Go to class, do the work, study hard, and the final result should be a big, fat A on your transcript. Makes sense, right? Unfortunately, grading at any school is never that simple. The process of evaluation and distribution of letter grades is often a subjective process, and disagreements and disappointments are bound to occur.
For the majority of Tufts students, the grading standards and procedures are anything but new. Most have had the experience of receiving marks that are less than satisfying at some point or another during their academic career. Oftentimes, lack of studying and effort are the culprits behind those lower scores. But there are other times when students truly believe that the grades they have been given are unfair and that they deserve something better. When this situation occurs, students must consider what course of action to take.
At Tufts, there are two options. Accepting the grade is the first -- and easiest -- choice, but in an environment where success is frequently judged by GPA, it is not an appealing one. Deciding to challenge the grade is the second option, and although it allows students to potentially obtain the grade change they want, some are hesitant because they are unsure about how to go about doing it.
Students sometimes feel uncertain and fearful about challenging their professors. Many believe that professors and teaching assistants are inflexible when it comes to grades they have already given and will be offended if their authority is even questioned.
"Sometimes I wonder if I should even bother," freshman Madeleine Lavender said. "Chances are my grade won't change, and I risk getting on my professor's bad side by questioning his or her judgment."
Officially, there is no grade-challenging policy at Tufts. If a student is unhappy with his or her grade, whether it is on a paper, a test or for the semester, it is up to that student and the professor to handle it in any way the professor sees fit. Some professors have their own policies specifically for dealing with this issue, which they make clear to their students at the beginning of the semester.
Lecturer of English David Valdes Greenwood follows such a format. On the first day of class he welcomes his students to talk to him if they do not agree with the grade they are given -- but only if they go about it in a certain way.
First, students must take the grade home and not look at it for a day. Once 24 hours have passed, they must look over the assignment and his comments -- hopefully with a clearer head -- and if after that, they feel like the grade is unfair, they may then write a response giving clear reasons for why they feel this way. Greenwood suggests giving specific examples from their work that show how they fulfilled the assignment's requirements and why more points are deserved.
Not all instructors have similar policies, but the general idea behind it does not appear to be all that uncommon.
"I had a sociology professor ... who told us we were allowed to contest a grade, but we had to write a one-page response as to why we believed it should be raised," junior Zach Groen said.
There are, however, many professors on campus who do not have such clear-cut rules for grade-challenging. In this situation, it is more difficult for students to know what course of action to take. Even though each professor is different, students have a few options to help their cases.
Many professors emphasize that the first step is to respectfully contact the instructor -- or in the case of a large lecture class, the teaching assistant. It is also important that the student be prepared with reasons why he or she believes the grade should be changed, according to Lecturer of Peace and Justice Studies Sa'ed Atshan, who is currently teaching the Introduction to Peace and Justice Studies course and has also taught at Harvard.
"Students should only take up time of the professor if they have a compelling case," Atshan said.
Groen agreed. "I think you really need to seek out the professor individually and stake your case more specifically than just 'I think I deserve a better grade,'" he said.
Timing is also an important factor. Many professors are accessible through e-mail, but Atshan believes that speaking in person is the best way to approach a professor about a grade dispute. He also suggests not waiting until last minute to approach instructors or bringing up complaints right before a class. A better move is to make an appointment or drop by office hours.
As for how effective this discussion will be, there is no way to tell. Even if a student does everything right, the ultimate decision is left to the professor. Atshan admits that while he welcomes students to come speak with him, it is rare that their complaints amount to much.
"The only time I've ever made a change is when there was a calculation mathematical mistake," he said.
