Why are Some Professors Unfair in Grading?

  • Thread starter rootX
  • Start date
  • Tags
    Class
In summary: I really don't understand why you have to be a jerk. What do you care if other people get good grades? Your grade isn't affected. That's just about the most selfish attitude I've ever seen. I can't stand people like you.In summary, my class sucks because two of my professors used assignment questions from the exam in their class and one raised the class average. My class also complained that they were not given homework, but when I told them they were just losers they replied "I am just pissed off that other also got 100s". Another professor who taught us beyond what we were required was extremely critical of by students. Students in the class also seem to only care about grades and rewards, and are always looking
  • #71


rootX said:
But, I don't like him because he doesn't motivate students to look beyond what students get in the class(L.Ns and assignments).
I hate to break it to you, but that's the student's job to motivate themselves to learn beyond what's taught in the class. Nobody is stopping you from going a step further on your own.

Office_Shredder said:
Because in college your report cards don't come in a sealed envelope, and it is other people's business what grades you get.
Huh? Report cards sure are sent out sealed, and are nobody's business but yours...and perhaps a future employer...but your future employer doesn't see what the rest of the class got, so still, there's no reason to care what your classmates get.
 
Physics news on Phys.org
  • #72


Office_Shredder said:
I'm applying for grad school. There's this crazy thing they want called a transcript

Yep, sent in a SEALED envelope, and NOT visible to anyone but the people you want to see it. It's not being posted in the hallway for your classmates to see.
 
  • #73


Moonbear said:
but your future employer doesn't see what the rest of the class got, so still, there's no reason to care what your classmates get.

I think that's not entirely true - if future employer takes grades into account and others have the same grades even if they know less - there is a reason to care, as your chances of getting a good first job are diluted.
 
  • #74


Borek said:
I think that's not entirely true - if future employer takes grades into account and others have the same grades even if they know less - there is a reason to care, as your chances of getting a good first job are diluted.

Have you ever had an employer ask to see your grades or transcript? I never have.
 
  • #75


Moonbear said:
Have you ever had an employer ask to see your grades or transcript? I never have.

I have. My first employer out of college wanted to see them along with one of my internships.

But usually as long as you have a GPA of 3.0+ then no one really cares.
 
  • #76


Office_Shredder said:
I'm applying for grad school. There's this crazy thing they want called a transcript

Read Moonbears reply.
 
  • #77


Moonbear said:
Have you ever had an employer ask to see your grades or transcript? I never have.

Usually they do if you're fresh out of college and had no prior technical work experience. But what do I know, I'm on my first job =]
 
  • #78


noumed said:
Usually they do if you're fresh out of college and had no prior technical work experience. But what do I know, I'm on my first job =]

But do they ask to also see the grades of everyone else in your classes to make sure your teacher didn't give tests that were too easily passed? Which is what the original post concerns.
 
  • #79


tribdog said:
But do they ask to also see the grades of everyone else in your classes to make sure your teacher didn't give tests that were too easily passed? Which is what the original post concerns.
Of course not. What others get shouldn't affect your grade in the class. I guess I can understand the concern if you live or die by the curve. Your grades on your transcript might land you that interview, but ultimately it's what you know that will land you the job.
 
  • #80


noumed said:
Of course not. What others get shouldn't affect your grade in the class. I guess I can understand the concern if you live or die by the curve. Your grades on your transcript might land you that interview, but ultimately it's what you know that will land you the job.

Exactly. :approve:
 
  • #81


noumed said:
Your grades on your transcript might land you that interview, but ultimately it's what you know that will land you the job.

Which doesn't change the fact that your chances are diluted.

I am a member of a mail list for chemistry teachers, and I have heard stories about grades inflation happening now and then, for various reasons. While curve is not always the best approach, there is something wrong with grading if people that are nicely curved in other curses got 50% A's in a particular class.
 
  • #82


Borek said:
Which doesn't change the fact that your chances are diluted.

I am a member of a mail list for chemistry teachers, and I have heard stories about grades inflation happening now and then, for various reasons. While curve is not always the best approach, there is something wrong with grading if people that are nicely curved in other curses got 50% A's in a particular class.

I don't think it's so much that there's something wrong with grading, it's just that a school or course is not a measuring device like a thermometer or scale. Grades and even the administration of exams are completely secondary to the purpose of learning.

It's like, imagine a one-player video game that's very entertaining, but you don't always get the exact same amount of points for executing the same action. (Or there are no points at all - there are games like that!) If you get really obsessed or conflicted about the point scoring system I think you're kind of missing the point of the video game.

But I do say kudos to you as a teacher for putting the professional polish on your courses of a nice, consistent grading system. (And I'm saying that as someone who has primarily been a student and consumer of courses rather than a teacher.)
 
  • #83


rootX said:
I really don't understand why people always like easy stuff and high rewards. They also want big cars and high salaries when they graduate ...

QUOTE]


Because, in the end is what really matters.. i have a degree on Physics (Solid state) but my scores were too low for getting a grant so i had to work in Pizza Hut, and similar places

people usually are only concerned about getting a 'title' whatever it was to get a well-paid job , society is made like this , if you are interested in a subject but can not pass the exam and get the title then you have NOTHING
 
  • #84


In the end, big cars and high salaries are what really matter? :tongue2: Y'know, I think that this Christmas you may be visited by three spirits.
 
  • #85


CaptainQuasar said:
I don't think it's so much that there's something wrong with grading, it's just that a school or course is not a measuring device like a thermometer or scale. Grades and even the administration of exams are completely secondary to the purpose of learning.

But they should reflect the effect. If not - what are they for?

But I agree that what you have in head is much more important, I know people that had low grades but I trust their knowledge, and I know PhD chemist that don't know how to convert between percentage and molarity. Trick is, someone that doesn't know these people and can assess them mostly by lookin into papers can do a grave mistake.

But I do say kudos to you as a teacher for putting the professional polish on your courses of a nice, consistent grading system. (And I'm saying that as someone who has primarily been a student and consumer of courses rather than a teacher.)

For the record: I am not teaching.
 
  • #86


Borek said:
But I agree that what you have in head is much more important, I know people that had low grades but I trust their knowledge, and I know PhD chemist that don't know how to convert between percentage and molarity. Trick is, someone that doesn't know these people and can assess them mostly by lookin into papers can do a grave mistake.

But I think that's more a problem of their hiring practices. It's sort of like an employer dismissing a graduate of a "lesser" college as not as good as one from a bigger name university. And, grading at every university and in every course varies slightly, so grades really aren't of much hiring value anyway. All they're really good for is to check that someone actually passed their courses and got the degree they claim they got.

If an employer bases the majority of their decision on grades or school names, then they deserve the lousy employees they get.
 
  • #87


Moonbear said:
If an employer bases the majority of their decision on grades or school names, then they deserve the lousy employees they get.

Strawman. I don't care if the company that doesn't hire me fails, I care about getting a job.
 
  • #88


Borek said:
But they should reflect the effect. If not - what are they for?

They're an attempt to make it easy for a school to decide whether it's going to grant a diploma and certify the student as educated. The entire exercise boils down to a single pass / fail grade in the end... that's why I don't think it's really necessary for grading systems to be any more than approximately similar between courses and why I don't think that employers or graduate admissions programs should act as if grades are all that precise or perfectly fair.

It would certainly be nice for students, as a feedback loop, if their grade could indicate the efficacy of their studying efforts down to the hundredth of a decimal point... but part of the learning process is to become capable of self-assessment - to become able to know what you know and figure out where your own understanding is inadequate and requires study. (In the case of your PhD chemist who can't do basic tasks, it seems as though some measure of self-assessment capability has escaped him or her.)
 
  • #89


Office_Shredder said:
Strawman. I don't care if the company that doesn't hire me fails, I care about getting a job.

It's not a strawman, it's a separate statement of fact. The point is, it's not going to affect you getting a job, because that's not what employers are looking at. You people are WAY too worried about grades, and especially OTHER people's grades. Life isn't always fair according everyone's individual definitions of fair. Get over it.
 
  • #90


I've been helping 'hiring' people for my 'company', the Air Force. The ability to learn data and tricks is nice, but what really counts is motivation, i ability to observe, analyse and conclude about things that are not in a textbook, taking initiatives, working independently, being stable, not getting upset easily and above all, being a team player.
 
  • #91


Andre said:
I've been helping 'hiring' people for my 'company', the Air Force. The ability to learn data and tricks is nice, but what really counts is motivation, i ability to observe, analyse and conclude about things that are not in a textbook, taking initiatives, working independently, being stable, not getting upset easily and above all, being a team player.
Which goes to show that grades are just ONE part of the equation. Like my prof back in college said, they look at you in so many different ways during an interview that it's almost hard to predict on what they want out of you as a candidate. Your best bet is to be who you are and if you don't get it, move on.

Personally I don't think it matters where you get your first job, because a one-track career is uncommon these days. The people you meet in your daily lives, the network that you build, will help you get the job you want much more than any paper. I guess most people think they'd land their dream job the moment they step out of college. All that glitters is not gold.
 
  • #92


Moonbear said:
Life isn't always fair according everyone's individual definitions of fair. Get over it.

No one really cares what marks you get (after first job) and they play only minute role. But, I was considering how fair it is to overvalue students.

I just overhead some workers' conversation today who were complaining that new workers shouldn't get same salary as they do because they are working for more than 20 years and they have greater responsibility ..

P.S. I really don't care about these things much because life isn't always fair, and I should emphasize that I don't bring these things in my general conversations with other people... if some of you are thinking that I go around and brag about my grades or complain to professors that they mark too easily or I am generally rude to other people.
 
Last edited:
  • #93


Moonbear said:
Life isn't always fair according everyone's individual definitions of fair. Get over it.

Let me ask you two questions:

1. Will you do your best trying to grade your students accroding to their achievments?

2. If you will see that your fellow lecturer grades students in a questionable way, will you ignore it saying "get over it"?

Note: I am not obsessed with grades, and being in the age that allows me to remember moment when Louis Armstrong :wink: landed on the Moon I have long lost dellusions about life fairness. But it doesn't mean that I can't try to be fair or try to straighten up things which I consider unfair.
 
<h2>1. Why do some professors seem to give unfair grades?</h2><p>There could be a variety of reasons for this. It could be due to personal biases or preferences, a lack of clear grading criteria, or even a heavy workload leading to rushed grading. It's important to communicate with your professor and try to understand their reasoning.</p><h2>2. Is there any way to appeal a grade that I feel is unfair?</h2><p>Yes, most universities have an appeals process in place for students who feel they have been unfairly graded. This usually involves submitting evidence to support your case and having it reviewed by a panel or committee.</p><h2>3. Can a professor be held accountable for unfair grading practices?</h2><p>If there is evidence of deliberate discrimination or bias in grading, a professor can face consequences from the university. However, it can be difficult to prove and it's important to approach the situation calmly and professionally.</p><h2>4. How can I prevent unfair grading from affecting my academic progress?</h2><p>It's important to communicate with your professor and try to understand their expectations and grading criteria. If you feel you are being unfairly graded, you can also reach out to the department chair or academic advisor for guidance.</p><h2>5. Are there any steps universities can take to address unfair grading practices?</h2><p>Many universities have policies in place to prevent and address unfair grading practices, such as having multiple graders for assignments or implementing blind grading. It's also important for universities to provide training and support for professors to ensure fair and consistent grading.</p>

1. Why do some professors seem to give unfair grades?

There could be a variety of reasons for this. It could be due to personal biases or preferences, a lack of clear grading criteria, or even a heavy workload leading to rushed grading. It's important to communicate with your professor and try to understand their reasoning.

2. Is there any way to appeal a grade that I feel is unfair?

Yes, most universities have an appeals process in place for students who feel they have been unfairly graded. This usually involves submitting evidence to support your case and having it reviewed by a panel or committee.

3. Can a professor be held accountable for unfair grading practices?

If there is evidence of deliberate discrimination or bias in grading, a professor can face consequences from the university. However, it can be difficult to prove and it's important to approach the situation calmly and professionally.

4. How can I prevent unfair grading from affecting my academic progress?

It's important to communicate with your professor and try to understand their expectations and grading criteria. If you feel you are being unfairly graded, you can also reach out to the department chair or academic advisor for guidance.

5. Are there any steps universities can take to address unfair grading practices?

Many universities have policies in place to prevent and address unfair grading practices, such as having multiple graders for assignments or implementing blind grading. It's also important for universities to provide training and support for professors to ensure fair and consistent grading.

Similar threads

Replies
19
Views
2K
  • General Discussion
Replies
1
Views
558
Replies
15
Views
1K
Replies
51
Views
4K
  • General Discussion
Replies
16
Views
959
  • General Discussion
2
Replies
55
Views
8K
Replies
1
Views
850
Replies
9
Views
1K
  • STEM Career Guidance
Replies
6
Views
2K
Back
Top