Q: Why did I get an F in your class?
A: Because you didn’t do all the assignments and the
resulting zeroes made it impossible for you to pass. Also, when I was kind
enough to try to talk to you in the hallway to remind you that your last assignment
was due that very morning, you waved me away, not even bothering to say a word,
let alone taking out your iPod’s ear buds to say something. Too bad, because if you'd turned in that assignment you'd have passed the class.
Too bad, indeed, that you only care AFTER the fact.
ReplyDeleteWhat excatly *is* it that they think they have to do to pass? Just be their own speshul-weshul selves? It's a mystery.
ReplyDeleteCan they not add up their own 0's?
ReplyDeleteI had a student that received an F in an intro stats class, two years ago. Last year, he showed up at one of my summer classes I teach at another college and called me out of my classroom to ask me about his failing grade from a year ago at the other school. I explained to him that based on the criteria in the syllabus, his weighted average caused him to get the F. He was insistent that he should have received at least a C. I told him to go back to the other school and discuss this with the chair of the dept.
ReplyDeleteTwo nights ago, he shows up again! With the same questions and insisting that his grad be changed to at least a C. I told him to email me to discuss the issue. The next morning, I called the university police to tell them that this person ( I didn't know whether he was a student at the school or not) was harassing me and I filed a report accordingly. It turns out he is non-matriculated, taking a summer class. They served him with a letter of complaint telling him that he must meet with the dean of students to discuss his conduct before he can attend any more classes.
This is the strangest episode I have ever experienced with a student receiving a failing grade. A close second is the student I had 4 years ago who was in the Army reserve and was attending classes being paid on the GI bill. He withdrew from the class, expecting to be called up for active duty. Two weeks ago, I received and email from him, asking for his grade of W to be changed to F because the VA wanted the money back for the tuition since he withdrew from classes and he could not afford to pay it back. Receiving an F would have negated the need to reimburse the government for the tuition. I told him, sorry, but, I'm not going to be a party to fraud.