite well. I attended most of the lectures (I did have to skip a few classes after getting into a car accident) and did nearly all of the readings (something I don’t usually do for my other classes). I don’t remember exactly how the assignments and midterms were weighted into the final grade, but I remember the final wasn’t a huge part of our grade. Also, there was participation but only 6-7 students actively participated in a roughly 50 student class so I doubt that the professor heavily penalized students who did not participate often given her reputation for being a fair and even generous grader.

Second, I felt I did well on the final. The professor pretty much gave us the questions that would be on the final during the last lecture so I knew what to expect. I understood all of the concepts and felt like I wrote enough to indicate that I had a strong grasp of the concepts and ideas of the class. I’m a graduating senior so I generally know how essays are graded and what professors in my major are looking for.

Third, I already took a class with this same professor and got an A. I don’t want to identify this professor, but she is known for being understanding when it comes to grading. However, she no longer teaches at UCLA. I took this class, partly because I knew who the professor was and because I knew that if I put the necessary work in, I could get a good grade. Out of the 3 classes I was taking that quarter, this was supposed to be my “safe” class. Regardless, I did the readings, showed up to lecture, and took notes. I didn’t check my grade until a few weeks after the quarter but I was certain that I got an A, an A-, or in a worst case scenario, a B+ so seeing a B- was very surprising. This B- is the lowest grade I have received so far at the university.

I have already exchanged a few emails with this professor but it has been a few weeks without a response back from her. I have been polite and courteous because I understand it might have simply been a clerical error. She told me that she couldn’t change my grade because she no longer was a professor, but I’m sure there are alternative pathways to remedy this issue. Before I contact the department head of my major, do you guys advise I talk to a counselor about this or some other person at the school? One reason I’m so caught up with this grade is because I’m very close to a GPA cutoff needed to qualify for a program and the grade I got in this class just happens to put me below this number.

Thanks for reading.

2

So was there an error or not? If the grades were added up incorrectly, then your instructor should be able to contact the department to request a grade change.
In your email exchange with the instructor, did she explain how your final grade was calculated?

3

Actually, if participation was part of the grade, the fair and generous thing to do would be to reward the few students who participated in class with the advantage in grading they clearly deserved.

Class participation is not a majority vote.

4

@CheddarCheeseMN I don’t know if there was an error which is what I am trying to figure out. She did not specify how the final grade was calculated because she is in another country and unable to access the necessary information. She said she would notify me a few weeks ago but for some reason, she has not done so.

@DreamSchlDropout I see where you’re coming from but I just don’t think that’s the case. Even if I got a 50% for the participation portion of the grade (for just showing up) I don’t think that would adversely affect my grade so as to change a 93% (or whatever I thought I got in the class) to a 81% (or whatever I actually got in the class). Generally, participation is used in the case of a grade that is teetering on one end, an 89.63% which is moved to an A for good participation or an 84% which is marked as a B- for low or no participation. Nevertheless, without any word from the professor there is no clear information on how participation affects the final grade.

5

Was there no communication at the beginning of the class about how much each factor would contribute to your grade? It’s common practice for professors to let you know these things, and often it’s printed in the syllabus.

6

Information regarding the grade breakdown was on the syllabus; however, I don’t think I have it anymore which admittedly is a mistake on my part.

7

Op I would recommend you compute your grade based on the syllabus. If you can’t do so move on. If you can and it seems wrong then perhaps escalate it. Or not.

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Showing up for class usually does not count toward “participation”.

9

If I were the department head and a student outlined his or her thinking the way you have, I would say, “I’m sorry, but you haven’t given me any reason at all to think your grade should be changed.” The fact that you “feel” you did well and made an A with this professor before would carry NO weight with me. And the fact that you missed a few classes doesn’t help. And it sounds like you didn’t participate in class discussions much.

I would move on if I were you.

10

@TomSrOfBoston @MaineLonghorn

Fair enough, but do you think it’s fair that I see the grade on my final and perhaps the grade breakdown?