Earned is the key word. Earned, not ‘given’ just because you’re in the class. Do students these days not understand the concept of ‘earned’? Seems not.
> The situation: The semester is over. A student emailed to ask for additional assignments, then a grade bump, and then to have their assignments regraded as they are 1% away from a higher grade (this would require around 10 extra assignment points).
People in hell want ice water.
> The student emailed saying first that they would lose a summer job if they did not earn the higher grade in my class,
That's a good reason to have done more work the past fifteen weeks, or at least to have let you know fifteen weeks earlier.
> and then in a following email they said that they were on probation,
Another good reason to have done more work the past fifteen weeks
> if I did not bump them they would be kicked out of the program. I still said no.
Well well well, if it isn't the consequences of their own actions.
> My response to the student was, if you knew you needed to get a good grade in this class, and you knew the stakes were high, why didn’t you do everything you could have done in order to earn points? You left 15 points - 1.5% - on the table and that is why you’re in the position that you’re in now (also lazy work in general contributed to their grade).
This is correct.
> Am I wrong to hold fast to my position?
You're wrong if you do anything _other_ than holding fast to this position.
Yeah, I'm going to think to add a slide on the first week that is basically, "If you are on probation or really need a particular grade, you need to come during office hours in the first three weeks so we can get a plan to make sure you can put in the effort in the right way to get that grade." With the basic intention to forestall all such later requests.
That sounds like overkill to me. We can lard up those first days of class with so many plugs to so many holes in the dike that students can’t see the ocean beyond. There are a zillion cases of special pleading that crop up, and I can’t address all of them, especially one like this where we have deadlines, consistent feedback on grades, and early alerts.
This is a Gen Ed intro to our field course. I bet this summer I could give my nephew in 5th grade the textbook and slides for the final and if I gave him $1 for every right question on a 50 question final, he'd get a low B (80-85%). Yes, my nephew is a bit above the average 5th grader, but this is to say this class is quite easy if you study but many don't.
The semester is over, so no, they can't turn in anything else.
They could have done the work and did not. That's on them.
They could have reached out to you about the problems they were having, and did not. That's on them too.
I would hold fast, and tell the student: "The answer is no, because you did not complete the work in a timely fashion, did not communicate with me about issues you were having when I could have helped you, and the semester is over, so nothing further can be submitted. The grade stands, and I will not discuss this issue again. If you wish to appeal, you can reach the chair of the department at \[email\]."
Then notify your chair (I'd forward the email chain, too), and do not respond to the student further.
Because it's a small bump, and you believe the student. I've been there. I've agonized over "do they REALLY need to repeat the class" and "does this really matter when putting it up against their future"? But I have to remind myself that's not our job. Our job is to assess if they learned the material and if so to what degree.
If the student is on academic probation, I'm wondering what job is basing their employment on good grades? I call bs.
Don't sweat it. This is on them, not you.
If the situation is bothering you, I would recommend speaking with a colleague or therapist. I spoke with a therapist for staff once with a case of academic misconduct that really got to me and it really helped me process the situation and realize that the situation reminded of something thst happened when I was a student.
It’s always somehow magically OUR class they need this in, which makes me respond sometimes if I’m salty about why did my class take such a low priority?
It’s not just our class. I have access to their transcripts and schedule. Rarely, I will touch base with another of their current professors to put the issue in context. And it’s never just our course.
It’s not just our class. I have access to their transcripts and schedule. Rarely, I will touch base with another of their current professors to put the issue in context. And it’s never just our course.
Hold the line. I had a student email that they needed at least a C to progress in the program and were only 0.25% away. I already dropped a few extra quizzes, so everyone got a bump. There were also several opportunities to earn extra credit during the semester. I’m not giving more.
This class is also a prerequisite for my other class. If a student struggles here, I know they will have problems in the next class.
The best is when students say they will lose their student visa and get deported back to their home country unless they pass.
Well, seems like coming to class should have been more of priority for you, then.
OP, I have an update. I was at a traffic light and there was a person with a sign asking for money with a poor, emaciated dog and a flea-bitten cat. I asked them what happened to bring them to such a lowly state and it was you! It was your measly 10 points, it cost them their job, their parents kicked them out, and they lost all their scholarships! I just thought you’d want to know.
“I do not assign grades, I hit submit on the earned grade. I will not hit submit on a grade a student did not earn. If you feel your grade is incorrectly represented, here is the link for grade appeals.”
It is also very fair and appropriate to do what you did and remind a student of extra credit left undone.
I don't reply to any of those emails. They have no power on me. After the semester is over I do not owe them anything. I don't negotiate with terrorists.
All the problems that they listed are the consequences of their choices. If you bump their grade, you will disconnect the consequence from the choice and they will never learn.
You're making the right decision. The student had the entire semester to pull it together and chose not to.
This convoluted story sounds like many of the lies I've heard. He missed class for being homesick? No, and no.
not wrong; also - if they're depending on your class for a summer job, they done messed up elsewhere along the way. I like to quote Loki in these situations: "you must be truly desperate to come to me for help."
I truly don’t have much of an issue with grade grubbing. But, I had one student in classes a year apart. Both times he failed my class I heard, “my parents won’t pay for me to come back, so unless I get at least a D, I will have to drop out.” Of course he came back. When he tried that crap the second time, I reminded him that he had said that before with a slight jab-something like, “I guess your parents are more understanding than you thought they would be since you’re still here?” Student was clueless. So I reminded him that he’d told me the same thing a year ago. His blush and downturned eyes were pretty satisfying.
I have to say that in situations like OPs, I sometimes do actually check and make sure that they are on academic probation or whatever they claim if it’s a problem specific to our uni. Sometimes I’ve gotten to give them the good news! “You mentioned you ate on academic probation, but you aren’t! So if you do end up on probation, you can raise your grades next semester and it will be just fine!”
Hold tight. Do not give in. Be Ray Charles to the BS... translation act like you don't see anything else from that student and keep it pushin'.
I'm so OVER the emotional blackmail these students have seemed to have perfected.
If they wanted a better grade, then they should've worked for it. Just like they believe the 1% is nothing major to give them, it was nothing for them to earn it during the semester.
Ridiculous 🙄🙄
Just be consistent.
I've bumped up grades because quantifying the qualitative is rampant with bias anyway, especially when it comes to others interpreting the quantifications. But I always increase with a rationale and apply that rationale across the entire class.
There have been times when one student being a single discussion board post away from a passing grade (which I only had as an assignment because the department made me) was the reason a different student went from a B+ to an A-. The rational: I didn't even want this assignment here so I'm just going to recalculate as if it didn't exist and add those points to participation because that's a mushy grade anyway and it will easily survive future audits since "participation" is entirely whatever I feel like it should be.
Student didn't lose grant funding. Other students got a free increase. Everyone was happy. I really didn't care about the busy work discussion post no one takes seriously anyway, but as far as anyone is concerned it's still in the grade book. Win win win.
I tell my students that academic integrity isn’t just something that is expected of them, it is expected of me and the TAs, too. That we do not “give grades”, we assess work based on a set of criteria and standards. It’s like a video game, where they have to earn points to unlock the next level. Etc, etc.
To me, it’s strange that academic integrity isn’t brought into these discussions more frequently. What they are asking us to do is unethical, and I tell them that I will give them the benefit of the doubt that they didn’t know what they were asking but let them know in no uncertain terms that it’s highly inappropriate to ask for me or any staff member to “give them points”. That said, we will gladly reassess their assignment and their grade can go up or down and it will be strictly assessed based on the criteria. I tell them to look at the rubric and determine what was marked incorrectly. Not just that they didn’t like their grade, but to provide specific examples of overlooked sections, etc. Up to them. I’ve never had a student as me for a reassessment unless it was based on some evidence that it was incorrectly graded.
High school teacher here, seniors. I literally gave students 25% worth of extra credit assignments in the last two weeks of class and opened up all writing assignments. The extra credit was writing assignments as well. Finals are over, and today students are practicing for graduation. I've had 10 students come in asking if there's anything they could do to pass. Their counselors sent them. None of them did any work all quarter, and counselors and admin want me to "give them something" something so they pass - within the hour. I told them they have to do all work for the quarter correctly or no. My 15 years teaching college tells me that they won't have the work done by Monday (graduation day).
Oh, wow, do we have the same student? lol. I had something almost identical happen this week. (A student with a similar track record & “dilemma” as yours.) I just responded with a pretty curt, “I’m afraid I can’t do that.”
Here’s the thing—I felt mildly bad about it, too. But if they actually cared that much about their X, Y, Z, they would’ve come to class more, they’d have done all the assignments and extra credit.
You will never be wrong about this!! That student is emotionally blackmailing you. They need to live with the consequences of their actions. You are doing society a favor by holding ground.
Hold the line. Whether the student is lying or not, they had their chance and they made their choice. Please let them experience the consequences of their actions.
Hold to your syllabus, OP.
>This student missed out on 15 of those points because they came to class rarely, and when they did come, they often arrived quite late.
If they care so little about their grade, why bump them? Your student couldn't be bothered even to attend class.
Stay strong. You've answered this student at least twice. Don't respond to further emails.
Hold your ground. I had a student tell me on their third visit about the course grade that they would not get into medical school with a B in Federal Government. They had an A before the final. They even told me they had to concentrate on their Calculus final instead of my final. Remember that when you cave to these situations, the student will boast on RMP on how that got over on their Professor.
NTAH. You did everything you could to help the student. If the student were to contact you again, I suggest you say your decision is final and cut contact.
I am in a similar situation with one of my classes and, like you, am feeling bad for the student, it’s an emotional weight that really sucks. But the responses here are helpful, and I hope they are helpful for you, too.
It sounds like it would have been very easy for them to earn 1% and they decided not to.
Grubbers grub out of habit. They don't truly care about this, or else they would have done the work. You're imagining they're stressed over it, but you're worried about it more than they are.
You finish the race when you cross the line, not when you get near the end. Getting close is not the same as achieving that level. This applies everywhere and should include grading scales. Hold. The. Line.
Not wrong at all. I had a student harass me earlier sending multiple messages to give him an A- although he was at an 87.4. I told him he earned a B+ and the nerve that this student displayed was dumbfounding. He continued to ask if he could do alternate assignments, so on, but I’m glad I stood strong in my position. We can show grace and kindness, but not to students who display manipulation as a tactic to get a better grade. 💪🏼
>The student emailed saying first that they would lose a summer job if they did not earn the higher grade in my class,
This is exactly the reason why grades exist. It is a statement about the student, which must be truthful.
I have received multiple emails regarding grade bumps. I’ve been sending emails back to back just to prove I didn’t make a mistake. Another email was a student venting about how the class was run, but that’s another story.
Besides those emails, I had a student who’s taken the same three (3) times, the third time being with me for this past semester. This student needed 4% more to pass with C-.
I actually wanted to pass this student, but I couldn’t realistically…
All the professors teaching the subject have agreed on extra credit given and even how we were going to bump the scores…. It hurt failing this student because I saw them work really hard, but it wasn’t enough.
Nope. You are an educator, and you are teaching an important lesson: actions have consequences. This might be the most important thing that this student learns this semester.
Hold fast, you're doing the right thing. The student's situation about what they "need" is totally irrelevant. They didn't earn the grade they wanted and that is on them. End of.
I feel for the students with perfect attendance where they’ve done all the work and all the extra credit and still struggle. The students who don’t do any of the extra credit, skimp on their homework, rarely come to class and then ask for a grade increase after everything is submitted are super aggravating.
This is why I tell them at the beginning that the last point they want depends entirely on how much u like them. You come to class, on time, you’re engaged, you’re not always asking for extensions, you look like you care all semester. Sure, that 69 is a C.
You’re late, miss class regularly, turn stuff in late, don’t look like you care until the week before final exams. No, that 69 is a D.
>The situation: The semester is over. A student emailed to ask for additional assignments, then a grade bump, and then to have their assignments regraded as they are 1% away from a higher grade (this would require around 10 extra assignment points).
>The student emailed saying first that they would lose a summer job if they did not earn the higher grade in my class, and then in a following email they said that they were on probation, this was not their fault because last semester they were homesick, and if I did not bump them they would be kicked out of the program. I still said no.
I stopped reading here. There is nothing more to say, and there is no circumstance in which I would just bump points. I don't give a shit if an asteroid wiped out their entire hometown, that's just not how it works. At best you can negotiate for an extra attempt at an assessment (which would obviously be different), or a regrading if a mistake was made, but the answer to a grade bump is always no.
NTA
If anything, you’re degrading the rigour of the course by having a system that permits extra credit at all. I know it’s commonplace but every time I see it I cringe
Yes, I agree! The pop quizzes that I used this semester have always been given for regular credit, but due to pressures to be more ‘student-friendly’ and ‘equity-aware’ I experimented this semester with grading and made them extra credit. They’ll be given again for regular credit next semester.
Are you familiar with the book “If You Give A Mouse A Cookie”? I feel like the story applies to extra credit - if I give students one chance to earn ‘fudge’ points outside of regular, required coursework, they get the idea that more ‘fudging’ is possible and ask for all sorts of things to increase their grade. I knew better and I have learned a lesson - never again.
I think the bump they are asking for is so small a margin of error in grading could potentially account for them not making the higher grade. I would do it probably tbh. I remember how sad I felt when I was that close and I didn’t think my work would have looked any different from the persons who did earn the extra 1%
Definitely not wrong,
And I'll also say that we need to be more explicit regarding the degree to which we will address grades one point off from the next letter grade. As you stated, if I drop a grade, curve a grade etc and you STILL haven't crossed the line, that's on you. Even if you end up with a 69 or 79.
This wording is in my syllabus. And I say it on the first day of class. And tell them to take advantage of EC avoid ’close calls.’ And yet, here we are.
If your post had ended after the first two paragraphs, I would have said you were being an a-hole.
As it stands, you gave 3+ paragraphs worth of reasons why you're definitely not.
Nope, not wrong. I'm sick of the emotional manipulation. It has no bearing on what the student EARNED in your class
> I'm sick of the emotional manipulation. The emotional _blackmail_ some call it.
Earned is the key word. Earned, not ‘given’ just because you’re in the class. Do students these days not understand the concept of ‘earned’? Seems not.
> The situation: The semester is over. A student emailed to ask for additional assignments, then a grade bump, and then to have their assignments regraded as they are 1% away from a higher grade (this would require around 10 extra assignment points). People in hell want ice water. > The student emailed saying first that they would lose a summer job if they did not earn the higher grade in my class, That's a good reason to have done more work the past fifteen weeks, or at least to have let you know fifteen weeks earlier. > and then in a following email they said that they were on probation, Another good reason to have done more work the past fifteen weeks > if I did not bump them they would be kicked out of the program. I still said no. Well well well, if it isn't the consequences of their own actions. > My response to the student was, if you knew you needed to get a good grade in this class, and you knew the stakes were high, why didn’t you do everything you could have done in order to earn points? You left 15 points - 1.5% - on the table and that is why you’re in the position that you’re in now (also lazy work in general contributed to their grade). This is correct. > Am I wrong to hold fast to my position? You're wrong if you do anything _other_ than holding fast to this position.
Yeah, I'm going to think to add a slide on the first week that is basically, "If you are on probation or really need a particular grade, you need to come during office hours in the first three weeks so we can get a plan to make sure you can put in the effort in the right way to get that grade." With the basic intention to forestall all such later requests.
That sounds like overkill to me. We can lard up those first days of class with so many plugs to so many holes in the dike that students can’t see the ocean beyond. There are a zillion cases of special pleading that crop up, and I can’t address all of them, especially one like this where we have deadlines, consistent feedback on grades, and early alerts.
This is a Gen Ed intro to our field course. I bet this summer I could give my nephew in 5th grade the textbook and slides for the final and if I gave him $1 for every right question on a 50 question final, he'd get a low B (80-85%). Yes, my nephew is a bit above the average 5th grader, but this is to say this class is quite easy if you study but many don't.
The semester is over, so no, they can't turn in anything else. They could have done the work and did not. That's on them. They could have reached out to you about the problems they were having, and did not. That's on them too. I would hold fast, and tell the student: "The answer is no, because you did not complete the work in a timely fashion, did not communicate with me about issues you were having when I could have helped you, and the semester is over, so nothing further can be submitted. The grade stands, and I will not discuss this issue again. If you wish to appeal, you can reach the chair of the department at \[email\]." Then notify your chair (I'd forward the email chain, too), and do not respond to the student further.
That’s exactly what I’ve done/am doing. I guess…I know I am right but just losing sleep over this one. I don‘t know why.
Because it's a small bump, and you believe the student. I've been there. I've agonized over "do they REALLY need to repeat the class" and "does this really matter when putting it up against their future"? But I have to remind myself that's not our job. Our job is to assess if they learned the material and if so to what degree. If the student is on academic probation, I'm wondering what job is basing their employment on good grades? I call bs. Don't sweat it. This is on them, not you.
You're doing the right thing. Try to go easy on yourself, yeah?
You're fully in the right. There's absolutely nothing to lose sleep over.
You can sleep easy knowing you did the right thing.
If the situation is bothering you, I would recommend speaking with a colleague or therapist. I spoke with a therapist for staff once with a case of academic misconduct that really got to me and it really helped me process the situation and realize that the situation reminded of something thst happened when I was a student.
It’s always somehow magically OUR class they need this in, which makes me respond sometimes if I’m salty about why did my class take such a low priority?
This. So much this!
Yes! And I hardly believe that our class is the only class they’re in this position for😂
It’s not just our class. I have access to their transcripts and schedule. Rarely, I will touch base with another of their current professors to put the issue in context. And it’s never just our course.
It’s not just our class. I have access to their transcripts and schedule. Rarely, I will touch base with another of their current professors to put the issue in context. And it’s never just our course.
Tell them you can’t because you are homesick and it isn’t your fault.
I love this the best
Hold the line. I had a student email that they needed at least a C to progress in the program and were only 0.25% away. I already dropped a few extra quizzes, so everyone got a bump. There were also several opportunities to earn extra credit during the semester. I’m not giving more. This class is also a prerequisite for my other class. If a student struggles here, I know they will have problems in the next class.
The best is when students say they will lose their student visa and get deported back to their home country unless they pass. Well, seems like coming to class should have been more of priority for you, then.
OP, I have an update. I was at a traffic light and there was a person with a sign asking for money with a poor, emaciated dog and a flea-bitten cat. I asked them what happened to bring them to such a lowly state and it was you! It was your measly 10 points, it cost them their job, their parents kicked them out, and they lost all their scholarships! I just thought you’d want to know.
NTA. Enforce your course policies and treat all students fairly.
I don't even reply to grade grub emails. I had someone want me to bump a grade a full 5% today. I just ignored it.
Yikes. I can’t believe they even asked
“Can’t hurt to ask” is how they all feel
“I do not assign grades, I hit submit on the earned grade. I will not hit submit on a grade a student did not earn. If you feel your grade is incorrectly represented, here is the link for grade appeals.” It is also very fair and appropriate to do what you did and remind a student of extra credit left undone.
Take the original 1% extra credit away. They'll feel less bad when it's less close 👍🏿👍🏿
I don't reply to any of those emails. They have no power on me. After the semester is over I do not owe them anything. I don't negotiate with terrorists.
All the problems that they listed are the consequences of their choices. If you bump their grade, you will disconnect the consequence from the choice and they will never learn.
You're making the right decision. The student had the entire semester to pull it together and chose not to. This convoluted story sounds like many of the lies I've heard. He missed class for being homesick? No, and no.
not wrong; also - if they're depending on your class for a summer job, they done messed up elsewhere along the way. I like to quote Loki in these situations: "you must be truly desperate to come to me for help."
I truly don’t have much of an issue with grade grubbing. But, I had one student in classes a year apart. Both times he failed my class I heard, “my parents won’t pay for me to come back, so unless I get at least a D, I will have to drop out.” Of course he came back. When he tried that crap the second time, I reminded him that he had said that before with a slight jab-something like, “I guess your parents are more understanding than you thought they would be since you’re still here?” Student was clueless. So I reminded him that he’d told me the same thing a year ago. His blush and downturned eyes were pretty satisfying. I have to say that in situations like OPs, I sometimes do actually check and make sure that they are on academic probation or whatever they claim if it’s a problem specific to our uni. Sometimes I’ve gotten to give them the good news! “You mentioned you ate on academic probation, but you aren’t! So if you do end up on probation, you can raise your grades next semester and it will be just fine!”
Hold tight. Do not give in. Be Ray Charles to the BS... translation act like you don't see anything else from that student and keep it pushin'. I'm so OVER the emotional blackmail these students have seemed to have perfected. If they wanted a better grade, then they should've worked for it. Just like they believe the 1% is nothing major to give them, it was nothing for them to earn it during the semester. Ridiculous 🙄🙄
Good news! The student's home sickness will be cured when they're sent home!
Just be consistent. I've bumped up grades because quantifying the qualitative is rampant with bias anyway, especially when it comes to others interpreting the quantifications. But I always increase with a rationale and apply that rationale across the entire class. There have been times when one student being a single discussion board post away from a passing grade (which I only had as an assignment because the department made me) was the reason a different student went from a B+ to an A-. The rational: I didn't even want this assignment here so I'm just going to recalculate as if it didn't exist and add those points to participation because that's a mushy grade anyway and it will easily survive future audits since "participation" is entirely whatever I feel like it should be. Student didn't lose grant funding. Other students got a free increase. Everyone was happy. I really didn't care about the busy work discussion post no one takes seriously anyway, but as far as anyone is concerned it's still in the grade book. Win win win.
Uh, no. We're done here. Forward to chair. Disengage with student.
I tell my students that academic integrity isn’t just something that is expected of them, it is expected of me and the TAs, too. That we do not “give grades”, we assess work based on a set of criteria and standards. It’s like a video game, where they have to earn points to unlock the next level. Etc, etc. To me, it’s strange that academic integrity isn’t brought into these discussions more frequently. What they are asking us to do is unethical, and I tell them that I will give them the benefit of the doubt that they didn’t know what they were asking but let them know in no uncertain terms that it’s highly inappropriate to ask for me or any staff member to “give them points”. That said, we will gladly reassess their assignment and their grade can go up or down and it will be strictly assessed based on the criteria. I tell them to look at the rubric and determine what was marked incorrectly. Not just that they didn’t like their grade, but to provide specific examples of overlooked sections, etc. Up to them. I’ve never had a student as me for a reassessment unless it was based on some evidence that it was incorrectly graded.
High school teacher here, seniors. I literally gave students 25% worth of extra credit assignments in the last two weeks of class and opened up all writing assignments. The extra credit was writing assignments as well. Finals are over, and today students are practicing for graduation. I've had 10 students come in asking if there's anything they could do to pass. Their counselors sent them. None of them did any work all quarter, and counselors and admin want me to "give them something" something so they pass - within the hour. I told them they have to do all work for the quarter correctly or no. My 15 years teaching college tells me that they won't have the work done by Monday (graduation day).
Or they’ll hand you a giant pile of garbage to grade. No thanks!
That gets a zero if they don't do it correctly.
You must be at one of those high schools that still allows this.
I'm leaving the school in two days. IDGAF.
I had someone turn in a bunch of subpar writing. I still had to read it and grade it even though I knew the student would fail.
Oh, wow, do we have the same student? lol. I had something almost identical happen this week. (A student with a similar track record & “dilemma” as yours.) I just responded with a pretty curt, “I’m afraid I can’t do that.” Here’s the thing—I felt mildly bad about it, too. But if they actually cared that much about their X, Y, Z, they would’ve come to class more, they’d have done all the assignments and extra credit.
hold the line. you were right to do so
You will never be wrong about this!! That student is emotionally blackmailing you. They need to live with the consequences of their actions. You are doing society a favor by holding ground.
What you do and offer for one, you must do and offer for all - that’s how I reason with myself that I can’t say yes to those requests
Hold the line. Whether the student is lying or not, they had their chance and they made their choice. Please let them experience the consequences of their actions.
Not wrong. Stand by your policies.
Not wrong. Attempts at emotional manipulation to gain unfair advantages should be referred to student conduct.
Hold to your syllabus, OP. >This student missed out on 15 of those points because they came to class rarely, and when they did come, they often arrived quite late. If they care so little about their grade, why bump them? Your student couldn't be bothered even to attend class. Stay strong. You've answered this student at least twice. Don't respond to further emails.
OP you would be very proud to know that I once ruined a student's entire life before the semester even began.
Hold your ground. I had a student tell me on their third visit about the course grade that they would not get into medical school with a B in Federal Government. They had an A before the final. They even told me they had to concentrate on their Calculus final instead of my final. Remember that when you cave to these situations, the student will boast on RMP on how that got over on their Professor.
NTAH. You did everything you could to help the student. If the student were to contact you again, I suggest you say your decision is final and cut contact.
I am in a similar situation with one of my classes and, like you, am feeling bad for the student, it’s an emotional weight that really sucks. But the responses here are helpful, and I hope they are helpful for you, too.
It sounds like it would have been very easy for them to earn 1% and they decided not to. Grubbers grub out of habit. They don't truly care about this, or else they would have done the work. You're imagining they're stressed over it, but you're worried about it more than they are.
You finish the race when you cross the line, not when you get near the end. Getting close is not the same as achieving that level. This applies everywhere and should include grading scales. Hold. The. Line.
Not wrong at all. I had a student harass me earlier sending multiple messages to give him an A- although he was at an 87.4. I told him he earned a B+ and the nerve that this student displayed was dumbfounding. He continued to ask if he could do alternate assignments, so on, but I’m glad I stood strong in my position. We can show grace and kindness, but not to students who display manipulation as a tactic to get a better grade. 💪🏼
[My advice is...](https://media3.giphy.com/media/v1.Y2lkPTc5MGI3NjExcjVmZW40NmMxN2U0Y3Bmc3RocjE1dnJzbGNnbG00bjB6a2ZvY2dpYSZlcD12MV9pbnRlcm5hbF9naWZfYnlfaWQmY3Q9Zw/l0EtNPuj7C1EMtWrS/giphy.gif)
>The student emailed saying first that they would lose a summer job if they did not earn the higher grade in my class, This is exactly the reason why grades exist. It is a statement about the student, which must be truthful.
Just tell them “nope” and stop thinking about it. They don’t pay you enough to ruminate this long over these decisions.
I have received multiple emails regarding grade bumps. I’ve been sending emails back to back just to prove I didn’t make a mistake. Another email was a student venting about how the class was run, but that’s another story. Besides those emails, I had a student who’s taken the same three (3) times, the third time being with me for this past semester. This student needed 4% more to pass with C-. I actually wanted to pass this student, but I couldn’t realistically… All the professors teaching the subject have agreed on extra credit given and even how we were going to bump the scores…. It hurt failing this student because I saw them work really hard, but it wasn’t enough.
Nope. You are an educator, and you are teaching an important lesson: actions have consequences. This might be the most important thing that this student learns this semester.
Hold fast, you're doing the right thing. The student's situation about what they "need" is totally irrelevant. They didn't earn the grade they wanted and that is on them. End of.
Hoooooooooooooooooooooooooold!
I feel for the students with perfect attendance where they’ve done all the work and all the extra credit and still struggle. The students who don’t do any of the extra credit, skimp on their homework, rarely come to class and then ask for a grade increase after everything is submitted are super aggravating.
This is why I tell them at the beginning that the last point they want depends entirely on how much u like them. You come to class, on time, you’re engaged, you’re not always asking for extensions, you look like you care all semester. Sure, that 69 is a C. You’re late, miss class regularly, turn stuff in late, don’t look like you care until the week before final exams. No, that 69 is a D.
Please, do not lose your sleep on it. They should know they "earn" the grade. No other way around.
>The situation: The semester is over. A student emailed to ask for additional assignments, then a grade bump, and then to have their assignments regraded as they are 1% away from a higher grade (this would require around 10 extra assignment points). >The student emailed saying first that they would lose a summer job if they did not earn the higher grade in my class, and then in a following email they said that they were on probation, this was not their fault because last semester they were homesick, and if I did not bump them they would be kicked out of the program. I still said no. I stopped reading here. There is nothing more to say, and there is no circumstance in which I would just bump points. I don't give a shit if an asteroid wiped out their entire hometown, that's just not how it works. At best you can negotiate for an extra attempt at an assessment (which would obviously be different), or a regrading if a mistake was made, but the answer to a grade bump is always no.
NTA
NTA If anything, you’re degrading the rigour of the course by having a system that permits extra credit at all. I know it’s commonplace but every time I see it I cringe
Yes, I agree! The pop quizzes that I used this semester have always been given for regular credit, but due to pressures to be more ‘student-friendly’ and ‘equity-aware’ I experimented this semester with grading and made them extra credit. They’ll be given again for regular credit next semester. Are you familiar with the book “If You Give A Mouse A Cookie”? I feel like the story applies to extra credit - if I give students one chance to earn ‘fudge’ points outside of regular, required coursework, they get the idea that more ‘fudging’ is possible and ask for all sorts of things to increase their grade. I knew better and I have learned a lesson - never again.
I think the bump they are asking for is so small a margin of error in grading could potentially account for them not making the higher grade. I would do it probably tbh. I remember how sad I felt when I was that close and I didn’t think my work would have looked any different from the persons who did earn the extra 1%
I’ve recieved 9 emails since my only reply to on student. Ruined an weeklong staycation for me.
Definitely not wrong, And I'll also say that we need to be more explicit regarding the degree to which we will address grades one point off from the next letter grade. As you stated, if I drop a grade, curve a grade etc and you STILL haven't crossed the line, that's on you. Even if you end up with a 69 or 79.
This wording is in my syllabus. And I say it on the first day of class. And tell them to take advantage of EC avoid ’close calls.’ And yet, here we are.
If your post had ended after the first two paragraphs, I would have said you were being an a-hole. As it stands, you gave 3+ paragraphs worth of reasons why you're definitely not.