Korean Job Discussion Forums

SuperHero · Joined: 10 Dec 2003 Location: Superhero Hideout

I just taught a summer course that was probably the most enjoyable teaching of my career. The students were very high calibre and incredibly motivated. of 24 students I gave 12 A+, 10 A, and 2 B+.

I expected an email from one of the B+ students and explained the situation, he understood. However I have recieved a barage of emails from one whiner because he got an A and not an A+. This baby masquarading as a student has decided to officially complain to the department because he feels my grading is unfair.

How is getting an A unfair? This student is going to waste a lot of my time now because I'm going to have to go in and have a meeting with the department due to his unwillingness to be satisfied with an A.

At this point I wish I had given him a D so he would have a real reason to complain.

Pyongshin Sangja · Joined: 20 Apr 2003 Location: I love baby!

He will have to prove a grading error. Dot the I's.

If there is none to be found, tell him to sit on it.

jacl · Joined: 31 Oct 2005

Life's big problems. Oh no! An A! Shocked

Zark · Posted: Thu Jul 27, 2006 6:04 am Post subject:

Some of my students at uni needed an A+ to assure continuing their scholarships (they needed the financial aid). Could this be part of the issue?

I always paid attention and helped those students - as I too struggled financially through university.

Get used to the whining - it is part of the price you pay for a four day work week and long paid vacations . . . Sad

RobinH · Posted: Thu Jul 27, 2006 6:23 am Post subject:

I know how you feel. But, as long as you can show why he got the grade he did, it's his tough luck.

More importantly, will the uni admin stand behind you, or try to talk you into raising his grade?

bluelake · Joined: 01 Dec 2005

I strongly state my grading policies at the beginning of the semester, near the end, and just before the finals. It also helps that our department has a fairly strict grading policy (A-30% max A/B-70% max C and below-30% min); few faculty members come near the maximum A's).

They are told that I will not change grades unless I made a major error (rare, but can happen). I am not responsible for scholarships, dorms, ROTC, etc. If they have a problem like that, I personally feel for them, but professionally there is nothing I can do. I am very clear on that matter and have had very few try anyway; for the few who tried, they were just told "sorry".

SuperHero · Joined: 10 Dec 2003 Location: Superhero Hideout

jinks · Joined: 27 Oct 2004 Location: Formerly: Lower North Island

At my university we have one week at the end of term set aside for students to challenge their final grades. The faculty is clear that we cannot actually change any challenged grade, unless there has been a clerical error, so teachers need to be on hand to check their grading records and if necessary change the grade. There have been challenges, only one of my students came in, but it has been interesting to listen to some of my colleagues war stories of students demanding an A+ instead of an A. Even more entertaining is the garbled e-mail a student sent to a co-teacher demanding an A for her English course; there was not one complete English sentence in the the whole e-mail, it was laughable and my colleague sent the e-mail back to the student, highliting all the errors (and they were legion) explaining this kind of writing is why the student could not possibly qualify for an A grade. Another time, two girls came in to challenge the grade one of them had received. They were talking to my friend and colleague whose desk is near mine. Bee-pluh, Bee-pluh was the only thing they could say. My colleague was very patient with them, but I snapped. I challenged them; 'If you want a B+ for your English course, couldn't you at least ask for it in English?' They didn't get my point, of course.
Saying that, our university curves the grades. I think this is unfair and will lead to students feeling that their work has not been worth it. The student who challenged my grade came because he received a D+ and it was going to affect his scholarship, but there was nothing I could do. The parts of the course where I graded the students (oral interviews, assignments, attendance and "participation") were pretty solid, but the two listening tests - answers had to be right or wrong - pulled his marks right down. He obviously hadn't prepared for the exams, but a final mark of 63% deserves a C, rather than a D+. There was nothing I could do, but I offered to take him into the Korean co-ordinator's office so he could plead his case there, but obviously Dr. No! (not his/her real name) was not considered to be as easy a pushover as the friendly foreign teacher. The student declined the offer, and I will probably see him again next semester.