The Most Ridiculous Grade In My Academic Career....

[justaguy88]

It response to the two message above mine, first let me say that the curve for this class is voluntary.  Not a single low pass has been given, based on the posted grade distributions for last year, so the reasoning that everyone must have done better is not relevant.

However, even if the course was graded on a mandatory curve (which it was not), in a class the size of my negotiations class (approximately 20) the prof would only be giving low passes to the two lowest grades (bottom ten percent is the guideline for low pass with  mandatory curve requirement at my school).  I happen to know that my grade on the exam was a little bit higher than the two other students who also received low passes, so it then follows, that even on a CURVE I shouldn't have gotten the grade.

[NeverTrustKlingons]

Is it possible that after you guys (scoring in the eighties) the rest of the class jumps to like 95+?  I could see awarding low passes in that instance.

[rhesusman]

I think the only thing you can really do is wait until you can talk to the professor.  Since law school administrations are usually very deferential toward professors' grading decisions, your professor is probably the only one who can possibly do anything about your grade.  In your circumstances, I would ask what more you could possibly have done to have gotten something other than the equivalent of a C-.  The equivalent of a C- sounds like a pretty bad grade, and if this is the sort of class in which you'd been handing in assignments all along, I would also ask him why, if your performance was not up to his expectations, he didn't mention sooner that you were looking at the possibility of a bad grade.  Be civil and polite, even if he doesn't change your grade - if for whatever reason you have to take a class by this professor again, you don't want to be on his bad side.  Post what he says - I'm curious as to how he'll try to justify this.

[Ordinary L. Student]

I'll be interested to hear what your prof says.  You say he is a nice guy, so is there any history of him doing something like this before, or giving grades in A, B, C, D, F classes that seem out of whack with what everyone else gets?

[Jumboshrimps]

It was a negotiations class. Maybe the test isn't over yet. He gave you all low passes and wants to see who can best negotiate a more reasonable grade.

[coquita]

And this is why they instituted a mandatory curve in non-bar classes in my school. Now the median grade must be a B-. It sucks on one hand b/c a professor can't give all A's to a class...but on the other hand it prevents profs like this one from screwing people over. An 85 should not be a LP in a 20 person class. That is ridiculous.  Especially since he had discretion in giving LPs or not it seems like he is being a feminine hygiene product. I hate professors who are nice and then F** up your g.p.a. for no logical reason.

Well if enough people complain about this they may have a talk to him. It has happened at my school...and that is what led to the change in grading policy.

[justaguy88]

A little update to my situation which I think, if anything, adds even more intrigue.  I ran into another guy from my negotiations class and told him what had happened with my grade.  I asked what grade he had gotten and he tells me HIGH PASS.  So I ask him politely if he'd go into the records office and ask for his exam so I could compare the score he recieved with my own.  Turns out this guy got a 275/300.  This is only 16 points higher than MY score! Since this was a 300 point exam, this means that his grade was not even 6 percent higher!  So the theory that I did poorly in relation to the rest of the class is now off the table.

The only possible explanation at this point is that somehow my attendance was miscalculated and used to pull my grade down.   I am certain, though, that I only missed 2, at MOST 3 classes the whole semester....and you would think that he would have mentioned the attendance issue by this point.  Also, since I was vocal in class all semester you'd think we would have remembered I was in class.   I'm at a complete loss.

UGGH    I hate my school right now....


Oh and hey Jumboshrimp, my gf actually made the same guess you did - that this was all a test to see who could negotiate themselves out of the low pass.  lol!.  Ironically, I did find myself using some of the negotiation tips we learned during the semester in my emails thus far with the prof.

[emtjp1028]

You said your class has 20 people, right?  16 points higher could be huge!!  Not to mention, that does not mean that he is the only high pass!  I think you need to wait until you sit down with this professor before you get all out of whack here....  It is more than possible that the other 16 people in your class had grades above yours.  If they did and the professor wanted to grade it on a curve, so be it.  That is what law school is all about.

[justaguy88]

You said your class has 20 people, right?  16 points higher could be huge!!  Not to mention, that does not mean that he is the only high pass!  I think you need to wait until you sit down with this professor before you get all out of whack here....  It is more than possible that the other 16 people in your class had grades above yours.  If they did and the professor wanted to grade it on a curve, so be it.  That is what law school is all about.

Did you even read my post?  First of all, there is no mandatory curve, so even if the professor "wanted to grade on a curve" I would have to right to be upset based solely on that decision.  Secondly, 16 points could not possibly be "huge" out of 300 potential points.  16 points is approximately 5%.  Are you suggesting that the entire curve from A to C- spans a 5% spread??  I don't think anyone else who has responded to this post would contend that. 

The bottom line argument in my favor is that an 85% is universally considered an average or above average grade, and even if most grades in this course were above it (which is extremely unlikely), those grades do not mitigate my grade's value in an un-curved course. 

Anyways, this conversation is largely irrelevant because it is highly likely that the grade was calculated by mistake or via miscount in absences and has nothing to do with my exam score directly.

I will be sure to keep everyone posted when I finally get a chance to speak to my professor.

[emtjp1028]

How would you have a right to be upset if the professor graded on a curve?  Are you kidding me?  They can grade on any basis they wish.  Would you have a right to be upset if it were a C curve and the professor gave out 10 A's and 10F's?  No, your wouldnt!

Yes, of course I read your post!  Any 85% may be universally considered an average or above average grade, however, if your teacher doled out 16 others that were above 85%, that 85% becomes a below average grade. 

Do you honeslty think that this professor messed up your exam and two other exams? I mean, come on!  Lets think about this.  You said that no low pass has been given in the past few times the course has been offered and now, all of a sudden, this professor happens to screw up your absences and the other 2 guys and gives you all low passes.  For some reason, I just dont buy that *&^%...  I think if this guy has never given a low pass out before he would have taken his time in ensuring that only those who deserved a low pass received one...