WWYD? Should I challenge my grade?

[Jengerbread88]

I've had a few issues with a new professor at our school. A lot of students are having problems with her, but honestly, I'm starting to wonder if I need to challenge my grade in the class.

Here's what I see from my side:

-Toolbox: We had to put together what would be in a visual merchandising toolbox, which was a pretty easy task. We needed to price it out and explain it. I did a very simple 5 column layout: Item, Product features, Store purchased from, Price (including shipping), and customer rating. Now, mind you, when I have gone to purchase a large item, I make a spreadsheet like this to compare brands, and include customer ratings for my own reference.
I got 2 points counted off, but no notice as to why I had lost points. Mind you, 2 points is minor. But when I asked about it, she told me I got counted off "for having a customer rating column." Um. You counted me off for an extra column? Really? Seriously? She said "It looked cluttered." Now, keep in mind... this column was about one inch wide. It wasn't even that wide, actually.
I'm also frustrated because when I asked her about it, and asked why I lost two points, she looked at it and said "Umm... (pause for 15 seconds), I think it was because of this column here." If she would have known, it would make sense. But her pause made me think she counted me off without even being certain of WHY she counted me off.

But I quickly got over it, whatever... it's 2 points.

-Hallmark Write Up: We visited the Hallmark headquarters and had to write a 2 page paper. I got a 72%. This would be a "C" grade. I would understand if I were counted off on content, or even serious grammatic or spelling errors. However, I was counted off because she would have divided my paper into different paragraphs than I did.
That was literally the ONLY thing she counted me off for. Because we had different opinions on how to divide my paragraphs, I got a C on a paper. Is it just me, or is that starting to get nit-picky?

But, I let that one slide, too. Despite the fact that I used to be an English major and I know how to write, and despite the fact that I met all of the content requirements, I just... let it go.

-Midterm exam: First, you need a little background on this. I am a very fast typist. That's not tooting my own horn; I have just practiced typing a lot, and can keep up very well with notes in class. When I type notes, I type everything on the slideshow word for word, and then fill in with whatever she happens to be saying out loud, so I get all of the main slideshow notes, PLUS any "extra" information she gives us. I also save my notes. She went over the descriptions of different stores, and defined "Big Box" versus "boutique" versus "Discount," etc. I still have all of these notes. Before the midterm, I studied them. And somehow, I lost points on the section of the midterm where we used these definitions. Um, how? Well, today, she decided to go over the parts of the midterm a lot of people lost points on.
Every definition she gave was drastically different from the original definition she gave before the midterm. In other words, she was counting me off for studying the information SHE gave me, because it wasn't the information she presented AFTER the midterm. What the heck?!


Should I let it slide and take the grade that I have? (It's a 92.6%, so still an A, but compared to my 100% and my 98.76%, it's a disappointing A). Or, should I go to my advisor and complain?

I feel like the expectations are a little bit ridiculous. How can we know something on the midterm isn't what you want, when it's the information you gave us? If I turn in a paper the next time and divide the paragraphs the way you changed the first paper, will I get graded off because it's still not how you want it? And heaven forbid I add a COLUMN to a spreadsheet.

I just need an outside opinion on this one. I've had a few people tell me "You have an A, so who cares?" and I have had others tell me "If you think the grading is unfair, if you think you deserve a higher grade, no matter how minor the points are, say something."

It does bother me because most of the time she gives you a grade, but no information about why you got that grade (unless you specifically ask). When you do ask, she isn't always sure why she graded you off.

I will say that I did get frustrated at first because high-quality products that would be an A to everyone other professor at this school, is B or C quality to her. However, it would be unfair to grade her based on what other professors would do. I would need to grade her on what she personally did.

Anyway, sorry for the long post. I just need some advice on what to do. :/

[lauren grier]

If you feel you are being graded unfairly, then by all means.. I would do something about it.
My biggest.. chuckle? here is that this is clearly not an english or writing course correct? She shouldn't be giving you a C because she disagrees with your paragraph organization - if you met all other guidelines for the assignment.
She sounds like a very particular/difficult teacher- which is a good t hing, it challenges you.. However- she also sounds like a scatter brain which is not helpful. Marking wrong answers that were based on the coursework she provided earlier is just wacko. Did you bring that specific issue up with her? Showing her your notes etc?

[Jengerbread88]

Originally Posted by lauren grier

My biggest.. chuckle? here is that this is clearly not an english or writing course correct? She shouldn't be giving you a C because she disagrees with your paragraph organization - if you met all other guidelines for the assignment.

Yes, it is definitely not an English course. It is a course in Visual Merchandising. Most of our professors put a certain weight on grammar, such as 10% of the grade is grammar based, and the other 90% is meeting the requirements in content. Instead, she chose to weight the grade on grammar so much that my paragraph set-up cost me 28% of my grade. Additionally, many professors will give a clear rubric, stating how much emphasis is on what features and requirements. This professor never gives a rubric stating how much weight is on each portion of the project, which is odd.


I discussed the issue with the discrepancy in the notes. She firmly states that I must have mis-typed the notes for the assignment. I know for a fact I didn't.

[KyRainbow]

Well, didn't you say that that particular portion of the exam was one she noted as having a "lot of people" having lost points on? If so, I think I'd check with a few of the other students in the class and see if they have the same discrepancies in their notes. If so, then maybe you could approach her as a group about that particular issue.

[dgreenshield]

The additional column in the spreadsheet, I would blow off. As for the definitions, are her presentations on blackboard? Contact a couple of other students and ask to see their notes for those particular lectures. If they have the same definitions, find out if they lost points on those areas as well. If you have your exams to compare then I would look at those questions and then collectively ask her about them. I would not go to your advisor or dean until you have exhausted your options with her.

[jessica31876]

Id let it slide. If you receive an A in the class is it really going to matter if it is a 93-A or a 100-A? I dont know about how college is but my son had a test and he had a problem which was RIGHT 100% right. I took it to the teacher myself and she became even more critical of my son. She assigned a "family project" where he had to research and write about three different figures in US history. I cannot remember who he chose but I do clearly remember one was Abraham Lincoln. I helped a little as it said on the paper family help was allowed. We got info online and from books but she did not require him to site his sources. One of the sources was wikipedia I think. We copied the line about when/where Abraham Lincoln was born. I dont remember the date but the sentence on the site was : Abraham Lincoln was born on xx/xx/xxxx in whatever city. Something like that. It was the ONLY sentence copied exactly. He got an F on it. First she claimed she had never said it was a family project and had a new flyer...in fact a huge stack of flyers saying it wasnt when I called to have a meeting with the principal. It was different then the one my son brought home but of course I could not find the one he had brought home saying your family could help. When I asked them to show me where my son plagarized the site they could site only that one sentence in a report which was one full page long. How many more ways is there to word so and so was born on such a day? I was beyond angry. She was clearly targetting my son at that point. So I insisted he be moved and he was. He did so much better in the new class and I never had an issue with the new teacher. So my point is if you challenge the teacher it may make you a target and if you already receiving a good grade maybe its not worth it to become a target.

[newfiemountiewife]

Originally Posted by dgreenshield

The additional column in the spreadsheet, I would blow off. As for the definitions, are her presentations on blackboard? Contact a couple of other students and ask to see their notes for those particular lectures. If they have the same definitions, find out if they lost points on those areas as well. If you have your exams to compare then I would look at those questions and then collectively ask her about them. I would not go to your advisor or dean until you have exhausted your options with her.

This.

[Jengerbread88]

I spoke to the other student about the notes. No one else in the class takes notes- I asked every single student. (Then again, everyone else has a C to an F in the class, so I guess it makes sense). However, across the board, all tests listed the same stores I did in the same categories I did, so that may be something to consider. Why would we ALL have listed it under the same category?

Jessica, the reason that it DOES matter to me if I have a 93% A versus a 100% A is that our school decides GPA based on the percent you have, not the letter grade. I had a separate class online that I got an 86% in, and need the extra boost in my GPA to get on the honor roll. I need an additional 3% right now in this class to balance it out. If the grades I disagree with were raised, I would have a 98%, which is above the 3% I need. That's the only reason I'd consider fighting something that is an A anyway.