Serious doubts about the integrity of my degree.

[apple_pathways]

I got this email from the professor for my Complex Organizations class today:

Note on Exam I: Most of you did just fine on the exam, but for those who struggled and hope to do better on future exams, I have decided to establish a MINIMUM GRADE for the exam of 70%. So, if after adding the 3point curve, your score was stil below 70%, you can now record your Exam I grade as 70%. I must caution that this is a one time adjustment, and I will not be doing this on subsequent exams.

What? WHAT? I repeat: WHAT?!?

This was one of the easiest exams I've ever taken in my life! It's not enough that his lectures move at a snail's pace with a patronizing level of dumbing-down of the material; that his lectures are more or less a summary of the readings (WHY DO I HAVE TO READ THEM IF YOU'RE JUST GOING TO REPEAT ALL THE SAME INFORMATION IN CLASS??); or that he gave everyone an extra 3 percentage points for the hell of it.

HE IS JUST HANDING EVERYONE WHO FAILED THE EXAM A C-???

Fuck you, dickhead.

Now, someone tell me I'm way too worked-up over this, that I need to take a deep breath and calm down because this has nothing to do with me.

Because I want to punch this guy in the face.

Comments

[stick-poker.livejournal.com]

It does have something to do with you, but don't get mad, get writing. Write to the professor, CCed to the tutor in overall charge of the course if there is one, and whatever department of academic supervision is relevant, and explain how you feel - that doing this cheapens the efforts of those who have put the work in, that do understand it, and that you're concerned about the maintenance of academic standards and want your degree to mean something. Maybe this is different standards on diferent sides of the pond, but I think it's a perfectly reasonable complaint to make.

[apple-pathways.livejournal.com]

I would not say his grading policy is typical of American standards. I don't know if this practice is common at other Universities, but it is the first time I have ever heard of it happening. I had a few teachers in high school who would throw out a few extra points if everyone in the class did poorly on a test, but I have never even seen the concept of a "Minimum Grade" before this email.

Though I'm starting to get nervous about it, I will write to my professor and CC his department. I've been mentally composing my email all night and all morning (rather than focusing on review for my Social Research Methods exam, but oh well: I think it went fine).

I just don't know what this man is thinking! He even sits on the faculty board for the school.