<p>Is it worth fighting for a slightly higher grade?</p>
<p>One of my professors apparently had recorded a different (lower) grade than the one s/he had put on my paper. And I've already tried emailing him/her several times, but s/he won't budge. S/he obviously hates me now and has told me not to contact him/her again. lol! So, is this worth pursuing further (besides out of spite)? (To pursue would obviously have to involve more powerful figures and a lot more drama than I care to deal with at the moment.)</p>
<p>I've already explained all the calculations and whatnot to him/her in every imaginable way, and so by now I'm soooooo sick of all this. It's one of those courses taught by grad students (...obviously).</p>
<p>Can professors deny that they had meant to give you the grade they had put on an assignment? (Because mine did.)</p>
<p>Well, if it was a final grade of a B instead of an A-, then yes...if it's an A- instead of an A when your school gives 4.0 for either, I wouldn't worry about it.</p>
<p>So, it would help us all if you told us what the miscalculation did to your overall grade.
What grade did he give you vs. what grade did you deserve?</p>
<p>If your professor will not budge, go to the department chair or director and follow the chain of command upward. If you get to the Dean and it still is not resolved, you will probably need to check your school's formal conflict resolution policy (it is usually in the student handbook). For example, at my school, it is as follows (step by step until issue is resolved--no steps may be skipped--that's critical when dealing with these kinds of negotiations!):</p>
<ol>
<li>Meeting with professor</li>
<li>Meeting with appropriate dept. chair (or director)</li>
<li>Meeting with dean of appropriate school or college</li>
</ol>
<p>----Beginning of Formal Process----</p>
<ol>
<li>student writes letter to Office of the Undergrad Vice Provost, including nature of the grievance, the evidence upon which it is based, and the redress sought; this will be evaluated by a committee of administration, faculty and an upper-division student</li>
</ol>
<p>It's bound to be different at your school, but that should at least give you an idea of what to expect.</p>
<p>It was between a B and a B+. A B is weighted as a 3.0 and B+ as 3.3. I don't want it to seem like I'm doing this just for the grade, though (which is what the professor thinks). I want my grade to be a fair reflection of what I had achieved in that class.</p>
<p>So, I guess it seems worth it then if I put it that way?</p>
<p>I guess I'll call the advising office on Monday and ask what I should do to get this fixed... though part of me just wants to put this whole thing behind me like some of my friends advise me to do.</p>
<p>If your professor honestly made a grading mistake and you have proof of it, then run to the head of the department with any concerns you might have. There is no real reason for the professor in question to refuse to correct a mistake.</p>
<p>you earned that grade and you should get it. Since you have already asked the teacher and he/she said no, as you mentioned this was a TA. so there has to be a actual Professor overseeing everything. They just don't let TA's teach classes, even though sometimes they do and the Real professor doesn't care. Also Not ever teacher is a professor, it takes alot for a Teacher to Become a Full blow Professor. Not a assistant or adjunct professor. So that TA is not the professor. He is probroly taking a 800 level grad schoo course called Assistant teacher,</p>
<p>So I would talk to the overseeing professor first, If he has the same story then its time to go higher up. I wouldent talk to the dean or chair because they can be very defensivive about there professors as they defend them to all ends to get more funding.</p>
<p>At least what Ive seen is that there is a student affairs department and they will direct you on the best option.</p>
<p>student affairs/student life usually wants to see that you, as a student, have pursued all of the informal options first, though, which is why going to a chair and then the dean is important. If you bypass the chain of command, it tends to look really bad!</p>
<p>Just some advice: keep a record of conversations/emails you have with people. It may important when pursuing this further. Write down dates, print out emails, and most importantly write down what your teacher/dean/whomever you talk with says. </p>
<p>Good luck. You should definitely pursue this.</p>
<p>boysx3 makes some valid points; are you likely to have this prof again in the future, or take other classes in that same department? Do you go to a large school where riling one prof won't really matter, or a small LAC where many of the faculty know each other? From your post I'm guessing its a larger school since you mention grad students giving you the grade.</p>
<p>Talking the above into account, decide if you want to go any farther. Personally I think you probably should; its a good chance to develop/exercise your ability to stand up for yourself. And who cares what your motivation is, or what your prof thinks it is. You're either entitled to the grade or you're not, based on the grading explanation given at the start of the class. Even if your sole motivation is to make the prof back down, that is irrelevant here. Motivation doesn't matter, the announced rules do.</p>
<p>It was over a large assignment, which in turn ended up determining my final grade. The 3.0 B and 3.3 B+ was concerning the final GPA.</p>
<p>The grading for the course: three papers, 30% each, and then 10% participation. I got a B, A, and B+ on the papers, with a B+ for participation. In my opinion, that should have averaged out to a B+, but the problem lies in that my professor wrote a B+ on my paper (with positive comments, no less), but had entered a B into the grading book.</p>
<p>I spoke to my academic advisor today, and she said that I could go to the head of the department if I really wanted to pursue this. However, she advised me to just let it go. Apparently, the most that the head of the department can do is consult with the professor and have the topic revisited; the final grade outcome would still be up to the professor's decision. My advisor explained that considering the circumstances, pursuing this further would only cause my professor to grow more impatient and defensive, and thus give him/her even more of an incentive to push for the lower grade.</p>
<p>So basically, it's hopeless.
Thanks for the replies.</p>
<p>It sounds like you are being bullied. If you have the original paper with your grade on it bring it to the dept head. The teacher needs to explain why there is a grade discrepancy. I would contest it if it was me.</p>
<p>
[quote]
I spoke to my academic advisor today, and she said that I could go to the head of the department if I really wanted to pursue this. However, she advised me to just let it go. Apparently, the most that the head of the department can do is consult with the professor and have the topic revisited; the final grade outcome would still be up to the professor's decision. My advisor explained that considering the circumstances, pursuing this further would only cause my professor to grow more impatient and defensive, and thus give him/her even more of an incentive to push for the lower grade.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>No. no. no. If your professor made a mistake with the grading, then that is that. You called the professor out on their behavior and they did not care. You asked your advisor and they did not care. So, who cares? You are the one who cares because you are walking around knowing that it was your professor who entered the grade incorrectly.</p>
<p>Therefore, you have to call your professor out on their behavior, again. Speak with the department head and be blunt and honest. Your professor made a mistake, they have to accept culpability for that mistake and fix it. </p>
<p>If I have everything correct, then it is like this...</p>
<p>You received all of your marks for this class</p>
<p>Maybe your professor puts the grades online on the web ct or something</p>
<p>You noticed that your professor's math was off and you have tangible proof of that</p>
<p>Your professor has not given a darn</p>
<p>Your advisor is a wimp (no offense)</p>
<p>Call the head of the department and point out the mistake and ask for it to be corrected. There is no reason why this has gone on as long as it has. I do not know what is wrong with the professor, but they have to accept responsibility for their action. Anyone can make a mistake. Appeal the grade.</p>
<p>"The grading for the course: three papers, 30% each, and then 10% participation." </p>
<p>When I read this, I immediately thought about my English course. Do you happen to go to a UC?</p>
<p>I actually had the same problem, except with the grade difference being between a B+ and A-. So I was really mad too. If the grade you recieved was not a error, but instead what you think you deserved, your hunt for a higher grade is over. In my (the UC school I go to) handbook, the rules say that grades cannot be changed after the finals under the impression that the student's progress needs to be reevaluated. The only way would be concrete evidence of a mistake in grading. </p>
<p>It sucks, I know...f*** the whole grading system, and the rest of the system...</p>