What Rights Do I Have as a Student?

College Life
1

Hi guys,

I just got back a grade from a grad student teaching economics. I’m very disappointed with my final grade and was wondering what rights do I have as a student. First, this guy puts stuff on exams that he didn’t cover. Second, he makes those things a ridiculous amount of points. Is the university system that bad in America? Can I dispute this grade? Imagine you’re taking an exam of 20 questions and the last question is worth 50 percent and it is the hardest and was not covered in class or recommended to be read in a textbook. Is it true that you’re not protected from that? I swear, it isn’t fair that universities hired these bad teachers.

2

Your student handbook will have a well-defined procedure for disputing a grade. You need to read it and follow the steps. I would suggest that you approach the dispute with more objective language instead of complaining about the individual and fairness and the “badness” of the university system. Instead, read the course syllabus and note any places where the teacher (TA?) did not follow those procedures.

3

Okay! Why am I getting treated as the bad guy for caring about his grades? How can anyone not see the need for some type of regulations that protect the students. A teacher can give the bottom half of the class an F and give the top 50% a D. Because of the lack of regulations, professors can do that and it seems like everyone here feels that it is okay. But the GPA matters for getting a job and going to grad school. With that said, I don’t see why my concern is a bad thing.

4

@BernWillChris If so, could you have brought that issue up immediately after taking the exam? Why wait until after you received your score?

There are classes where the final exam is 100% or close to 100% of the grade.

If you feel you were graded unfairly, you should bring it up as soon as possible - the course syllabus or handbook should explain how. As @stradmom said, you will want to bring it up in a courteous, professional way.

5

This is your third thread about grades. I don’t think we can help you much. I’m closing the thread.