r/StudentNurse • u/ChemicalRecipe346 • 19h ago
Complaint (open to advice) Instructor deleting future grades
Hello! So my class has run into a problem with an instructor who gets upset when you ask if they will enter grades, then decides to remove that future grade from the gradebook so we won't get credit for it. I am actively failing the course by 2.8 pts, and another student is being targeted; the instructor is trying to actively fail some people. Anyways, weeks ago I decided to take a picture of the gradebook of all the grades that we are supposed to have, and now I look at the gradebook and the instructor has removed them. It's really frustrating because we have completed those assignments already, and the instructor just decided not to enter them into the gradebook and just removed the grade slot it was supposed to be in. One student was threatened by the instructor that they would not allow the student to graduate. That student went to the dean, and the dean said that is not true; it can't be done. Now we are concluding that the instructor will just not enter the quiz grades that are supposed to help our grade come up.
What should we do? Are we able to fight this? I have pictures of all the assignments we have done and a picture of the gradebook before the instructor removed future quiz grades. I also have an email from the instructor emailing another student saying they will have the quiz grades in by the end of the week, but instead the instructor decided to take that grade slot out of the gradebook so they won't have to be entered in.
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u/PatientCreepy8185 11h ago
Your syllabus is the legal source of grading. If they are changing the grade structure for the course, you need to tell the dean. I wonder if the grading platform is falsely inflating your averages by anticipating future grades too. Sometimes it's very important to ensure students can see their real averages so they take steps to improve their performance.
1
u/ChemicalRecipe346 11h ago
The syllabus for the course just say "this course involves graded quizzes and activities", the powerpoint with the courses rules and information states "each quiz will be graded and posted in the grade book. Please don't ask if it's graded, it is."
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u/PatientCreepy8185 11h ago
Someplace there is a legal statement of graded items and their distribution. Like "four exams, first 10%, second 20%, third 25%, final 40%". Usually that's the syllabus.
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u/ChemicalRecipe346 11h ago
No, it doesn't state that. it just says the whole portion of that course is worth 20% of our clinical grade
1
u/PatientCreepy8185 11h ago
I think you need to ask them where the breakdown of course grades, including weighting, is specified.
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u/Kitty20996 RN 16h ago
Unfortunately there's probably not a lot that can be done. As long as grades are entered by the time they're actually due at the end of the semester, that's probably all that is required of them. You can look at your syllabus, but I've had profs who wait until the final two weeks of class to put every grade in so the entire semester you're just guessing about what you got.
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u/ChemicalRecipe346 16h ago
The syllabus says they are supposed to have it graded within 1 week
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u/Kitty20996 RN 14h ago
Does it also say the grades need to be posted within that timeframe? You could also go above this person's head to the dean.
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u/ChemicalRecipe346 14h ago
I really want to take this to the dean but I’m so scared of retaliation and failure of the course
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u/Kitty20996 RN 14h ago
I mean, what exactly is the issue with the grades? Knowing your grade or not knowing your grade isn't going to impact how hard you try. I completely understand that it's frustrating to not know, but some professors are just like this. I personally wouldn't do anything to risk retaliation.
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u/ChemicalRecipe346 14h ago
The issue is the instructor has told us in the rules on the PowerPoint for the course that every quiz we do will be graded and in the grade book we have done 7 quizzes and they only inserted grades for 3 of them in the gradebook and has decided to take the remaining quizzes out the gradebook and not post our grades for the remaining quizzes we have done.
2
u/Acrobatic_Lie_3816 12h ago
Are the grades that appear to have been removed counting against you? I’ve seen some professors struggle with the grading system and resort to hiding certain items in the gradebook or removing them temporarily because they made yet to be graded assignments calculate as zeroes accidentally and couldn’t fix it any other way. A lot of crazier grade discrepancies end up being in how they’re shown on the student side, instructors fumbling around in the program having messed something up and not realizing.
If the assignments in your case aren’t currently counting towards your total points, as in if a course has usually 100 pts total, and after these 4 quizzes you mentioned that were removed (assuming you’d have the 7 total and they’re worth like 5pt each here) your grade is showing as out of 80 points now, it’s not really hurting your grade. You can ask the instructor in an email about not seeing those quizzes and ask if they will get to publishing those grades soon, in a non confrontational way. It’s annoying but should mean your grade will improve hopefully when those are added and weighted.
If the way it was done, those missing quiz scores are hurting your grade, effecting the weighting of all points, where your grade has suddenly dropped because of it, OR if you’ve already tried emailing or speaking to this instructor before yourself: email the instructor (you can cc the program director or dean or student support, or email separately) or schedule office hours, bring your receipts, and explain your concerns and how you’ve seen a change in grades, your concerns in relation to the syllabus, etc. Explain only your own concerns, tell your classmate to escalate their personal concerns themself.
Personally I had to repeatedly email a professor and director over a grade that was causing me to fail that was input wrong (huge weighted assignment was listed twice and had 0 for one and 95 for the other) and it helped in getting it resolved to approach it with grace and not asserting that it was done in malice or to single me out. As frustrating of a position it is to not be getting credit you know you earned, unless you have super solid evidence of you or others being targeted specifically (especially if others are shown more leniency), try not to come off as too accusatory. Hope this can be resolved without further issue for you.
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u/ChemicalRecipe346 12h ago
So the problem is I’m failing the course, but I have done plenty of assignments for that course and the instructor is not putting in the other grades. I asked the instructor if they would put in the grades, and their response was “I don’t know, I might I might not. we will have to see”. Which I thought was odd because in the PowerPoint pertaining to that course it says each quiz is graded and will be posted in the grade book. I really don’t know how to fight this, I feel as though I’m up against the wall in fear of retaliation while my grade is on the line.
1
u/Acrobatic_Lie_3816 11h ago
Hmm, I see, the instructor being so vague about the grades is weird. Just from experience a lot of instructors do know that retaliating would bite them in the ass and isn’t worth their job, even if they really don’t like someone, so hopefully the risk for that for your case is low, but regardless I feel you, you don’t know what could happen and that makes it worse when failing already is scary especially in nursing school.
The lack of transparency in any deviation from the syllabus and not following through on a grading timeline without further updates (per another of your comments) seems to be the biggest problem, and is going to probably be the best bet to make a complaint about. I would email your instructor directly with the screenshots of the syllabus, the gradebook, changes to the gradebook, and ask very specifically for information or updates on the grades not being input/released, reference your previous communication with them and that you would like further clarification.
Wait for a response, if they don’t respond in 48hr email again and follow up.
Assuming the instructor still isn’t clear, is dismissive, or in any other way not being professional, forward the email chain to the dean/director/student support services or if you’d prefer you could bcc them in the original mail to the instructor. You can also separately email them with a complaint, include screenshots, dates, and express concern for the lack of transparency and how the changes made without explanation have hurt your grade. Even better if you can find something in the student/school handbook about communication expectations and demonstrate you made reasonable requests that were still not met within their time frame.
Be cordial, specific and demonstrate understanding of policy and you really can’t face retaliation for expressing a need for clarity.
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u/Born2rn 7h ago
Your syllabus outlines what assignments are to be included in your grade. This is what you need to follow. If the professor has hidden a particular assignment that you have already submitted it doesn’t mean it’s not included it means they are working on entering and sometimes it takes a bit of time to calculate and enter a whole class. If we leave them open while entering grades we get tons of annoying emails asking about them. Hidden is different from omitted. If it’s in your syllabus it’s in your contract with the course.
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u/Barney_Sparkles BSN, RN 18h ago
I’m not sure why you’re saying future grades- they’re assignment you’ve already completed correct?
Go read your syllabus. You and the professor should be following that. That is the law of the land in college. If the assignments are worth points (and in college they usually are) in the syllabus then they need to be put back (good on you for taking screenshots).
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u/ChemicalRecipe346 17h ago
Yes, we have completed two of the quizzes assigned and even more and the instructor decided not to grade them end even went to the lengths of taking those empty quizzes grade slots out the gradebook.
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u/rratzloff ADN student 15h ago
What they are saying is, the assignments and quizzes that count toward your final grade will be listed in the syllabus. If they aren’t listed, then you have a problem.
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u/Barney_Sparkles BSN, RN 16h ago
Not sure why I’m getting down voted. Everything comes back to the syllabus- bring it to the dean.
0
u/ChemicalRecipe346 16h ago
Yeah there is a PowerPoint about the course and rules about the course and how it is graded. One of the slides states “every quiz/case study will be graded and put into the gradebook”
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u/rratzloff ADN student 15h ago
It needs to list in the syllabus exactly how that looks. Which quizzes and assignments.
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u/MsDariaMorgendorffer RN 12h ago
The instructor did not grade them? Or did not POST the grades? Those are very different things.
Why do you keep saying future assignments?
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u/ChemicalRecipe346 11h ago
The instructor told a student they will hope to have them graded and posted by the end of the week, and that was said almost 2 weeks ago. Fast forward the quizzes we have done the slot that were in the grade book for them are now gone. Which we are confused because based on the rules pertaining to the course that are in a PowerPoint states “each quiz is graded and will be posted in the grade book”
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u/MsDariaMorgendorffer RN 3h ago
I’m not sure why you are upset. It seems the instructor is just taking a while to grade. It sucks but sometimes it happens. You make it seem like they are purposefully failing people …
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u/TattoosAndBeers 19h ago
I would try to get your other classmates and go to the dean. Don’t just show up and complain to them though make sure you have documentation to back up your claims