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Re: HOW MANY TIMES?



Ludwick, I am also curious why you ask?

This has never happened to me. However, I have sort-of been on the other
end... i.e. I had to tell a faculty member it was okay to give a student a
bad grade. But I did that because he asked, not because I thought there was
a leniency problem. Here is what happened.

Our administration points out to us (frequently) the need to keep enrollment
up. This involves both recruitment and retention. We had a campus-wide
retention meeting just yesterday. Even though our retention rate is right
at the national average, they want it higher. They say things like,
"remember to treat students with compassion and try to find ways for them to
be successful."

On one hand this is a good statement. Sometimes we need reminded that
students are people, they have goals, and part of our job is to help them be
successful. But it is also a confusing statement, especially for young
faculty who are overly compassionate about students loosing scholarships or
having to be in school an extra semester because they have to repeat a
course.

Since I am the department chair, a young faculty member recently asked me,
"If I apply the grading procedure outlined the syllabus, Student-x will get
a D in my course. He will likely lose his financial aid and he will have to
repeat the course. What should I do?"

I told him that if he was convinced no errors had been made, give the
student the grade as prescribed by the syllabus.

Michael D. Edmiston, Ph.D. Phone/voice-mail: 419-358-3270
Professor of Chemistry & Physics FAX: 419-358-3323
Chairman, Science Department E-Mail edmiston@bluffton.edu
Bluffton College
280 West College Avenue
Bluffton, OH 45817