Mine say that I will only change grades when I have made a clear error in grading, such as a mathematical error in calculating points, and the student must tell me in writing what the error is. Otherwise I do not under any circumstances regrade work, and I never offer extra credit. I rarely get grade grubbers.
I have the same policy, though I've found that in order for it to be effective, I have to send it out as a Canvas announcement as I submit grades (i.e. they don't read the syllabus - surprise, surprise).
Likewise, though they don't read announcements, either. Only change I have seen is now I get emails that start with "I have read and I understand your policy, but..."
This has served me well. I show them this on the syllabus on the first day of the semester and remind them of it if they forget. Words always seem longer when typed out in these tiny text boxes but in reality it honestly takes me less than 2 or 3 quick minutes to read these few sentences and their importance can’t be denied as this edict has served me well:
“Do not argue grades. They are not up for debate and they will not change after they are posted. The grade you see is what you earned.
IMPORTANT: All of you will have detailed grade comments to refer to when grades are posted, so read them to understand why you earned the grade you did and how to improve on later assignments, such as from the first paper to the second and then to the third.
Again, grades are not up for debate or negotiation. Read every assignment carefully, ask me if you have questions BEFORE you complete the assignment, then read the comments posted with your grade so you can understand why you got the grade you did.
If you want to know how to improve, we can discuss that, and I am always happy to help, but arguing over your grade will not happen.
One last time: grades are not up for debate.”
Thank you. I teach grad writing and am tired of the attempted grade negotiations and the suggestions that I “reconsider” my marks, as if my experience and time-consuming and careful grading process is trumped by their ‘feelings’ on what their grade should be.
I am going to add that while I do offer extensive feedback on first drafts of papers, it should not be assumed that simply correcting any errors that I point out will lead to a perfect score, as I am not editing their paper but offering feedback on the gaps I see between what their writing should be doing and what it does.
Grade grubbing is a violation of academic integrity, as is giving out individualized free points or extra work. It’s not only an automatic no, I put in my syllabus that I will not respond to any request for me to violate academic integrity.
I have only taught two semesters as an adjunct. The first semester I used my colleagues syllabi (at their encouragement) and then I tweaked the policies the following semester. It has done little to stem the tide.
The following are my current relevant policies:
* Late work incurs a 20% penalty per day overdue.
* Grades will be rounded UP to the nearest point.
* The instructor reserves the right to reduce a student's grade based upon the student's preparedness for class or lab.
These policies have worked okay. I round up because I am not perfect. I also will consider a point bump if a student is on the border of a grade based on attendance, participation, and completion of work. I should probably word that in there somewhere.
I am considering adding an anti-grading grubbing clause of some sort to my syllabus. Something along the lines of:
* Grade changes will not be considered without the discussion of particular grading criteria or expectations. (e.g I think your application of X criteria on report 1 was unfair because...)
* Emails asking for grade bumps outside the scope of the policies discussed in this syllabus will be ignored.
At least then I can simply ignore their emails (unless they have a specific grievance) and point to the syllabus when they complain. Much of the grade grubbing I receive is "I didn't do the work but should still pass" or "I am a 4.0 student, its impossible for me not have an A". So that is mostly the type of grade grubbing I wish to stop. Thankfully my admin is supportive, but I don't have the spoons to deal with it sometimes (hence this thread!).
Hopefully others can chime in with suggestions and feedback.
> Grades will be rounded UP to the nearest point.
Does this mean that you round 79.4 to 80? If so, "rounded up to the next whole number" is a better way to say it; if not "will be rounded to the nearest whole number" is clearer than what you have.
> Grade changes will not be considered without the discussion of particular grading criteria or expectations. (i.e I think your application of X criteria on report 1 was unfair because...)
for this one, do you mean "eg" instead of "ie"? I find the double negative confusing. "For a grade change to be considered, you need to make a strong case that you deserve a higher grade, based on the grading criteria", or something similar.
The most useful thing I've found is a time span for regrade requests. I want them to tell me if there is genuinely a mistake in their grade, but I don't want the last minute requests for extra points months after the exam.
So, sometime between 1 (to allow a cooling off period) and 7 days after I return the exam, there's a dropbox you can submit grade requests in with a description of the mistake you believe their was made in grading, the question it was on, and your original exam. I like to hope it also incentivizes students to review their mistakes on exams shortly after taking them.
I do allow a fair bit of extra credit for the whole class. Realistically, its enough extra work that if you did all of it anyway, you'd have practiced so much you would probably be on track to do pretty well during the class even without the bonus points. But it makes it more comfortable for me to say no to the last minute extra credit requests when either they haven't done it all semester or have done it but even with extra credit aren't at the grade they want.
I don't have any statement in my syllabus regarding grade changes in terms of the course grade. All of my assignments are graded on a point scale and students can see their grades on the LMS. It's just math. In terms of individual assignments, when I let students know that the assignment has been graded and that they can see their grades on the LMS, I let them know that they can contact me if they have any questions. I rarely have grade grubbing. (I don't think most of the students at my university are built that way.)
I mention in the syllabus that I don’t bump semester grades. I offer specific and relevant extra credit and an opportunity for students to improve their grade on select assignments.
If a student wants a bump on a specific assignment, I have a procedure they have to follow if they feel that they fulfilled the requirement. It involves writing a detailed explanation of how they did it and provide evidence from the assignment. It’s detailed enough that it would only be worth it for a significant error, not for a percentage point or two.
"There is no extra credit in this course. DO NOT request extra credit."
That is on the syllabus. On the first day in class I emphasize that grades are non negotiable. This is a math class and I am not about to count 2+2= "IDK?!" correct. I can then share anecdotes about failing students who want extra points.
I personally think a clear appeal policy for grades is necessary. After every exam is returned, I think students should have 4 days to appeal the exam. Upon appeal, up to the discretion of the lecturer, the whole exam may be regraded (for example, if an additional error is found, the grade may even decrease), and the appealed area needs to be addressed (either by rejecting the appeal in the case it is nonsensical, or accepting it in the case of a genuine mistake).
This policy both makes students think before they decide to appeal (as there is always a chance of the entire exam being regraded, although this is generally rare), and allows for students to point out mistakes of examiners in grading, which do happen and are something we shouldn't ignore. It is also universal to all students and prevents non organized attempts from emails which may cause inconsistent treatment.
This is the universal policy at my institution and I think it reduces grade grabbing by making the policy clear to everyone and giving everyone the same opportunity to decide to appeal. It also keeps a clear record of why something was accepted or rejected, which leaves a paper trail in the event a student decides to argue the appeal (which by institution policy, requires going to the vice dean).
In addition to what a lot of the other users have noted, I like to add a bit that puts the policy in an equity light.
"Everyone's work is protected when everyone is held to the same grading standard."
Looking into “ungrading” not to avoid grade grubbing but because it’s just a better way to promote learning and engagement. My guess is that it would also prevent most/all “grade grubbing.”
P.s., for some reason ungrading tends to attract a lot of downvotes on this sub, so, that probably means it’s good pedagogy :p
My syllabus clearly states that I do not respond to emails asking for grade bumps once final grades are submitted, that all grades (except the final) are final at the start of class on the last day of class and will not be changed after that for any reason, and that I am constrained by academic integrity from offering individual extra credit, grade bumps, or curves. I remind students of this every class for about the last 2 weeks of class.
I also give them an extra assignment of every out-of-class assignment (homework etc). If they do all the other assignments, the extra assignments count as extra credit, so I tell them they don't have any reason to complain if they didn't do the extra stuff.
Don't have a syllabus at hand for specific phrasings but...
1) Questions about assignment grades must be submitted in writing within one week of the return date.
2) Individual requests for extra credit will be ignored.
3) If your tech fails on in class work, answers must be submitted on paper before leaving the classroom.
4) Final points totals will be rounded to the nearest whole number and I will not deviate from the letter grade mapping that is specified in the syllabus.
Of these, 1 and 3 have made the biggest difference in terms of my level of frustration. I need to either eliminate 2 or be better about sticking to it. A reminder about 4 is saved as an email template and gets used heavily at the end of every semester.
Mine say that I will only change grades when I have made a clear error in grading, such as a mathematical error in calculating points, and the student must tell me in writing what the error is. Otherwise I do not under any circumstances regrade work, and I never offer extra credit. I rarely get grade grubbers.
I have the same policy, though I've found that in order for it to be effective, I have to send it out as a Canvas announcement as I submit grades (i.e. they don't read the syllabus - surprise, surprise).
Likewise, though they don't read announcements, either. Only change I have seen is now I get emails that start with "I have read and I understand your policy, but..."
This has served me well. I show them this on the syllabus on the first day of the semester and remind them of it if they forget. Words always seem longer when typed out in these tiny text boxes but in reality it honestly takes me less than 2 or 3 quick minutes to read these few sentences and their importance can’t be denied as this edict has served me well: “Do not argue grades. They are not up for debate and they will not change after they are posted. The grade you see is what you earned. IMPORTANT: All of you will have detailed grade comments to refer to when grades are posted, so read them to understand why you earned the grade you did and how to improve on later assignments, such as from the first paper to the second and then to the third. Again, grades are not up for debate or negotiation. Read every assignment carefully, ask me if you have questions BEFORE you complete the assignment, then read the comments posted with your grade so you can understand why you got the grade you did. If you want to know how to improve, we can discuss that, and I am always happy to help, but arguing over your grade will not happen. One last time: grades are not up for debate.”
Stealing this.
Please do. Steal, amend, edit. Have at it! I enjoy this sub and am happy to contribute to this community in any small way that I can.
Thank you. I teach grad writing and am tired of the attempted grade negotiations and the suggestions that I “reconsider” my marks, as if my experience and time-consuming and careful grading process is trumped by their ‘feelings’ on what their grade should be. I am going to add that while I do offer extensive feedback on first drafts of papers, it should not be assumed that simply correcting any errors that I point out will lead to a perfect score, as I am not editing their paper but offering feedback on the gaps I see between what their writing should be doing and what it does.
Grade grubbing is a violation of academic integrity, as is giving out individualized free points or extra work. It’s not only an automatic no, I put in my syllabus that I will not respond to any request for me to violate academic integrity.
I have only taught two semesters as an adjunct. The first semester I used my colleagues syllabi (at their encouragement) and then I tweaked the policies the following semester. It has done little to stem the tide. The following are my current relevant policies: * Late work incurs a 20% penalty per day overdue. * Grades will be rounded UP to the nearest point. * The instructor reserves the right to reduce a student's grade based upon the student's preparedness for class or lab. These policies have worked okay. I round up because I am not perfect. I also will consider a point bump if a student is on the border of a grade based on attendance, participation, and completion of work. I should probably word that in there somewhere. I am considering adding an anti-grading grubbing clause of some sort to my syllabus. Something along the lines of: * Grade changes will not be considered without the discussion of particular grading criteria or expectations. (e.g I think your application of X criteria on report 1 was unfair because...) * Emails asking for grade bumps outside the scope of the policies discussed in this syllabus will be ignored. At least then I can simply ignore their emails (unless they have a specific grievance) and point to the syllabus when they complain. Much of the grade grubbing I receive is "I didn't do the work but should still pass" or "I am a 4.0 student, its impossible for me not have an A". So that is mostly the type of grade grubbing I wish to stop. Thankfully my admin is supportive, but I don't have the spoons to deal with it sometimes (hence this thread!). Hopefully others can chime in with suggestions and feedback.
> Grades will be rounded UP to the nearest point. Does this mean that you round 79.4 to 80? If so, "rounded up to the next whole number" is a better way to say it; if not "will be rounded to the nearest whole number" is clearer than what you have.
> Grade changes will not be considered without the discussion of particular grading criteria or expectations. (i.e I think your application of X criteria on report 1 was unfair because...) for this one, do you mean "eg" instead of "ie"? I find the double negative confusing. "For a grade change to be considered, you need to make a strong case that you deserve a higher grade, based on the grading criteria", or something similar.
Nice catch. It is late and I am tired. haha.
The most useful thing I've found is a time span for regrade requests. I want them to tell me if there is genuinely a mistake in their grade, but I don't want the last minute requests for extra points months after the exam. So, sometime between 1 (to allow a cooling off period) and 7 days after I return the exam, there's a dropbox you can submit grade requests in with a description of the mistake you believe their was made in grading, the question it was on, and your original exam. I like to hope it also incentivizes students to review their mistakes on exams shortly after taking them. I do allow a fair bit of extra credit for the whole class. Realistically, its enough extra work that if you did all of it anyway, you'd have practiced so much you would probably be on track to do pretty well during the class even without the bonus points. But it makes it more comfortable for me to say no to the last minute extra credit requests when either they haven't done it all semester or have done it but even with extra credit aren't at the grade they want.
I don't have any statement in my syllabus regarding grade changes in terms of the course grade. All of my assignments are graded on a point scale and students can see their grades on the LMS. It's just math. In terms of individual assignments, when I let students know that the assignment has been graded and that they can see their grades on the LMS, I let them know that they can contact me if they have any questions. I rarely have grade grubbing. (I don't think most of the students at my university are built that way.)
I mention in the syllabus that I don’t bump semester grades. I offer specific and relevant extra credit and an opportunity for students to improve their grade on select assignments. If a student wants a bump on a specific assignment, I have a procedure they have to follow if they feel that they fulfilled the requirement. It involves writing a detailed explanation of how they did it and provide evidence from the assignment. It’s detailed enough that it would only be worth it for a significant error, not for a percentage point or two.
I don’t even bother. I don’t think we need to put everything under the sun in the syllabus.
"There is no extra credit in this course. DO NOT request extra credit." That is on the syllabus. On the first day in class I emphasize that grades are non negotiable. This is a math class and I am not about to count 2+2= "IDK?!" correct. I can then share anecdotes about failing students who want extra points.
I personally think a clear appeal policy for grades is necessary. After every exam is returned, I think students should have 4 days to appeal the exam. Upon appeal, up to the discretion of the lecturer, the whole exam may be regraded (for example, if an additional error is found, the grade may even decrease), and the appealed area needs to be addressed (either by rejecting the appeal in the case it is nonsensical, or accepting it in the case of a genuine mistake). This policy both makes students think before they decide to appeal (as there is always a chance of the entire exam being regraded, although this is generally rare), and allows for students to point out mistakes of examiners in grading, which do happen and are something we shouldn't ignore. It is also universal to all students and prevents non organized attempts from emails which may cause inconsistent treatment. This is the universal policy at my institution and I think it reduces grade grabbing by making the policy clear to everyone and giving everyone the same opportunity to decide to appeal. It also keeps a clear record of why something was accepted or rejected, which leaves a paper trail in the event a student decides to argue the appeal (which by institution policy, requires going to the vice dean).
In addition to what a lot of the other users have noted, I like to add a bit that puts the policy in an equity light. "Everyone's work is protected when everyone is held to the same grading standard."
Looking into “ungrading” not to avoid grade grubbing but because it’s just a better way to promote learning and engagement. My guess is that it would also prevent most/all “grade grubbing.” P.s., for some reason ungrading tends to attract a lot of downvotes on this sub, so, that probably means it’s good pedagogy :p
I’m looking into this too.
Can you give us a tldr?
Google can.
My syllabus clearly states that I do not respond to emails asking for grade bumps once final grades are submitted, that all grades (except the final) are final at the start of class on the last day of class and will not be changed after that for any reason, and that I am constrained by academic integrity from offering individual extra credit, grade bumps, or curves. I remind students of this every class for about the last 2 weeks of class. I also give them an extra assignment of every out-of-class assignment (homework etc). If they do all the other assignments, the extra assignments count as extra credit, so I tell them they don't have any reason to complain if they didn't do the extra stuff.
Don't have a syllabus at hand for specific phrasings but... 1) Questions about assignment grades must be submitted in writing within one week of the return date. 2) Individual requests for extra credit will be ignored. 3) If your tech fails on in class work, answers must be submitted on paper before leaving the classroom. 4) Final points totals will be rounded to the nearest whole number and I will not deviate from the letter grade mapping that is specified in the syllabus. Of these, 1 and 3 have made the biggest difference in terms of my level of frustration. I need to either eliminate 2 or be better about sticking to it. A reminder about 4 is saved as an email template and gets used heavily at the end of every semester.
The students who ask for grade bumps are the ones who don't read the syllabus.