I teach an Intro to Psych class at Tulsa Community College. I told my students at the beginning of the semester I could practically guarantee they would pass my class if they would just show up.
On the first day of the course we had a frank discussion about what it takes to make a good grade (A,B, or C): attend class and come prepared (do the assigned reading before class). I then shared with them the age old formula for American higher education: (2) hours of study outside of class for every (1) hour the class meets. I plan my course work and syllabus around that formula: four tests and a paper, one point for each class attended and seven quizzes/class participation grades for a total of 600 points.
One student who had missed about half the classes and two of the tests approached me after taking the final this morning. “Can I make up one of the tests I missed?”
Let’s see… if you aced today’s final and did the same with one of the two exams you missed, you still flunk. Ace the final, do well on both exams you missed, and throw a paper together all in the next 48 hours and you might pull a D.
My first impulse was to remind him the criteria for grades was clearly laid out in the syllabus and an “F” is the grade he has earned.
But he did make over half the classes and he is talking to me so maybe we can work something else out: perhaps an Incomplete or a AW (Administrative Withdrawal). (I’m not inclined to give an “I” because, as an adjunct instructor, there is no guarantee I’ll be at school next semester.)
The question is how to give a kid a reasonable break and still have him face some consequences for not talking to me until it’s nearly too late. An F stays on his transcript forever… a tough way to learn to be assertive and talk with people earlier rather than later when there’s a problem. An AW means he won’t take a hit on his gpa and he can take the class again, but he’ll have to pay back any student loans he took out for my course (the fed’s don’t like it when you take their money and then drop out of school).
I’m inclined to give him the AW; his consequences include taking a financial hit (possibly messing up school loans for next semester) and knowing the work he did, half-hearted as it might have been, was for nothing and he’ll have to take the course over again.
What would you do?
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Bowden, You are sounding reasonable and gracious. My experiences in college and seminary did include your kind of favor. I failed an economics class during my senior year by a fraction of a point. In fact, if the professor would have rounded the final grade up, then I would have passed. The tests were all essay and I submit that an extra point or two could have potentially been found on any of the exams. I had to appeal all the way to the dean of students to get the F changed to a D so that I could graduate. The Dean looked over all of my work and changed the grade. It was only the second time that a dean had every changed a grade at Union University. Now you know the rest of the story…
I have a similar story at Oklahoma State… only my story involves the Dean exploding in rage at yet another complaint about this particular professor.
Tough call…my sadistic side says that if the student is willing to put himself through all of that in the next 48 hours, it could be interesting to see what he’d do. But truthfully, I’d be rooting for him to fail because as you said, he needs to feel some type of consequence. I think the AW is a good balance of consequence and mercy. Kudos to you.
For me, it would depend on the student’s attitude and willingness to work. Why did he miss the classes and tests? I have very little patience with this type of behavior.
In my high school Freshman English class, I once had a Senior who was taking the class for the second time. She didn’t pay attention, didn’t do the work, didn’t show up for class or tests. She skipped a test because it was her and her boyfriend’s ‘anniversary’.
She came to me the day of the final (and a day before graduation) asking if she could make up ‘a project or something’; ‘Can’t you just let me pass?’
She flunked. Hard cheese.
Is this the first time this student has come to you, for any reason? Does he deserve a ‘reasonable break’?
Yet, grace is a wonderful thing.
Jared,
We had a round of flu that decimated the school in Febuary; this kid never caught up, even though he continued to (sporadically) attend. I suspect he became overwhelmed and just gave up.
I don’t consider myself a bleeding heart, but…
It is a junior college; with a few exceptions, these aren’t the best and the brightest. I believe one of my tasks as an instructor is to teach some study skills and prepare these students to be successful in a four year university.
I guess one of my motivations for showing some mercy and not following my initial inclination is I don’t want students like this to become so turned off to higher ed they never finish.
Bowden,
Apparently it is up to me to be the Simon Cowell of this particular thread.
First, I’m glad you brought this up. It gives me the opportunity to thank you as an adjunct for lending your expertise to TCC so that students get information directly from someone in the field. I know you are not doing it for the money, as adjuncts make miserable amounts (I warn you to NEVER break down your pay by the hour). One of the dirty little secrets about higher ed is that it would grind to an utter halt without adjunct faculty.
A couple of thoughts, procedural and then to your question
You give two options, the I or the AW. It appears to me that really the AW is your only option At TCC, a student must be passing the class for an “I†to be awarded. This student is not. (http://www.tulsacc.edu/page.asp?durki=2076&site=23&return=126)
In terms of the AW, in our institution only a Dean can make that award.
But I will assume that at TCC you have checked into it and are able to make a recommendation for one or the other of these.
Here’s why I wouldn’t:
When approaching these situations I try to look at things from two perspectives: the student’s perspective and other kids in the class. First the other students’ perspective. If I make a decision to give him an AW or an I, would it be fair for everyone else? When I deviate from the syllabus for one student, would there be other students who would benefit from this policy if they knew about it. The answer is likely yes.
If so, they are being penalized for their lack of “working the system.†In other words, they took your syllabus at its word. (BTW, Do you have a policy for make-ups? Has this student met that policy)? Part of the nagging issue with this student is that he only came up to you after completing the final exam.
In terms of the individual student, I think that poor decisions need to have consequences. In the overall scheme of things, an “F†in an intro class will not derail the student’s career and might teach him a valuable (and safe) lesson. Better to fail in class than in the work force. The consequences of his choices are rather modest. Plus, TCC offers a “retention grade†policy that will allow a new grade to replace a “D†or an “Fâ€. http://www.tulsacc.edu/page.asp?durki=2076&site=23&return=126
A grade of an “F†doesn’t always mean failure and sometimes important lessons are learned outside the classroom. I think that at times, the most gracious act can be to hold someone else accountable. Whichever way you decide, I would meet with the student (if possible) and talk through these things. “Here’s why I am cutting you some slack†or “Here’s why it is in your best interest that I not…â€
TaranSimon,Thanks for the input (I was literally in the process of sending you an email asking for your take on the situation when your comment appeared).
My mentor at TCC (the interim chair who recruited me) routinely gives AW’s. I’m uncomfortable with her rational and have been trying to decide what I actually believe. (And, yes, instructors have the freedom – and as I stated above – are encouraged to do so.) Additionally, I received a call from an administrator “strongly encouraging” me to award an AW for a similar situation with another student.
Since I’ve posted this I’ve decided to go with the institutional culture (taking the path of least resistance) and give the student(s) an AW.
I’m now seriously considering what I will do in the future (this is my third semester at TCC and the first time it has come up).
Thanks to everyone for their thoughts!
P.S. I do have a policy for make up exams but this experience has taught me it is too vague and needs to be tightened/clarified.
Bowden,
Given the institutional culture, I would likely have made the same decision. I’ll only add a thought I didn’t include before (but you allude to) and that is the tendency for these requests from students to proliferate as students share information with one another.
I hope that the administrators aren’t simply taking the easy way out to avoid paperwork headaches. What else is an administrator good for, if not to do paperwork for the faculty?
(Although I do like the “AW” designation. It reminds me of the root beer. “Sure, I’ll give you an “AW,” let’s walk to the cafeteria together!”)
Bowden: Speaking as one with first-hand experience at flunking out, and one who never went back after a failing first year, I’d ask myself not which answer would best help him in his education, but rather which alternative would be most instructive as to life itself. And if an “F” stops him from further education, then further education probably wouldn’t help him.
Or not. If I hadn’t been the big flunkout that I was, maybe I wouldn’t be the Resident Idiot of Blogdom, now.
My first year at Bible college I had to withdrawal twice from freshmen comp. The real world of college courses hit this dyslexic kid up the head. My profs caught on my struggle early on and I did every assignment and never missed a test, I just did horrible work. The withdrawals were costly economically but I learned each time I took the course. I ended up getting a B in the class on my third try. The Prof became one of my buddies in the faculty. That was a long time ago, I am now working on a Masters Degree and passed the GRE with decent scores. The first time I withdrew I felt horrible, but the prof was so cool, she showed me how much I learned. So how can the student learn the most in this situation, not just consequences but the content of the course. Just a thought.
Randy,
I haven’t heard from you in a while; thanks for reading and stopping by. Hope everything is going well.