Professor stated there is no +/- in syllabus

[TooMuchPressure]

First of all I would like to say that I am not angry I am just confused. The professor stated in the syllabus and in class that there will be no +/- grading and that a 90%+ is an A, an 80-89 is a B, etc... I had a 91% and was given an A-. Now don't get me wrong I don't mind the A- it's just the principle of it. I understand professors have the right to modify the syllabus but 1. it was never modified (i'm looking at it right now), and 2. the professor states that any modifications to the syllabus will be announced in class. This seems just a little unethical but do I just let it go?

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[SpartanWolverine]

First of all I would like to say that I am not angry I am just confused. The professor stated in the syllabus and in class that there will be no +/- grading and that a 90%+ is an A, an 80-89 is a B, etc... I had a 91% and was given an A-. Now don't get me wrong I don't mind the A- it's just the principle of it. I understand professors have the right to modify the syllabus but 1. it was never modified (i'm looking at it right now), and 2. the professor states that any modifications to the syllabus will be announced in class. This seems just a little unethical but do I just let it go?

Did you ask the professor or someone in the course administration? It's possible the grades got entered wrong by someone who didn't understand the policy.

 

[y123]

The professor may have entered the grade wrong. Just email the professor and find out.

 

[Lucca]

Seems like a mistake to me? At least at my university, professors can be held accountable for the contents of their syllabus. That means, if the syllabus says "4 exams and a paper" then they can't just add another exam grade, similarly, no +/- means no +/-.

 

[ortnakas]

Seems like a mistake to me? At least at my university, professors can be held accountable for the contents of their syllabus. That means, if the syllabus says "4 exams and a paper" then they can't just add another exam grade, similarly, no +/- means no +/-.

This. Find out if it's a mistake before you go on a warpath.

"Dear Dr. Doe, I'm confused because your syllabus said you don't use + or - grades, but my transcript is showing an A-. Can you clarify for me?"

 

[TooMuchPressure]

I emailed the professor yesterday and am still waiting for a response, I will let you guys know what she says.

 

[thatwouldbeanarchy]

I was always under the impression that whether +/- is used was determined by the university, not by individual professors. Have you received +/- grades in other classes at this school?

 

[efle]

"Dear Dr. Doe, I'm confused because your syllabus said you don't use + or - grades, but my transcript is showing an A-. Can you clarify for me?"

I emailed the professor yesterday and am still waiting for a response, I will let you guys know what she says.

inb4 "I asked my professor about a syllabus violation and he dropped by grade from A- to B"

 

[TooMuchPressure]

I was always under the impression that whether +/- is used was determined by the university, not by individual professors. Have you received +/- grades in other classes at this school?

Yes but rarely, most classes don't use it.

inb4 "I asked my professor about a syllabus violation and he dropped by grade from A- to B"

That's unfortunate. So is your advice to just let it go?

 

[JustAPhD]

I was always under the impression that whether +/- is used was determined by the university, not by individual professors. Have you received +/- grades in other classes at this school?

Sometimes a college does use the +/- system but professors can still assign grades by A,B,C, etc.

 

[samac]

I was always under the impression that whether +/- is used was determined by the university, not by individual professors. Have you received +/- grades in other classes at this school?

My college just kind of gave free reign to the professors. There weren't +/- but an A wasn't the same in every class. In some it was an 85 and I had one it was a 92. Totally up to the professor.

 

[thatwouldbeanarchy]

My college just kind of gave free reign to the professors. There weren't +/- but an A wasn't the same in every class. In some it was an 85 and I had one it was a 92. Totally up to the professor.

Interesting. Hadn't heard of that before! At my college, we didn't use +/- and that was university-wide policy that all professors followed.

 

[efle]

That's unfortunate. So is your advice to just let it go?

Well, you've already sent the email! I'd probably have only sent an email if I felt protected against the grade dropping, like if I had a 91 and the syllabus said "80.0-89.9 B, 90.0-100 A, no +/-"

I once had a professor that only assigned flat grades, except for people with upward trending exams and lots of time at TA hours, who he would boost with a + or a - of the next grade up. If I thought I might have been a B getting boosted to A- then I wouldn't ask about it.

we didn't use +/- and that was university-wide policy that all professors followed.

I think a lot of schools (or certain departments esp. engineering) will make a rule excluding +/-, but I haven't heard of a rule requiring +/-

 

[TooMuchPressure]

Professor responded saying it was a last minute change due to grade inflation that may be caused by cheating. Probably not much I can do at this point.

 

[efle]

Professor responded saying it was a last minute change due to grade inflation caused by cheating. Probably not much I can do at this point.

...what on earth? He found out some people might have been cheating and decided to penalize the class overall with a harsher curve?

 

[efle]

Cheaters probably STILL got As and he is just hurting the honest students so his average grade awarded doesn't get too high.

I'd be pretty mad man, that's really unfair

 

[TooMuchPressure]

I don't think I can do anything about it at this point any advice?

 

[efle]

It would really depend on your university policy about syllabus changes. It might be totally within his abilities to just give everyone in the class a C-, or you might have a good case to make here to whomever supervises this at your school. Tbh if a professor told me sorry, you're getting a lower grade because I think some of your peers may have cheated, I'd be motivated more by how upset it made me than concern over an A- vs A.

 

[TooMuchPressure]

It would really depend on your university policy about syllabus changes. It might be totally within his abilities to just give everyone in the class a C-, or you might have a good case to make here to whomever supervises this at your school. Tbh if a professor told me sorry, you're getting a lower grade because I think some of your peers may have cheated, I'd be motivated more by how upset it made me than concern over an A- vs A.

The problem is I don't know who to talk to. Would I take this up with the dean of the department or someone else?

 

[MaxPlancker]

What kind of course is it? What's your current GPA? Tbh, A- won't be the reason you don't get into med school.

 

[efle]

Tbh, A- won't be the reason you don't get into med school.

Yeah, it's the principle of the thing

 

[MaxPlancker]

Yeah, it's the principle of the thing

Yep, totally agree.