I have this law class that I took this semester, It is listed on the syllabus that you get 0 out of 25 points if you go to 9 or less classes. The class was once a week. I was ok with that and did well enough on the four tests to get exactly 380 points which on the syllabus is listed as an A. The teacher can’t fail me if theres no such clause on the syllabus correct? I’m freaking out because one of my class mates mentioned that he thought he said so during the second class?
Why not ask the professor?
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I have emailed him 3 days in a row, no response, class is already over and finals are about to finish up. Basically I thought a syllabus has to be followed unless a modification is sent out, and there is no attendance clause besides the points. So basically can a teacher fail me for just not showing up?
Contact your school administration and find out. They will be the ones who set the policy. It will vary.
I take it the class in question wasn’t Contracts?
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actually last 3 chapters where over contracts, I read online in the handbook that the teacher has to post if attendance is a graded effort, the only part of the syllabus that mentions it is the graded portion mentioning the twenty five points
But theres also this in another section of the syllubas
Academic Dishonesty: Cheating is cheating. Knowing about cheating and not reporting it, is cheating. Read the student handbook! Note attendance is a graded effort and so the handbook
will apply. I reserve the right to award an “F” for the course in the referral to the appropriate university process.
Which to me sounds like he is referring to impersonating another person in class, am I correct on that? or am I just having a case of confirmation bias
you guys are smart people, give me your opinion?
My opinion is, your school likely has a policy on this subject (ie, the extent to which a syllabus is considered to carry the force of a contract). If that’s correct, what the rest of us think about the topic isn’t worth a bucket of warm spit. Here’s hoping the issue breaks in your favor. Let us know how it turns out.
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Opinion? Its silly to pay for a class and not show up for it.
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Seconded. I couldn’t believe the number of students that would so readily skip class when I was in school (and now from the other side). So what if the professor is boring or you have other work to do? We all have smartphones these days, just show up and dick around in your phone, or bring some reading and get ahead. I was always paranoid about skipping class for THE EXACT REASON you brought up here: what if the prof announces or clarifies something about the syllabus, course policy, a change of an exam date, etc?
Signed, a person who graduated college 10 years ago and has turned into grumpy old “back in my day” man.
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I had a few that would just cut people right out. One woman was brutal. She just told a few people “You’re done. I’m not going to waste any time on you. There is no chance of you passing, so don’t come here anymore.”.
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I wouldn’t answer your emails either. I’d reserve my time and energy for students who weren’t too slothful and arrogant to show up to class.
Regardless of how this turns out you have put yourself into a terrible negotiating position. What dean or professor would go to bat for you in this situation, regardless of what the syllabus says? You need to learn to think 5 steps ahead, anticipate risk and be good at gamesmanship if you’re going to be a good attorney. It’s not just the letter of the law that wins cases.
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For the people who are getting a little judgemental about this whole situation
I imagine everyone here is into lifting
now imagine a world in which you and another one of your class mates from college max out 3 days a week on deadlift, whoever wins more for 8 weeks continues to go to college for free. The other does not. This is a situation that a lot of college athletes get put in. Now would you rather skip a class you have an easy A in and sleep 8 and half hours or sleep 5 hours and go to a 3 hour night class.
all of a sudden the situation gets a little murkier.
I doubt you will fail unless the professor is a giant douche “my class is the center of the universe” type. Talk with your advisor or make an appointment with the law school dean if you’re that concerned.
That said, 10 times. You had to show up a whole 10 times and this wouldn’t be an issue… I’m sure most of us have had a three hour night class while working full-time with kids.
Why would you put yourself in this position in an “easy A” class? If you’re going to skate, it’s your life your choice, you better be prepared for the consequences.
At least you haven’t considered hacking your school admin office…
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Not sure about @ActivitiesGuy but I worked 20-30 hours as a college athlete. I went to class unless we were traveling. Yea, it was four painful years of less than ideal sleep, but I graduated with honors, AND no debt.
Regardlng your class, you’ll be fine. The professor probably wouldn’t of noticed had you not sent three emails about it. For gods sake man, all you did was highlight something that could have gone unnoticed.
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Lol, agree, the “I’m a college athlete” angle is not helping your case, kid.
I agree with usmc that you most likely will not get a “failing” grade. You clearly did well enough on the exams that you know the material.
I also agree that you put yourself in a significantly worse position by drawing so much attention to it (emailing the prof 3 straight days?)
My mom is a college professor. My wife is a college professor. I’m a college professor. All three of us have stories about you. You’re digging yourself a much bigger hole by seeming so desperate. You, specifically, are the student we all loathe the most: the one who can’t be bothered to attend a class that we are taking the time to teach, then emails later seeking special treatment, some way to make up for lost or missed work, etc.
Next semester go to your fucking classes.
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not doing that at all, I didn’t beg him to not fail me to bring attention to the situation, I merely asked if attendance to is indeed only 25 points at the max gain or lose, he emailed me back and confirmed that. So there no way he can fail me I don’t think.
I was not at all asking for special treatment, I achieved enough points according to the syllabus to achieve in A, how is that asking for special treatment?
I think your misunderstanding, there are 425 points in the class, 25 of which are dedicated to attendance, in the syllabus it was stated to get an A you needed 380 points. which I did, while taking zero of the 25 attendance points.
What I am worried about is one of my friends claims during a class he claimed if you didn’t come to 9 then he wouldn’t pass you,(asshole friend) told me about this 3 days ago.
I am just asking the likelihood of this occurring when it was listed nowhere in the syllabus
So by that logic I am being graded by the same policy as my peers, and wish for no special treatment, just that I be graded by the rules listed on the syllabus distributed at the beginning of class.
Its all good, I didn’t explain it the best, the I took the final even though I didn’t have too (he drops 1 out of the five test) a sign of good faith
My way of looking at it I have two options
-
wait it out and see what he puts in for my final grade, if its an F take it to the department head and plead my case
-
send him another email being self incriminating and come forward (My emails thus far have been general and not so specific he would know) and get a straight forward answer, but I also risk bring attention to something he could look over. So its a risk
I am a University professor who uses a syllabus and assigns grades each quarter. I’m also the department chair, so I deal with grade challenges whenever they arise.
The professor of a course essentially has the power to assign whatever grade s/he feels is appropriate unless it violates the contract of the syllabus. If you get a grade you think is unfair, the order of challenges goes:
- the professor. This is to make sure they tabulated your grade correctly. For example, if they recorded an 80% on your second exam and you actually received a 90%.
- the Department chair. This means your grades were recorded correctly but you disagree with the final grade you received. Unless there is an error or clear violation, the chair will not force the instructor to change a grade.
- The Dean of the college. You simply think the entire department is unfairly assessing you, and you are challenging at this level. Unless the department is incompetent, the Dean will not will force a change.
That said, as a professor, we tend to not like questions like:
- What’s the minimum I need to do in category x to receive a grade I want?
- I don’t come to class, so could you clarify issue/topic/assignment x?
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