Professors told to regrade by registrar Forum

[Magicman21]

Here's my story:
Prof in passing tells me he/she turned in grades on day 1. Grades aren't posted until day 12. I think that the grade is lower than it should be, but I am only slightly irked as it is still a decent grade... until I find out from another professor that the registrar asked many to regrade because their grades were originally too high despite the fact that the class had 10 to 15 people and was not curved nor was it required to be curved.
This seems suspicious and here is why:
1) many grades were already posted, so we can rule out the idea that the delay was to post all grades at the same time.
2) the registrar has a policy of posting grades the day after they are received by the professor (as stated on the webpage).

Now, if this situation happens to you (and you care about the grade), what do you do in this position?
Keep in mind that I am not saying that I definitely deserve a better grade, as I haven't even gone over the test yet.

Thanks in advance for the responses and ideas.

[Bumi]

Allow me to humbly and respectfully speak for all 0Ls by asking you to out the school.

[3ThrowAway99]

Not sure if there is anything you can do, but I'm also not sure I fully understand the situation. I don't think that telling the professor you think you should have a higher grade would be the right thing if that is what you are getting at though (it may be an honor code violation- at my school I believe it would be). I do hope it gets worked out o.k. for you and the other students though, and at the very least that your grades don't get affected negatively.

[fatduck]

Not sure if there is anything you can do, but I'm also not sure I fully understand the situation. I don't think that telling the professor you think you should have a higher grade would be the right thing if that is what you are getting at though (it may be an honor code violation- at my school I believe it would be). I do hope it gets worked out o.k. for you and the other students though, and at the very least that your grades don't get affected negatively.

I think you misread the post. He's saying that his professor told him the grades were in, but surprisingly they weren't posted the next day, but 12 days later. OP then learned that the registrar required some profs to go back and regrade (and, presumably, reduce grades overall). OP suspects that this occurred in his class, given the strange delay in posting his grades.

[Cupidity]

(it may be an honor code violation- at my school I believe it would be).

That is insane and one of the stupidest policies I have ever heard of. What happens if there is a legitimate mistake? Do you just keep your mouth shut?

[Magicman21]

Not sure if there is anything you can do, but I'm also not sure I fully understand the situation. I don't think that telling the professor you think you should have a higher grade would be the right thing if that is what you are getting at though (it may be an honor code violation- at my school I believe it would be). I do hope it gets worked out o.k. for you and the other students though, and at the very least that your grades don't get affected negatively.

I think you misread the post. He's saying that his professor told him the grades were in, but surprisingly they weren't posted the next day, but 12 days later. OP then learned that the registrar required some profs to go back and regrade (and, presumably, reduce grades overall). OP suspects that this occurred in his class, given the strange delay in posting his grades.

Yes, I was about to reply, but this is correct except that I can confirm from the second professor that they were in fact asked to reduce grades, not just regrade in general.

[3ThrowAway99]

(it may be an honor code violation- at my school I believe it would be).

That is insane and one of the stupidest policies I have ever heard of. What happens if there is a legitimate mistake? Do you just keep your mouth shut?

The policy is: during the grading period (before grades are released) you are not allowed to talk with a professor about the exam (and by extension, the exam grade). Not sure how this would apply actually if an exam had to be regraded, but once it was indicated that the exam was under review and the grade was (again) pending, then I imagine it would apply. I think the reason for the policy is fairly obvious, given that competitive students could otherwise discuss specific exam content with a professor while the grade (or regrade) was pending, and thus make it clear which exam was theirs based on the content they discussed (where the exam taker is supposed to be anonymous). Also, the student could subtly or obviously pressure the professor for a high grade in the process of revealing specific exam content that may link them to a numbered exam.

A policy that I think is less understandable at my school (which I think your criticism is appropriate for) is that you categorically can't challenge a grade if it was issued for an anonymous exam. I imagine the argument is that some of the same personal factors could unjustly influence the outcome of a review process once the identity is revealed, but it seems pretty outrageous to me to not be able to complain if you know you performed well and got a horrible grade (which could perhaps only be the result of an exam mix-up).

[3ThrowAway99]

Not sure if there is anything you can do, but I'm also not sure I fully understand the situation. I don't think that telling the professor you think you should have a higher grade would be the right thing if that is what you are getting at though (it may be an honor code violation- at my school I believe it would be). I do hope it gets worked out o.k. for you and the other students though, and at the very least that your grades don't get affected negatively.

I think you misread the post. He's saying that his professor told him the grades were in, but surprisingly they weren't posted the next day, but 12 days later. OP then learned that the registrar required some profs to go back and regrade (and, presumably, reduce grades overall). OP suspects that this occurred in his class, given the strange delay in posting his grades.

OK got it now- grades were never released the first time. Once grades are out I think bringing this up may not be inappropriate (unless your school has an unfortunate policy against it). This could at least help you get an understanding of why you got the grade you got.

I do feel for you- getting that news would probably make me cringe and feel pretty upset, especially if I felt my grade was in someway unnecessarily negatively affected.

[Magicman21]

...
OK got it now- grades were never released the first time. Once grades are out I think bringing this up may not be inappropriate (unless your school has an unfortunate policy against it). This could at least help you get an understanding of why you got the grade you got.

I do feel for you- getting that news would probably make me cringe and feel pretty upset, especially if I felt my grade was in someway unnecessarily negatively affected.

Thanks, ya I am a little annoyed that the administration would pull something like that. Mostly because the test was 70% multiple choice which allowed me to be pretty certain of how I did. Of course anything can happen with the essay portion, but I am also pretty certain I wrote a good one. I have gotten my fair share of A+/A/A- on enough essays to know when i f- it up or not.

I don't want any backlash from the school if I go to the dean. Going up against an administrative policy does not put a good feeling in my stomach.
Thanks again for the responses.

[keg411]

Why don't you review your exam with your professor instead of worrying about the administration. If you ask the right questions, you can usually figure out how you fell where you did on the curve and where exactly you were in relation to the next grade (either up or down). Maybe you were less borderline then you think.

[Renzo]

Someone told you that someone else didn't follow the curve and had to fix their grades, and from that you're inferring that you got shafted, despite the fact that your class doesn't have a forced curve?

You have no rational basis for thinking you got anything other than the grade you earned.

[A'nold]

Someone told you that someone else didn't follow the curve and had to fix their grades, and from that you're inferring that you got shafted, despite the fact that your class doesn't have a forced curve?

You have no rational basis for thinking you got anything other than the grade you earned.

Ah, good ole standard of review for probable cause determinations for the magistrate issuing warrants......