Prof made error in grading - what to do? Forum

[MBZags]

I got a really shitty grade in one of my courses fall semester. It was an uncurved class, though the prof didn't just give everyone A's. I scheduled a meeting with the professor to figure out what went wrong.

As it turns out, ExamSoft did not print out one of my answers, or it somehow got lost. Anyway, the professor apologized to me and told me that she would re-grade my exam. She said that, at the minimum, I would get an A-. She said she would send me my new grade in a few days. This was back in the middle of January. I waited about 10 days, saw her again, she apologized and told me she would have my grade to me by the next morning. I waited about another 10 days, e-mailed her, same answer, and same lack of action. Finally, I e-mailed her three days ago and haven't gotten a response.

I'm slightly worried because this is the professor's last semester at my school, and I doubt she gives a shit about pissing students off. It's been about five or six weeks since our initial conversation, and this whole situation is getting a tad ridiculous. At the same time, I don't know if I want to go over her head to one of the deans and piss her off since, obviously, it's not anonymous grading anymore. The difference in my GPA could even up affecting my graduating honors.

Any recommendations?

[laxbrah420]

why dont you just knock on her door?

[MBZags]

I've gone to her office twice already, which hasn't done anything.

[rinkrat19]

Go to your dean of students or whoever. Don't be like you're accusing the prof of trying to screw you over, just say that you're worried that your one little grade is getting buried in her busy inbox (figuratively speaking) and you wondered if they (the dean of students) could help you remind the professor that it's important.

[rouser]

tough spot because....if you're assertive/direct with her there's always that tiny possibility that it will have a negative effect on her view of you /your grade. hmm, email the school and have them contact your prof. not having a grade by late feb is...pretty rediculous. then again though.....honestly she might get pissed if she thinks you emailed the school. that's a shitty spot to be in. might sound dumb to think your action here could impact your grade but you never know.

[laxbrah420]

I don't know how aspie you are so it's hard to give good advice on getting people to take you seriously when you talk to them, but there's a 95% chance this is your fault and you need to go talk again and actually make what you wrote in this thread clear to her, politely.

[z0rk]

Do you have it in writing that she would change your grade? If so, review your appeals process at school and contact the dean. At my school you have to take sufficient steps to resolve the issue with a professor before contacting the Dean. The meetings and follow up you described are sufficient.

Paper yourself, CYA, and always be kind and tactful. It could also be that the grade change has been submitted and your registrars office is slow to change.

[MBZags]

I don't know how aspie you are so it's hard to give good advice on getting people to take you seriously when you talk to them, but there's a 95% chance this is your fault and you need to go talk again and actually make what you wrote in this thread clear to her, politely.

...Right. In one of the e-mails and in person, the professor explicitly told me that my grade would be changed to at least an A-. There's no ambiguity going on.

[A. Nony Mouse]

Yeah, if you have it in writing (e-mail), I would definitely go to a dean of students or the like - very politely, as someone has already said, couching it as "I know faculty are terribly busy and I don't want to cause Prof. X any problems, I just wanted to make sure there was no glitch in the system keeping the grade from going through" - that kind of thing. Maybe be able to say how long it's been since all grades for all 1L classes have been in? (I know some schools get all the grades in ridiculously late, so knowing whether it's just been a long time since this prof told you the grade would change, versus a long time since all grades have been in, might be useful.)

[Ludo!]

You're a 3l, relax

[nygrrrl]

Yeah, if you have it in writing (e-mail), I would definitely go to a dean of students or the like - very politely, as someone has already said, couching it as "I know faculty are terribly busy and I don't want to cause Prof. X any problems, I just wanted to make sure there was no glitch in the system keeping the grade from going through" - that kind of thing.

This

[AVBucks4239]

Go to the top and politely ask to get this resolved, i.e., what a normal person (not a law student) would do.

[3|ink]

Write a nasty email about your professor to the dean. CC your professor. Problem solved.

[northwood]

remind the professor about your situation. First send said professor an email. If you dont get a response within 48 hours, kindly knock on the door until you get something done. If you have any communication in writing from the prof to you explaining the situation, print out a copy and talk to the dean of students asap, unless the grade has been updated. You also might want to CC the records office