I think there's a mistake in the final grade in my class, HELP!

[kashmirvie]

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So here's the thing: After the longest semester in my life (January to August, suspended for a strike), I finally got my final grades for the semester.

I was taking a French II course in which I wasn't sure I'd get an A because I was right on the borderline. I wrote an email to the professor asking her what I needed to get in the final to pull up to an A. She said if I reached 89 overall she'd give me the A.

After getting a 28/30 on the final, which would be like a 93% if it were measured by %s, I found myself with a B in the class.

I wrote again to the professor so she could send me all of my scores from the semester. She sends me this:

Quizzes: #1:15/15; #2 10/10, #3 10/10, #4 18/20, #5 0 <- I'm pretty sure this is a mistake since the last quiz was online and I got a 10/10.

Aural/Oral: #1 9/10, #2 10/10, #3 9/10, #4 0 <- WTF, #5 9/10, #6 N/A (she says I didn't take this one and she "didn't count it").

Partials: #1 44/50, #2 45/50, #3 42/45

Final test: 28/30

Participation: 9/10


According to the syllabus: Partials = 45%
Quizzes & Assignments = 15%
Participation = 10%
Oral/Aural = 15%
Final = 15%

Without counting those zeros I'm SURE I DON'T HAVE, I have a 91 overall.

Counting those zeros I have an 86.

I'm pretty sure that if I saw the professor handing out the papers back from a quiz I didn't recognize I'd talk to her about it and expect a zero and a lower overall grade.

But whenever she handed back ANY work, I always had my own, so I'm 100% sure I never missed an unannounced quiz. In fact, the two times I missed class I asked my classmates and I remember them telling me that there was a quiz, but it was the day I was there and I took it basically unprepared. I do have a couple of absences, but the first three weren't supposed to affect us so she couldn't have taken points for that.

Should I do a claim in the Department? I'm really leaning towards having her show me that I was absent for those 3 zeros, so I got the B I deserved.

I don't fight Bs... In fact I have plenty of those (I have a 3.8 overall), which I know I DESERVED. This one I'm not so sure about. Any input would be appreciated. Thanks!

 

[kashmirvie]

I'm pretty sure this will not have a significant impact on my GPA. But I like things to be clear.

 

[eldoctor]

Go and talk to her about it. Or call and ask politely.

 

[justdoit31]

There isn't much we can do on a forum to help you. Go and talk with the teacher. Also, if you are certain the quizzes were taken online print out a page with the grade as viewed online. Other than that you might be out of luck if you don't have proof you did the missing assignments.

 

[kashmirvie]

This is what she has to say about the three zeros.

"Q5 is a quiz that was given via Moodle once the online classes were given. I cannot give you dates as I am in Canada and brought the grades with me, not the dates.

O2 is an Oral Quiz that apparently you missed., but if you still want a date when the semester begins make an appointment with me. I do not hand out Oral or Aural grades separately; they are shown on the next written quiz or Partial.

Please note that I can give you a 0 for the Oral 3, if you prefer."

This quiz 5 she refers to, I took it and got a 10/10.

And the Oral 3 she apparently didn't count it towards the final grade.

I told her that if she can prove I was absent, then I would gladly take the three zeros.

I am thinking of going to a students affairs office in my campus before going to her office. It's very likely that this will not go smoothly because I could detect her condescention from the email.

 

[kashmirvie]

There isn't much we can do on a forum to help you. Go and talk with the teacher. Also, if you are certain the quizzes were taken online print out a page with the grade as viewed online. Other than that you might be out of luck if you don't have proof you did the missing assignments.

No, I know. I wanted to know if you think my claim is legitimate, I might be doing all those calculations wrong or something. One of the quizzes was online, the rest on paper.

What happened was that there was a strike that put our semester on hold from May to August, so we hadn't finished it. She had a trip planned ahead of time to Canada and decided to finish our class online via Moodle.

 

[WellWornLad]

I'm confused: your professor told you an 89 would be sufficient to get an A, and you got a 93. Did you ask your professor what changed since she told you that?

Telling her to "prove" you were absent is not helpful. Fair or not, no one is going to believe you over her, so it's your prerogative to prove you were present/took the quiz. Doesn't your system give you receipts when you submit online quizzes?

 

[kashmirvie]

I'm confused: your professor told you an 89 would be sufficient to get an A, and you got a 93. Did you ask your professor what changed since she told you that?

Telling her to "prove" you were absent is not helpful. Fair or not, no one is going to believe you over her, so it's your prerogative to prove you were present/took the quiz. Doesn't your system give you receipts when you submit online quizzes?

She said that if with the final I reached an 89 OVERALL she'd give me the A. I got a 93 on the final test, not the overall grade.

About absences, she had a notebook where everyday we would check next to our name under the date for attendance. We can't actually cheat by asking someone else to check for us because it was a small class and she knows us all by name (20). And I think that if we are present there is no reason to not take a quiz.

 

[searun]

Some advice - do not get so worked up over a grade in one college class. It will have virtually no effect on the rest of your life. It will not keep you out of med school, it will not have any influence on who you marry, or what kind of lives your children will have, or what your grandchildren will be like, it does not matter.

Sometimes life is not fair, but just live your life and do not sweat the small stuff, because you are going to have alot of big stuff to deal with, and this is not anything to worry about.

 

[kashmirvie]

Some advice - do not get so worked up over a grade in one college class. It will have virtually no effect on the rest of your life. It will not keep you out of med school, it will not have any influence on who you marry, or what kind of lives your children will have, or what your grandchildren will be like, it does not matter.

Sometimes life is not fair, but just live your life and do not sweat the small stuff, because you are going to have alot of big stuff to deal with, and this is not anything to worry about.

Thank you. I have never argued a grade because I know I deserve them. I've gotten plenty of Bs since freshman year.

This time it ticks me off because she's contradicting herself. I know life isn't fair, but I'm annoyed that she gave me 3 zeros because I apparently missed class. "Apparently" is not a good enough excuse.

If they expect an excellent job from students they should be able to provide an excellent job as well.

Oh well... she has successfully distracted me from prewriting secondaries.

 

[sonia1177]

So here's the thing: After the longest semester in my life (January to August, suspended for a strike), I finally got my final grades for the semester.

I was taking a French II course in which I wasn't sure I'd get an A because I was right on the borderline. I wrote an email to the professor asking her what I needed to get in the final to pull up to an A. She said if I reached 89 overall she'd give me the A.

After getting a 28/30 on the final, which would be like a 93% if it were measured by %s, I found myself with a B in the class.

I wrote again to the professor so she could send me all of my scores from the semester. She sends me this:

Quizzes: #1:15/15; #2 10/10, #3 10/10, #4 18/20, #5 0 <- I'm pretty sure this is a mistake since the last quiz was online and I got a 10/10.

Aural/Oral: #1 9/10, #2 10/10, #3 9/10, #4 0 <- WTF, #5 9/10, #6 N/A (she says I didn't take this one and she "didn't count it").

Partials: #1 44/50, #2 45/50, #3 42/45

Final test: 28/30

Participation: 9/10


According to the syllabus: Partials = 45%
Quizzes & Assignments = 15%
Participation = 10%
Oral/Aural = 15%
Final = 15%

Without counting those zeros I'm SURE I DON'T HAVE, I have a 91 overall.

Counting those zeros I have an 86.

I'm pretty sure that if I saw the professor handing out the papers back from a quiz I didn't recognize I'd talk to her about it and expect a zero and a lower overall grade.

But whenever she handed back ANY work, I always had my own, so I'm 100% sure I never missed an unannounced quiz. In fact, the two times I missed class I asked my classmates and I remember them telling me that there was a quiz, but it was the day I was there and I took it basically unprepared. I do have a couple of absences, but the first three weren't supposed to affect us so she couldn't have taken points for that.

Should I do a claim in the Department? I'm really leaning towards having her show me that I was absent for those 3 zeros, so I got the B I deserved.

I don't fight Bs... In fact I have plenty of those (I have a 3.8 overall), which I know I DESERVED. This one I'm not so sure about. Any input would be appreciated. Thanks!

You need to speak to the Professor, politely.