I posted final grades at 2pm.
Within minutes my inbox was brimming with pleas from prodigal students, some of whom had attendance records so irregular that I had to double check to make sure they were actually students of mine.
Some of the afternoon's highlights:
"Dear Professor Bow,SURE WHY NOT I'D LOVE TO SPEND MY UNPAID SUMMER DEVOTING MORE TIME TO YOUR GRADE THAN YOU DID THE ENTIRE SEMESTER AND THEN FIELDING GRIEVANCES FROM ALL OF THE OTHER STUDENTS WHO MANAGED TO TURN IN THEIR WORK ON TIME
I just received my final grade ...and I was just wondering if there is any way possible that I could try to bring up my grade to pass the class."
"Normally I would graciously accept my grade with the understanding that I did not put in as much effort as others, yet had I known that the written assignments would have been counted as part of my grade, then perhaps my approach to your course would have been different."How rash of me to assume that students would know that they were supposed to complete the writing assignments, when the only hints provided were that these assignments were 1) discussed at length and in detail in class, and 2) posted on the course website with 3) points and a grading rubric attached to them. Also the class is designated "writing intensive."
"I was wondering if there was a time tomorrow I could schedule a meeting to come in and speak with you. I am graduating and the failing grade that you gave me [earned by not turning in most of the assignments] is unacceptable as it will not allow me to graduate."Employers: YOU'RE WELCOME.
"Aloha Professor Bow,SURE WHY NOT I'D LOVE TO SPEND MY UNPAID SUMMER...oh heck, this should just be my summer autoresponder email.
I am graduating this semester and I noticed that the grade you have just put up for me [note: not the grade I earned; the grade you put up for me] is really close to a C. Is there anything that I can do to bump it up at this point?"
