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Maybe because you know that what you got was fair and you earned it? Certainly in my courses, students can and occasionally do argue for more points on a particular problem (and a few spend time trying to make trouble), but overall they know that they earned what they got.</p>
<p>You could look at another way. She did you a favor. How was she to know you didn’t send her a corrupted file because you didn’t actually write a paper?She could have easily just given you an F. At the end of the day it’s really your responsibility to check and make sure your paper was submitted properly. Think about it. If you had checked right after you sent it you would have known it was corrupt. Its not like she can now grade the paper you wanted to send. Is she just supposed to take your word for it that what you want her to grade is what you meant to send?</p>
<p>You got a B+. Given that she could have failed you on the paper. I’d be thankful and move on.</p>
<p>LOL, Sylvan. Don’t you know that to most college students, only an A- or higher is fair? ;)</p>
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<p>If the email was stored on a remote server, the attachment may have gotten corrupted during a subsequent download at that specific time due to a temporary glitch. Corrupted files could also be caused by RAM going bad*, dust getting into the RAM slots, possible hard drive corruption/issues, etc. </p>
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<li>Rare, but it does happen. Just had to swap out some RAM which has gone bad for good replacements after several files got corrupted and the machine went through several sudden crashes.<br></li>
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<p>Checking would not have necessarily found this issue as email attachments could get corrupted in transit depending on the email servers they’ve transited, the OP’s machine may have initially had a good file which has subsequently gotten corrupted, both may have happened simultaneously over the weeks, or other possibilities…however rare they may be.</p>
<p>That’s a little harsh, Michigan Georgia. If it happened multiple times, sure, but I think it is common courtesy to e-mail a student if you can’t open their file. If you’re that worried about someone pulling something, than require in-person submission - although I’ve also had a student tell me he “must have put his paper in the wrong mailbox,” so even that isn’t foolproof.</p>
<p>OP, it might be better in practical terms to drop it. You weren’t going to get better than an A- anyway, it sounds like, and I suspect if this professor does agree to grade the paper, she’ll be doing so with a more unforgiving eye than usual. If you want to pursue it on principle, which I think I would, I would politely reply to the professor saying that you would appreciate that your paper be read. If you don’t get satisfaction from her, I think taking it to an adviser, department head, etc would be appropriate. </p>
<p>Frankly, however, this story doesn’t quite pass the smell test to me. If the professor wanted to be punitive about a faulty submission, she could have failed him. Otherwise, I can’t see anyone in her right mind admitting to totally making up a grade - and admitting it in writing, no less.</p>
<p>You shouldn’t have been fey with her. You should have said upfront the file was corrupted and would she consider reading it at this late date.</p>
<p>@apprenticeprof - Maybe I was a little harsh. But honestly I’m having trouble with the whole story.</p>
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<p>This is too vague to be conclusive proof the paper wasn’t read. We know from OP that the file is now corrupted. OP doesn’t know when it happened. This could mean “I never read the paper because I couldn’t open the file” or “Ok, so I tried to go back and make some comments for you, but now I can’t get the file open.” </p>
<p>OP, I, too, think you ought to drop this.</p>
<p>I have to honest say that I do not go back to my email to check if my attachment was corrupted or not. The other day I sent 2 claims to my insurance company. They called to let know that one claim was not readable. I wouldn’t have known if they didn’t contact me.</p>
<p>If OP was my kid, I would tell him to email the professor back to apologize about the corrupted file, and then ask her (very nicely) if she would read the attached paper because it is important to get feedback from her. If there is any question as to when the paper was written, there should be a time stamp next to the file.</p>
<p>I am not sure if OP should drop it if he thinks he deserves a higher grade. My younger kid is pre-law, every grade matters to her.</p>
<p>If the prof had read the paper and graded it B, I would drop it. Since she admits she didn’t even read it, I would pursue. However, the OP needs to know going in that she might read the paper and say it deserves a B- rather than an A.</p>
<p>It is a chance OP is going have to take. It is why he should try to be as nice as possible. If he is rude, the professor could easily give him a lower grade after he read it, even if it is a good paper.</p>
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<p>Indeed. Being exceedingly nice and polite is also good protection in case the Professor decides to grade punitively regardless. This will increase the odds OP can appeal this grade to the department chair or academic dean so an arrangement such as having another Professor from the department grade it. </p>
<p>If the OP is in a situation where the grade dispute needs to be escalated, this would also help future students as if there’s an established pattern of a Professor grading punitively in situations where the student presents a polite good-faith case for a regrade, they can be alerted to put measures in place to ensure it doesn’t negatively impact the student concerned or future students.</p>
<p>Sending corrupt files is a fairly common way of cheating to get extra time. OP, do you have the original file? Not the one in your email sent items, but in the ‘Documents’ or whatever directory on your computer?</p>
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I learn something new every day.</p>
<p>There are even websites that will generate a corrupt file of the right size. One feature of sites like turnitin is that they check whether the file is readable.</p>
<p>It’s the modern equivalent of the old “forgot to attach the file to the email” trick.</p>
<p>^ My 9th grader has to turn all his English papers using turnitin.com . If it’s not there by the due date. The teacher gives the student an F.</p>
<p>"Women professors are like this. Even my professor kicked me out of the masters program just because I failed the final exam–even though I got a good overall course grade. </p>
<p>So now I just wasted 1 year of my life and some $10,000 and have NO job prospects because I failed one test! </p>
<p>Avoid women at ALL costs. They make horrible bosses and professors. They are not meant to be in leadership positions, most of them anyways. "</p>
<p>Luke, relax! </p>
<p>Can’t you get some way around and get reinstated? When I was in college, Profs. had compassion. Even when I failed, I always got a second chance. In graduate program my original supervisor didn’t like my job, but his colleague accepted me in his lab with open arms. And my fellowship was transferred, no problem.</p>
<p>Yes, Profs in academy can be arrogant. Yet they are typically compassionate and accommodating. There is a huge difference between academia and industry. Industry is unforgiving. In academia, there is always an open door.</p>
<p>Hi, it’s a holiday season! Ask for reinstatement. Ask for another chance of passing the final. Wishing you Merry Christmas!</p>
<p>californiaaa^^^^I guess you didn’t read the original thread for that particular poster which explains why he was terminated from his program.</p>
<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/1588703-i-sent-rude-mean-emails-my-professors.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/1588703-i-sent-rude-mean-emails-my-professors.html</a></p>
<p>Nrdsb4, yes, I read it. </p>
<p>I strongly suggested him to apologize. And apologize. And ask for another chance. :)</p>
<p>^^^Nice of you. I think he has burned too many bridges. But I would not be sad to be wrong.</p>