Giving away grades - unethical?

[bravera]

Not sure if I'm just being overly sensitive about this or not, but has anyone experienced professors giving out free points on exams to students for things other than academic achievement? My professors have recently been announcing random sessions where they will go over answers to the exam we just took, and have been giving extra points on the exams to students simply to students who attended the session. Some of these sessions are not related to exams or assignments at all, but are related to extracurricular volunteer activities off-campus. The students receiving these extra points have been a little overly snotty about it and rubbing it in the faces of those who study and cannot attend the sessions due to clinicals, work, or other engagements.

Is this common practice? Am I being overly sensitive? Just wanted some other opinions before I decide to start raging :)

[psu_213, BSN, RN]

I think it's a little silly for them to give out points, but I wouldn't call it unethical. When I was in school there were always people asking the instructors (usually in non-nursing courses) for bonus points. When the instructor would say no, these people would start talking about how unfair the instructor is. I am not opposed to easy points, but true bonus points? No, that is for grade school. You get your grade based on how well you do on the assignments/exams for the course, not some phony bonus scheme. But, again, not necessarily unethical.

As for other students being snotty about it...that's pretty rude, but you are just going to have to deal with that.

[Stephalump]

Our BON apparently doesn't allow extra credit in nursing programs to prevent grade inflation, so that's not an issue for us. Our instructors do sometimes allot a certain number of points on a our test grade for extra things (like case studies done in class) to encourage us to come to class, but it's never random and applies to everyone.

I think I'd be really annoyed by your programs policy.

[vintagemother, BSN, CNA, LVN, RN]

I don't think its unethical. I attended a state university as a single mom and was taking a full load of pre-med sciences and remember this particular professor saying I couldn't expect to pass his class unless I came to the "optional" study sessions held after class.

At the time I was dumbfounded. I worked after school every day and also had a preschooler. (I was 18!) I didn't think it was fair to set up a class so that a person can't pass unless they attend stuff outside of class. I ended up changing majors shortly after that.

But, you know what, when I decided to go back to school at age 30 to become a nurse, I told myself I was willing to commit to doing WHATEVER it took. I'd jump through whatever hoops I had to because I wasn't going to let anyone stop me from pursuing this dream of being a nurse.

During the last several years of taking prereqs and nursing school classes, sometimes I've attended after school activities / study sessions and sometimes I haven't. It just depended on whether it was offered or if I needed the extra points/ help.

[Everline]

When I was in my pre-reqs, I had professors who would give extra points for volunteer activities or for bringing canned goods to food drives. I thought it was a bit strange, as I had never encountered it before, but no one else seemed to think anything amiss—or at least they never told me if they did. It did seem a bit unfair, but I don't know about "unethical".

In my nursing school they are not allowed to give random extra points of that nature. In fact, the only thing that can go toward your grade are the exams you take. Everything else is ungraded or is pass/fail. Some teachers do give you bonus questions on the exam, but they are nursing questions and usually related to ungraded work we are assigned to help us study.

[guest699183]

Haven't seen this with any nursing classes but a sociology professor offered extra points for attending certain events outside of class. Didn't really bother me. The amount of points was small and it was still easy to earn an A even without the points. I think it was mainly used to encourage people to participate in on campus events - one was a speaker on Islam, another was a debate on controversial issues.

[OrganizedChaos, LVN]

When I was taking a biology course the professor gave out bonus points if you attended study sessions with one of her TAs. I went, I had the time & the bonus points were a nice extra. But in nursing school we never had that. Pssh, I wish!

[Jenngirl34RN]

It is not unethical since the opportunity to attend is offered to all of the students.

[sunshyne17]

It's not unethical but it does blow.

It would be unethical if the instructor gave great test scores to people she knew who would have other wise failed.