problems with the curve... mind boggled Forum

[dr_sn0w]

Hey guys... so my mind-boggling dilema is as follows:

I honestly have no clue who to ask or where to turn. I come to you out of desperation.

What happend?!? (In a nutshell)

The whole class took a midterm worth approx. 15% of the grade.

Almost the whole class was given the correct "Contracts II" midterm.

Only problem is that three students were given the midterm for contracts I and didn't realize it. The school realized it after the fact, of course. The school has blamed the 3 students for "failing to notice" the missing second "I" from contracts II on this short/timed exam. The school proposed that the midterm score for just the three students be thrown out and that their final be graded heavier to compensate. Shouldnt the midterm score just be thrown out for everyone? What is the fairest resolution to this matter? Other ideas??

Thank you all very much for your consideration...

[thesealocust]

Sounds like the fairest solution to me.

SO IT IS WRITTEN AND SO IT SHALL BE

[Nova]

Blaming the students for administrative incompetence is TTTT.

Not counting the mid term for everyone seems fairest, because its an equal outcome for everyone.

Weighing the final heavier for the 3 students isn't that bad of a decision though. Their grade is still completely in their hands.

[transferror]

The fairest response doesn't really matter. Check your handbook or rules first, otherwise the discussion is moot. Even if there is a rule (doubt it) and you think it was violated, you don't want to be "that guy." Just keep your head low and perform well on the final.

[Bildungsroman]

Do you had any reason to think the three students will be advantaged or disadvantaged by having the final be their sole grade determiner?

[Dingo Starr]

what with this being TLS, I'm surprised the obvious answer hasn't popped up already:
RETAKE.

edit: as in the students should retake the contracts 2 exam without penalty. why would anyone think this response had anything to do with the LSAT?
Douche.

[Nova]

what with this being TLS, I'm surprised the obvious answer hasn't popped up already:
RETAKE.

Drop out and retake cause their final is now weighed heavier, like a typical law school class.

Great idea, 0L.
http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... 3&t=170599

[Nova]

edit: as in the students should retake the contracts 2 exam without penalty. why would anyone think this response had anything to do with the LSAT?
Douche.

because youre a 0L posting in the forum for law students.

[Dingo Starr]

Eh, my comment stands.

user has been warned for posting in the law student forum as a 0L

[09042014]

If they do the math right the solution they have is fairest. Any argument you have about it possibly changing the outcome would apply ten fold to wiping out the test for everyone.

[Nova]

Eh, my comment stands.

Idk. Retaking seems like an unnecessary head ache. I sure wouldn't want to take another midterm.

Plus the content of the exam has presumably been discussed among classmates already.

[Mal Reynolds]

You must not like your midterm grade.

[rpupkin]

If they do the math right the solution they have is fairest. Any argument you have about it possibly changing the outcome would apply ten fold to wiping out the test for everyone.

This. The school's solution seems fair to me. Also, I don't see the relevance of the OP's statement that "the school has blamed the 3 students" for failing to notice they had the wrong exam. What does "blame" have to do with it? The three students aren't being punished. (I thought you were going to say that the school decided that the exam would count for the three students and that they would all receive 0 points or something.) As it stands, the school just did its best to come up with the fairest solution possible in response to an administrative screw-up.

[rpupkin]

You must not like your midterm grade.

Or, alternatively, the OP is one of the three students who got the wrong exam and he/she wants it to count after absolutely owning those Contracts I midterm questions.

[shock259]

There are two courses of action: 1) midterm doesn't count for anyone, or 2) midterm doesn't count for those 3. Either option will make no real difference to anyone's grade.

Stop worrying, get back to studying.

[Nova]

Stop worrying, get back to studying.

Yeah. Its over. Ace the final.

[shock259]

To put this thread into context, this happened in my 1L torts class:

Professor gave us a couple of her old exams towards the end of the semester. For one of the exams, she gave us model answers and an answer key. The model answers were good, and the answer key gave us a thorough explanation of each issue. I was a huge gunner 1L, so I did each test thoroughly, checked answers, etc.

Test day rolls around. Open book exam. Surprise, surprise: it is the exact same test she gave us as a sample (the one with the model answer and answer key). Luckily, I had done the exam a day or two before so it was fresh in my mind. I just regurgitated everything I remembered writing previously and seeing in the model answer. I just wrote and wrote and wrote.

After the test, people were pissed. Some were mad because they didn't look at the exam at all beforehand. I was mad because I thought the curve was going to be impossible if everyone had the correct answer beforehand. Professor sends out a half apology email ("I didn't mean to give you that exam as a sample") and told us to go to her with any issues, not the Dean. The Dean and other faculty "investigated" the situation and did nothing. All of the grades stood as recorded.

TL;DR - Torts 1L exam was the exact same exam that the professor had previously given to us a sample (along with model answers and an answer key), administration did nothing about it, all the grades stood.

[objctnyrhnr]

how about the requiring a law school professor to do some actual work (!!!!!!!!) and create a new midterm, to be administered ASAP to EVERYONE. the professor can make up for the extra required time by cutting some reading/class time. in theory, not much more studying would be required, so no love would be lost.

[Clearly]

how about the requiring a law school professor to do some actual work (!!!!!!!!) and create a new midterm, to be administered ASAP to EVERYONE. the professor can make up for the extra required time by cutting some reading/class time. in theory, not much more studying would be required, so no love would be lost.

Yes this is fair, in that everybody suffers!

[ph14]

To put this thread into context, this happened in my 1L torts class:

Professor gave us a couple of her old exams towards the end of the semester. For one of the exams, she gave us model answers and an answer key. The model answers were good, and the answer key gave us a thorough explanation of each issue. I was a huge gunner 1L, so I did each test thoroughly, checked answers, etc.

Test day rolls around. Open book exam. Surprise, surprise: it is the exact same test she gave us as a sample (the one with the model answer and answer key). Luckily, I had done the exam a day or two before so it was fresh in my mind. I just regurgitated everything I remembered writing previously and seeing in the model answer. I just wrote and wrote and wrote.

After the test, people were pissed. Some were mad because they didn't look at the exam at all beforehand. I was mad because I thought the curve was going to be impossible if everyone had the correct answer beforehand. Professor sends out a half apology email ("I didn't mean to give you that exam as a sample") and told us to go to her with any issues, not the Dean. The Dean and other faculty "investigated" the situation and did nothing. All of the grades stood as recorded.

TL;DR - Torts 1L exam was the exact same exam that the professor had previously given to us a sample (along with model answers and an answer key), administration did nothing about it, all the grades stood.

Wow, that is truly unbelievable. How did this not make Above The Law? Or did it? I just can't believe that an administration would do nothing about it, given how that would clearly mess up the curve.

[objctnyrhnr]

how about the requiring a law school professor to do some actual work (!!!!!!!!) and create a new midterm, to be administered ASAP to EVERYONE. the professor can make up for the extra required time by cutting some reading/class time. in theory, not much more studying would be required, so no love would be lost.

Yes this is fair, in that everybody suffers!

I would argue that spending a couple hours taking an exam is not that much worse (suffering) than having to prepare a class or two worth of reading and having to undergo a class or two of lecture/cold call.

If the prof said in the syllabus that the grade should be a combo of midterm and final, then the grade should be a combo of midterm and final....period.

[3|ink]

Can I ask which terrible school did this?