Correcting a professor who pronounces a name wrong is no big deal, and reminding them the exam is not for another two days on the syllabus is not a problem either.
But for most students, asking for a grade change can sometimes be a veritable horror story.
Randal Roberts, a junior in political science, proposed a grade change to his professor and threatened to appeal if the change was not made.
“There would have been problems if he hadn’t have changed it,” Roberts said. “That kind of crap just isn’t going to fly with me.”
Roberts said during his sophomore year his professor posted an A- as his final class grade. Roberts said he should have received an A in the class, but because he had missed two days of class, his professor decided to drop his grade to the A-.
“The reason I was so mad was because I knew that other people in the class had gotten A’s and had missed more days than I had,” Roberts said. “There was definite favoritism shown to those certain students.”
Roberts said he presented the unfair situation to his professor, adding that if he did not raise his grade, Roberts would appeal it based on the previous facts. The professor ended up raising his grade.
Subhra Saha, a graduate teaching assistant in economics, said there are several valid reasons for changing a student’s grade. If a student does not take the final and receives an incomplete, the teacher would have to make amendments to his or her grade if they made up the test. Grading errors on the instructor’s behalf are another acceptable reason for changing a student’s grade, Saha said.
“The first line of defense for teachers is their syllabus,” he said. “Altering grades has to stay constant with the syllabus – for everyone. Consistency is the key.”
Saha said when he teaches large, 300-student classes, he usually has two or three students a quarter who ask for grade changes.
“So far I haven’t had a reason to say no to a student’s grade-change request,” he said. “I like to try to minimize conflicts.”
Eric Obrynba, a recent graduate in Spanish and linguistics, also had a professor willing to help him out, even before the end of the quarter. Midway through a history class his junior year, Obrynba said he realized he was getting a C. He asked the professor after class one day if there was anything he could do to bring up his grade.
“I explained to the guy that I was a good student and that I really wanted to do better,” Obrynba said. “He was really nice about it.”
He said his professor was very understanding and helpful, and allowed him to write a three-page paper for extra credit.
Obrynba said he ended up with an A- in the class, not only because of the extra credit assignment, but because he said he felt the professor understood how hard he had tried to do well in the class by asking for extra credit, and may have given him a break.
Saha said that if a grade has to be changed, instructors have to fill out a grade-change form and then take it to Lincoln Tower.
“It’s a small hassle to change a grade,” he said. “That’s why we take all cautions to avoid doing this.”
David Wells, an academic adviser for the College of Biological Sciences, said situations like Obrynba’s and Robert’s are not uncommon. He said students with grade dilemmas approach him at least once or twice a quarter.
“When a student comes to me and tells me their grade is incorrect, they usually think the instructor is being unfair or that their work was graded inappropriately,” Wells said. “I tell them what they need to do is make an appointment with the instructor.”
Wells said the best thing for a student to do is to have a “civil and decent” conversation with the instructor when there are grading complications. He said it is important for the student to explain his or her side clearly, and for both parties to listen carefully to each other.
Wells said few students come back to him for a second appointment, but there are rare occasions when students feel their problem has not been resolved, and they return to him for further advice.
In the past, Wells said he explained to students about the official university process they can follow when they feel an instructor did not hear them. In these situations, students are able to go to the chair of their department to explain their specific problem, Wells said.
“It takes a pretty extreme situation for a student to take their problem to a chair,” Wells said. “But chairs are a lot more accessible than people may think, at least in our department.”
In addition to Saha’s reasons for changing a student’s grade, Wells added that students who undergo “extraordinary circumstances beyond their control” during a quarter, should possibly be allowed to have their grade re-examined.
Paul Weinstock, a senior lecturer in finance, said he agreed with both Saha and Wells’ circumstances for grade changes.
“Human beings make mistakes, but we want the proper grades to be entered,” Weinstock said. “Students should not be afraid to come to us when we have erred.”
Weinstock said that when students decide to talk with their instructors on these matters, they should always approach them with honesty.
“These types of problems always get resolved,” Wells said. “They may not get resolved the way the student wants, but they always get resolved.”
For more information on student grade disputes, visit: www2.gsu.edu/~jougcl/projects/grade/appeals.htm.
