Advice from someone who might have "been there"...

[tunafish1]

Hello All..

I have an interesting tale that I would appreciate some advice, feedback or experience regarding.

I am a current RN student well into school. I am a good student, I do not miss class, have a good gpa..I am the one who follows the rules.

I was informed late last semester that I did not pass a nursing class. MANY issues arose in finding out why, but I filed a grievance with the college and it took all summer to get through the proper channels. I presented myself well, was polite and dignified and very well prepared.

I was turned down.

NOW..the issue at hand. During this process, I found out through self-admittance of the professor involved in all of this that a great deal of the class sat at "my" level..and her exact words were "I had to lower the passing grade percentages to fill the nursing xxxxx class for next semester as we were worried we would not have enough students." Now passing was a 78%. A "D" or non-passing grade is a 70-77.5%. Admittedly, this professor passed some D's onto a C to fill the next semester of classes. I heard this, the college president heard this, everyone heard it..including my attorney who was only there as a witness.

I kept quiet as this was BIG information. Earlier in the grievance proceeding, I was called a poor student for a previous nursing class grade of a "C". I argued that this "C" was a 84.33%.

I was met with..doesn't matter, a "C" is a "C".

SO..isn't a "D" a "D"?

Can this professor pass students with the SAME letter grade on and not others? There is no description in the syllabus for a D-, D, or a D+.. If a C is a C, then isn't a D a D?

As I kept quiet and discreet about this information that I should not have been privvy too, it worked against me. I thought being discreet would reward me. It did not.

More students were moved on who earned a "D", then were held back and told to repeat.

Also, the students held back..are all federally funded pell grant students. Now the gov't. is paying twice for a student who got the same grade as another who isn't required to retake the class.

Our gov't is broke enough ..

You all know that a professor having this high of a failure rate needs to be evaluated, but it seems the college stands behind her. The professor now explains that this was fair because each class may have had a different test with one being harder than the other? You know we all had basically the same tests.

Anyone with any knowledge or advice? I am posting this in the general nurses forum to gather experience from those who have already graduated or may be educators themselves..

Thank you.

[bleverett]

The best attorney is you. Many students have been unfairly treated by a professor or two. I too had the same problmes and my GPA was 370. I got well prepared by speaking with other students before me,a favorite professor who walked me through the politics of higher educatin. I collected documentation and made a bulleted list of facts. I went into the Deans office armed with awareness and spoke. I told her the student body was looking for a god outcome. I didin't miss a day. I suggeted that if the instructor is working then I should be attending. That was only fair. You aren't unique.

If the school changes grading mid semester, that is grounds to change schools. Start fresh, do your assignments and keep trucking through what seems like an enormous task, You will graduate if you are determined.

[Wishinonastar, BSN]

Not expecting a different answer... Just looking for a different venue.. Perhaps those involved at a higher level. My deepest apologies that this repeat question offends some of you. It wasn't meant to and not sure why it does

To clarify... All of those in question received a D percentage-wise.. Some progressed on.. Some did not. I am simply looking to see if anything like this has ever happen to anyone else. There is no disrespect or whinning intended.

As someone who has taught I will tell you that a certain amount of discretion is part of the teaching process. Teachers are permitted to change a close grade based on other factors to enable a student to pass. Education is not black and white. They try to make it as level a playing field as possible, but just like clinical or grading a written paper some degree of the teacher's opinion goes into your grade.

As to the school supporting the teacher, this is how it is done. The teacher is always right. At least in front of the student. If anything is thought to be done incorrectly this will be addressed with the teacher privately. Most schools do not allow any grade below a B to continue in a nursing program.

[AZ Nurse]

OK....I am a nursing faculty member. At our school if it isn't in the syllabus then it isn't going to happen - so we couldn't lower the passing score as our syllabus states what passing is for the course. The syllabus is a contract between you and the instructor. I don't know what happened that allowed this prof to do this. You will be a better nurse for having to repeat and achieve a higher grade (yes, I know this sounds corny). Would you want someone caring for your loved one who only had 78% of the knowledge needed to care for them well? I would challange the college not on your failure but on the fact that the instructor changed the criteria from what was posted in the syllabus. Good luck.

[Wishinonastar, BSN]

OK....I am a nursing faculty member. At our school if it isn't in the syllabus then it isn't going to happen - so we couldn't lower the passing score as our syllabus states what passing is for the course. The syllabus is a contract between you and the instructor. I don't know what happened that allowed this prof to do this. You will be a better nurse for having to repeat and achieve a higher grade (yes, I know this sounds corny). Would you want someone caring for your loved one who only had 78% of the knowledge needed to care for them well? I would challange the college not on your failure but on the fact that the instructor changed the criteria from what was posted in the syllabus. Good luck.

All the schools I have gone to and dealt with have had some degree of discretion such as using a grading curve sometimes or rounding up to the next highest grade if you had say a 84.58%. It definitely depends on how things are written in the syllabus and student handbook and the school policies.

[Over-the-hill-Nurse]

OP I understand your question that a D should be a D... I have been in nursing 20 years now. While doing my clinicals, like you had a good gpa and thought that I was doing well. It was in my last semester that I failed in one of my clinicals. I was extremely upset and didn't understand it at all. I did everything possible to get my grade changed to no avail. I finally set up an appointment with the instructor who failed me. Having done this, I found out from the instructor why she did not pass me. As I had this same instructor for several classes, she after making her decision based on my performance in all of past clinicals didn't feel that I had grasped the concept for her to pass me. What she said to me during that meeting was this "You are an exceptional student and I know that you can do better. You will be a nurse who in the long run will be a nurse who will be able to master anything and overcome anything that is put in your path". She was right. I was tired, and had really been stretching myself to get it done and had not gotten a good handle on the concepts of this class.

My point is this- go and talk to the instructor yourself and ask her to discuss with you what she based your grade on. Let her know that you appreciate all that she had taught you but in order to improve yourself, you would like to be able to understand why she felt you needed to take the class over.

Then reschedule the class with a different instructor if possible so that there is not a wedge already present between you when you redo the class. I know that it is hard to realize that your instructor may be doing you a favor instead of just not passing you but you in the long run with feel better about yourself after you have repeated the class and gave 110% to doing better.

At the time it is happening it just feels like a "injustice" but it appears that this instructor is sticking to her guns and is not going to adjust the grade. Now you need to do what is right and repeat the class. You will be better for it and will have a better understanding of what is being taught the second time around. Good luck to you.

[KrysyRN, BSN]

I think you were treated unfairly. A 'D' is a 'D'. Every 'D' should have been required to repeat the course, in my opinion.

During my 3rd semester of school, more than 85% of the students in one of my classes failed the course. I think there were about 40 in the class. It threw the school into a tizzy for a while. They had to open an accelerated night course for all these students to retake the class quickly. No one was given a pass that scored below a "C'.

[eagle78]

I think you were treated unfairly. A 'D' is a 'D'. Every 'D' should have been required to repeat the course, in my opinion.

During my 3rd semester of school, more than 85% of the students in one of my classes failed the course. I think there were about 40 in the class. It threw the school into a tizzy for a while. They had to open an accelerated night course for all these students to retake the class quickly. No one was given a pass that scored below a "C'.

This is a good point to see. Challenging the grade does not have to result in your passing, it could result in those that have passed being pushed back. I agree with some other posters that it was a curve, it happens alot.

In my own experience, I had to repeat A&P. It is the only class I have had to repeat. I was .5% from passing but did not make the grade. Trust me I did not want to repeat of my own initiative, the teacher was really hard. In the end I had to accept the fact that repeating the course was a necessary evil as I did not completely grasp the concepts I needed. In the end I repeated with the same instructor, got a better understanding of the material, developed better study habits and came out with a B instead of the D+ I had the first time. If I may say so myself repeating that class was probably the best thing that happened to me.