What do you think about students asking for a higher grade?

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I was wondering what everyone else thought about this...I know of a student who received a C in two of his three nursing classes by just points. He contacted the professor of the one class and asked for a B since he was just a few points away, and the instructor gave it to him. He was thinking about contacting the other professor to see if he could get his grade bumped up in that class as well. What are your opinions on this? I'm of the mindset that you either earn the grade or you don't. I don't think I would have the nerve to ask for points I didn't earn, even if I was just 1 point away from a higher grade.

Specializes in Nursing Education.

Wow, yeah, I think the instructor was totally in the wrong. If you ask me, it is completely unethical to change a student's grade, whether they ask or not. As others have said, it would be different if it was a class-wide curve, but to change a single student's grade? No way.

The ethical principle of Justice is coming to mind...

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Specializes in Nursing Assistant.

I dont think that it's just not right because I think of those students that failed by 1 or 2 points and some prof refuse to change the grade for them.:nono:

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I think the student and teacher are both totally wrong! Wow...that's crazy that a teacher would even do that. :madface:

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Specializes in Nursing Education.

I have been on both sides of this...being the student who is 1-2 points away from a higher grade, and also being a teaching assistant who is doing the grading!

I have never asked a prof for a higher grade at the end of the semester. Instead, I am diligent throughout the semester in making sure I stay on top of reviewing my exams and quizzes for errors. If I find one that's in my favor, I make sure to bring it up to the professor at that time. Not at the end of the semester.

Being a TA, I had an experience once when I got an angry email from a student who accused me of causing his class grade to be lower because I had given him a poor grade on a writing assignment. Being a good little TA, I happily regraded his assignment using the rubric the Prof had provided me for ALL of the assignments, and came up with essentially the same number of points on the regrade. When I informed him of this, I received an even angrier email threatening to take the matter to the instructor. I replied to go ahead and do that, and cc'ed the instructor. The instructor backed me up, and pointed out to the student that even though it was tempting to see that 1 writing assignment as the thing that was holding him back from the grade he wanted, he actually had not done very well on ANY of his exams, which were each worth a lot more than the paper. And he also refused to change the grade.

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I sent an e-mail to my anatomy professor at the end of the term, asking her to keep in mind that I took a lab midterm with an ear and sinus infection. The situation had been that I was diagnosed with an EI and sinus infection the day before our lab midterm and I was a wreck. I e-mailed her to ask if I could take the midterm with her Sunday class (my class was on Thursday nights, so I'd have a couple of days to feel a bit better). My prof was out of town due to a funeral and didn't get back to me in time. So, I went and took the midterm with a substitute who tagged a bit differently than my prof. Well, my prof got back from her funeral and sent me an e-mail on Friday saying it was fine (by then I'd already taken my midterm). Needless to say, I didn't do as well on that midterm (I got a 72) as on the rest of my work in that class and I missed an A by 3 points (I got a total of 357 points out of a potential 400). She asked the class to let her know if we had issues with the sub. She also told us at the start of the term that she doesn't curve, but when a student works hard and comes to open lab, etc. that she takes that into consideration if they're less than a percentage point from a grade.

So, I didn't actually ask for the higher grade and I didn't "expect" to receive it. But, it didn't hurt to remind her that I took the exam sick when, if she'd been in town, she would have let me take the exam a day or two later. If she'd tagged the cadavers and I had not been on several medications, I am confident I could have managed at least an extra 3 points (I averaged in the mid 90s on each of my other 3 tests in that class, so the 72 was a HUGE deviation).

And, I had learned the materials well enough to know them for our comprehensive lab final.

Is it fair for her to give me those 3 points to bring my grade up where she might not have given them to someone else? I don't know if it was fair. But, I do think it was appropriate for her to look at my overall work ethic and the circumstances surrounding my grade that was obviously a major deviation from the rest of my work in the class.

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Specializes in ICU/ER/L&D.

As an instructor, I would never consider this unless the student could prove an error in the original grading. The syllabus is a contract, and I will not break it. If I do not hold to my syllabus, why should I expect my students to do so? Each student receives the grade they earn. If a student complains, I show them the written policies and the handbook, and let them know the process to appeal a grade. My syllabus also states explicitly that I will not entertain requests to change grades except in the case of an error.

I don't feel that asking for a grade you did not earn is professional. It rarely happens that anyone asks, and an interesting note- so far none of those who have complained about their grade have ever taken advantage of the reviews I offer, nor of the peer tutoring opportunities.

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Specializes in Emergency/Cath Lab.

Im going to go a different direction than a lot of people so far. I think grades mean absolutely nothing. I dont think that they are a reflection of what you know or are able to do. I know people in my class with a 4.0 that have almost killed patients in clinicals and others that are barely holding on have the best patient care that I am envious of. Ultimately though I know what I have to do to get my grade and that is how the system works but I dont like it.

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Specializes in Peds/outpatient FP,derm,allergy/private duty.

It's a horrible idea for an instructor to change a student's grade based on an effective sob story or a particularly intimidating student. Perhaps the instructor did that because he or she is lonely and wants to be badgered day and night from the other students wanting their grade kicked up a notch or three.

OP I am wondering how this story came to your attention. It's hard for me to imagine why the student would go blabbing about it-- and it just made the instructor look like a wuss.

I do like the idea of having several optional extra-credit assignments that are sometimes given, and if done can be money in the bank for a borderline grade.

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I can see the student talking about it. Some people are so self-centered they like to talk about their "successes" because they think it makes them important in the eyes of the person hearing the story. People that are truly wise, see the sense in keeping quiet about instances when one has circumvented the system.

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Academics.
It's a horrible idea for an instructor to change a student's grade based on an effective sob story or a particularly intimidating student. Perhaps the instructor did that because he or she is lonely and wants to be badgered day and night from the other students wanting their grade kicked up a notch or three.

This made me laugh!

OP I am wondering how this story came to your attention. It's hard for me to imagine why the student would go blabbing about it-- and it just made the instructor look like a wuss.

From the information on your profile, looks like you've been out of school for about two decades. You'd be surprised how often people nowadays blab about being not studying for a test or hung over right before a test that means pass/fail the entire class and/or semester or what they did to attempt to get their grade over the failing mark.

I do like the idea of having several optional extra-credit assignments that are sometimes given, and if done can be money in the bank for a borderline grade.

In my school, there is usually about 5% of a grade that one could consider a "gimme". Do the work, do it well, and you'll get 5% of the grade valued at 100%. I believe those assignments are provided as the buffer for borderline grades.

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I don't blame someone who failed for asking, what have they got to lose at that point? However, I don't agree with the school or professor adjusting anybody's grade from a failing percentage to a passing percentage. Rumor has it that this is happening at my school after last semester, people who didn't pass by one point are arguing their case for their grade to be adjusted up to the passing mark. Personally, I think a grade is what it is, no exceptions. Grades mean nothing if you can argue your way up from a fail to a pass, and if you weren't passing why should you be back taking care of patients next semester?

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Specializes in Nursing Education.
Im going to go a different direction than a lot of people so far. I think grades mean absolutely nothing. I dont think that they are a reflection of what you know or are able to do. I know people in my class with a 4.0 that have almost killed patients in clinicals and others that are barely holding on have the best patient care that I am envious of. Ultimately though I know what I have to do to get my grade and that is how the system works but I dont like it.

I would guess that you feel that way because all too often teachers are not trained on HOW to assess learning, and HOW to teach in a way that encourages students to learn and retain the most important material. I'm not just picking on nursing instructors here, I have seen this problem in many disciplines.

The problem is that a good multiple choice question takes a LOT longer to write than a bad one (and a bad questions takes longer to write than a bad one from a test bank...but that's another story). And I do think that many nursing instructors are guilty of teaching one thing, and testing on something else...always excusing it with "well, you have to be responsible for everything in the textbook, because on NCLEX that is how it is..."

Excuse me, but last time I checked, a class exam was not NCLEX. And if I was just supposed to memorize the textbook, then why am I supposed pay tuition and attend class? I definitely felt that way some days when I was in nursing school, and sometimes my time would have been much better utilized by studying on my own!

But all that being said, I have had some excellent nursing instructors who teach the students how to learn...and then test accordingly. When it is done well, it is a wonderful method and can definitely can be an indicator of your level of understanding. Unfortunately...it is not often done well. :crying2:

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