Getting withdrawn because of a pre-req. Dispute?

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I need some ideas with disputing a grade. I am half way through my nursing program. I passed my main nursing class Med surg and all my pre reqs except for speech. At the mid-term I had an 80 in this class and towards the end we had a speech which is worth about 15% of your grade and 10% for peer evaluation. The instructor gave very vague instructions for the speech so I decided to do an impromptu on abortion. He decided that I was unprepared and should not have given this style considering the time we had and he gave me a 2/5 for my speech. Other students did PRESENTATIONS not speeches such as how to make chip dip demo in class. They received 4/5 and 4.5/5. This speech pretty much killed my grade and now I am being withdrawn out of the program because of it. I have a meeting with the academic advisor the instructor if he is available. Any ideas on how I can fight this?

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My advice is that you admit to the teacher that you were wrong and ask for a second chance. I think that's your best option. :) Arguing with the teacher won't do you any good. The teacher gave you a lot of time to prepare which means an impromptu speech was the last thing he expected. If he wanted you to do an impromptu speech, he wouldn't give you time to prepare. Also i suggest you don't mention the vague instructions. The prof would just question you as to why you didn't ask him for clarification.

btw how to make a chip dip is an example of demonstrative speech.

Good luck. I hope they give you another chance.

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There is no time for a second chance. Grades are already in and there is only time to dispute. Any other suggestions?

BTW I did ask him if I could redo the presentation and he pretty much ignored me.

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There is no time for a second chance. Grades are already in and there is only time to dispute. Any other suggestions?

BTW I did ask him if I could redo the presentation and he pretty much ignored me.

The problem you face is that I don't see any grounds to dispute. If, at the time, you had tried to clarify the assignment with the Prof before it was due, and still felt it was to vague....then maybe. But disputing a grade because you'll be withdrawn from your program isn't grounds for dispute.

you might do better asking for a second chance from the nursing department so you can re-take the Speech class.

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Specializes in Critical Care; Cardiac; Professional Development.

I don't see anything to dispute here either. I second the above suggestion that you request permission to retake the class. It sounds like everyone else in the class understood what he wanted and for whatever reason you did not. It also sounds, to be honest, like you did not prepare and got yourself stuck.

Best of luck. I would think you would be given another chance to retake the class if you have not already taken it more than once.

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I would certainly retake with another instructor.

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I couldnt believe he would actually fail me. I am sure many of you will argue the class is important, but it really is just a filler class to satisfy the states requirement for an associates degree. Now, with that being said he must of had some sort of bias against me knowing I had passed all my nursing classes and other pre reqs. Unfortunitly I have only completed about 40% of my clinicals hours or I would just go the Excelsior route at this point.

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I couldnt believe he would actually fail me. I am sure many of you will argue the class is important, but it really is just a filler class to satisfy the states requirement for an associates degree. Now, with that being said he must of had some sort of bias against me knowing I had passed all my nursing classes and other pre reqs. Unfortunitly I have only completed about 40% of my clinicals hours or I would just go the Excelsior route at this point.

There may be more to it than what you're saying....but nothing you've posted indicates a bias of any sort. I can't imagine why whether you passed or not would matter to him one way or another.

From what you've said, he failed you because he thought you were unprepared for a major class assignment.

Whether you consider it an important class or not.....the school evidently think's it's important enough for you to be withdrawn from nursing school. That would make it important for me.

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Another example of "Not my fault" syndrome. You were told that you had to make a speech. In advance. If you thought it was "vague", why couldn't you clarify the iffy points with the instructor. And, it may be a "filler" class, but I can attest that there's nurses out there who can't speak a coherent sentence, so that's why the "filler" class is needed. Becuae YOu thought the instructions were vsgue, you thought, "Aw, heck, I'll show him. I'll just do a speech off the top of my head." Now you understand why you got the grade given?

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Specializes in PICU, Sedation/Radiology, PACU.

First, consult your nursing school handbook and read the policy about dismissal from the program. If the handbook says you can be dismissed after one failure, then I don't think there is anything you can do except ask for a second chance. In my program, two core class failures or one nursing class failure is enough for dismissal, but students are occasionally readmitted or kept on probationary status. I didn't see you speech, so I can't speak to how good the speech was and the fairness of your grade. But I do know what "improptu" is pretty much a synonym for "unprepared."

Ashley

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First, consult your nursing school handbook and read the policy about dismissal from the program. If the handbook says you can be dismissed after one failure, then I don't think there is anything you can do except ask for a second chance. In my program, two core class failures or one nursing class failure is enough for dismissal, but students are occasionally readmitted or kept on probationary status. I didn't see you speech, so I can't speak to how good the speech was and the fairness of your grade. But I do know what "improptu" is pretty much a synonym for "unprepared."

Ashley

As per the OP this was a Pre-req class....so the only thing in the nursing handbook will likely be: Student's can't progress past X point without pre-reqs being completed.

But as has been said before, the OP should speak with their nursing program and see if they can retake the speech class.

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Specializes in PICU, Sedation/Radiology, PACU.
As per the OP this was a Pre-req class....so the only thing in the nursing handbook will likely be: Student's can't progress past X point without pre-reqs being completed.

As I stated, my nursing handbook states explicitly the grounds for program dismissal (two pre-requisite/core courses or one nursing course) and also includes the required GPA for core classes. The OP's school might be different, but the handbook is still the place he should look if he/she is appealing dismissal from the program.

Not allowing a student to progress until pre-reqs are completed is completely different than withdrawl from the program. The latter at least gives the option of retaking the failed pre-requisite.

Ashley

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