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My friend has a situation that I told him to go up the ladder on because of the teacher not willing to work with him.
Background. In the syllabus the teacher says that the "lowest test grade will be dropped". Nothing else just that in terms of tests/grades.
Fast forward to last week. He was struggling with the material and did not feel comfortable about going into the test. Studied for it but it's material that he'll never need to know again because of the type of class it is. Meaning, the material not going to be the building blocks of something else he has to take. But he needs the class to graduate.
The day of the test he over slept & woke up sick. He was going to still go into take the test but honestly he said the hell with it when he had to sit on the toilet 3 times in a 15 minute time span. You all get the picture I'm sure. The reason he decided not to was because of the reason above but also he knew that he this test would likely be the one that gets dropped & what's the point of taking a test and getting a 60 vs a 0 if both can be dropped?
Well,
He finds out the teacher is now saying you have to be present for a test you want to drop. So now he's got a ZERO that will factor into a class that is already difficult for him. Not because he's stupid but because he's taking classes that actually go towards his major and this is simply a requirement class.
He's worried that he could go all semester and still fail because he's only able to put so much time into this class. He's got some pretty tough classes that actually are the beginning of much difficult classes.
I told him if the teacher is not going to let him drop that lowest test grade he should go above her & show the syllabus stating "lowest test grade will be dropped". I know it sounds like a court room by specifically interpreting what is read but if she failed to put that in the literature I think he might have some room to argue.
There's another issue here; he was legitimately sick. Did he mention that? He wasn't able to function independent of proximity to a bathroom that day. Did he go to the campus health service, btw? Would've been helpful to get a doctor's note. Now the prof only has his word to go on, but still--some instructors accept that, and go from there, providing a makeup test.
There's another issue here; he was legitimately sick. Did he mention that? He wasn't able to function independent of proximity to a bathroom that day. Did he go to the campus health service, btw? Would've been helpful to get a doctor's note. Now the prof only has his word to go on, but still--some instructors accept that, and go from there, providing a makeup test.
He did mention that yes. No he didn't get a note because that night he felt a lot better. Went to class (other classes) the next day.
He's not even asking for a make up test. His argument is simply that you put in the syllabus that you're going to drop the lowest test grade. Well, he's getting a 0 on it. That's the lowest test grade. But now the teacher wants to add in "you need to be in class to get that lowest test grade". That was never in the syllabus so that's why I am telling him to go above her head because he should be able to use that to his advantage.
He also has all A's & B's in all other classes his prior 2 years there. So it's not like he's a person with a record of dropping classes/failing. Very solid record.
He did mention that yes. No he didn't get a note because that night he felt a lot better. Went to class (other classes) the next day.
He's not even asking for a make up test. His argument is simply that you put in the syllabus that you're going to drop the lowest test grade. Well, he's getting a 0 on it. That's the lowest test grade. But now the teacher wants to add in "you need to be in class to get that lowest test grade". That was never in the syllabus so that's why I am telling him to go above her head because he should be able to use that to his advantage.
He also has all A's & B's in all other classes his prior 2 years there. So it's not like he's a person with a record of dropping classes/failing. Very solid record.
I can see how there's a grey area there, because it wasn't mentioned that you have to show up for, and attempt to take, the test, in order to "earn" that dropped-score option. Most likely, the chair of the dept. would defer to the instructor, in case of a grey area, though. The instructor didn't create that allowance, in order to encourage students to skip a test. I can see your friend's POV, and there were extenuating circumstances, which IMO, carry more weight. But the chair isn't going to want to get embroiled in hair-splitting, that's my take, But your friend can certainly try.
And btw, this is not an issue for the dean. The first step is the dept. chair, just saying, in case you guys were thinking in terms of approaching the dean.
Technically, you can't drop a test from a student's record if that test wasn't taken (and if that test doesn't exist), so I can see the instructor's POV here. Also, there's probably nothing on the syllabus that explicitly says that students get to skip a test (and have that absence not count, as well).
Is there anything on the syllabus stating that absences will be excused in cases of documented illness and other emergencies? If there is no policy in that regard, that may be your friend's best angle here.
Technically, you can't drop a test from a student's record if that test wasn't taken (and if that test doesn't exist), so I can see the instructor's POV here. Also, there's probably nothing on the syllabus that explicitly says that students get to skip a test (and have that absence not count, as well).
Is there anything on the syllabus stating that absences will be excused in cases of documented illness and other emergencies? If there is no policy in that regard, that may be your friend's best angle here.
Technically, you can't drop a test from a student's record if that test wasn't taken (and if that test doesn't exist), so I can see the instructor's POV here. Also, there's probably nothing on the syllabus that explicitly says that students get to skip a test (and have that absence not count, as well).
Is there anything on the syllabus stating that absences will be excused in cases of documented illness and other emergencies? If there is no policy in that regard, that may be your friend's best angle here.
But if a 0 is put in as an entry that brings down other tests how you can argue that? Just seems like a huge gray area. I mean is what you're saying opinion or literally a rule that stats that?
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