Problem Professor

[Hugh10]

Without giving too much detail about my current problem - at what point would someone seek out help or advice from administrators regarding problems you are having with a professor. In my case the problem will not really affect my academic record significantly (its the difference between an A and an A+) and I will say that my professor has made some rather unprofessional errors. Do I just let it pass and never take a course with this professor again? Or do I mention the situation to someone? Will it reflect badly on me? I am at a very small school I am not sure anything can be kept in confidence. I know it is hard to comment without knowing the situation but any insight as to the more accepted protocol would be much appreciated.

[robot_hamster]

If it were me, I would just write something about it in their evaluation and avoid taking another class with them. Everyone has a bad experience with a professor at least once. Your personalities just don't work together, they teach or grade things in a way you don't like, etc. It happens to everyone. If you're still going to get an A, then why bother getting administration involved?

[qbtacoma]

With a small program and the fact that your grade isn't the make-or-break grade of your graduate career, I would say nothing and just avoid the professor in the future. Professors are human too, though, and this may have simply been a one-time mess up (so consider taking a course again). But speaking up at this point will make you seem like a grade grubber and absolutely will reflect badly upon you.

Edited May 26, 2011 by qbtacoma

[fuzzylogician]

Are there consequences to getting an A rather than an A+ in this class? Grades don't normally matter that much in a PhD program--they are not going to get you a job--and an A won't send any warning sign or jeopardize your funding either. If your professor is a reasonable person you could try and bring up the problem with him and ask him to fix your grade. But if you think approaching the professor may cause trouble, I would leave it alone and just not take any classes with him again. The benefits of having the higher grade may not be worth the trouble you could get into if this professor decides to take it personally and make an enemy out of you. (Note: in a normal situation this should not happen just because of an appeal on a grade. But the very fact that you ask this question in this forum suggests that you think it's not going to be as straightforward as asking the prof to rethink your grade. I'm guessing from your post that you'd have to tell the prof that some aspect of their class was flawed and that it could create a conflict with the prof). It's irritating to have to give in, but in the long run it may be the better choice for your career.

[Hugh10]

Thanks everyone. I think I am just going to leave it alone. It is just very frustrating when you know someone has messed up and you can't do anything about it.

[Hugh10]

Are there consequences to getting an A rather than an A+ in this class? Grades don't normally matter that much in a PhD program--they are not going to get you a job--and an A won't send any warning sign or jeopardize your funding either. If your professor is a reasonable person you could try and bring up the problem with him and ask him to fix your grade. But if you think approaching the professor may cause trouble, I would leave it alone and just not take any classes with him again. The benefits of having the higher grade may not be worth the trouble you could get into if this professor decides to take it personally and make an enemy out of you. (Note: in a normal situation this should not happen just because of an appeal on a grade. But the very fact that you ask this question in this forum suggests that you think it's not going to be as straightforward as asking the prof to rethink your grade. I'm guessing from your post that you'd have to tell the prof that some aspect of their class was flawed and that it could create a conflict with the prof). It's irritating to have to give in, but in the long run it may be the better choice for your career.

Thanks Fuzzy - the thing is almost everyone in my program receives As - getting an A+ is the only way to stand out and would improve my chances for a fellowship.

[StrangeLight]

not getting an A+ is not a reason to complain about a professor. i hope something else was actually going on.

[wtncffts]

I'm still unclear as to the issue from the OP here. Are these errors procedural, e.g., the prof added up the grades wrong, or substantive, e.g., you disagree with his evaluation of a paper/assignment/exam? Or is there some sort of personal bias here, say, the prof, for whatever reason, doesn't like you, and you feel that affected his impartiality with regard to grades? If it's the first or third, I'd say you'd be in the right to take it up with him or, especially in the latter case, with the chair, DGS, or someone external. That's not to say it would be the smart thing to do; as others have said, it might be best for your career to just let it lie, when the difference won't make a difference. If it's the second 'subatantive' issue, I don't see the harm in going, in good faith, to the prof and discussing the grade, but in the end, grading is subjective, and it's his evaluation that counts.

[stanzi]

I had a terrible experience with an assinine prof in my MA. I had questions regarding an assignment (that was due after the course classes had finished), I tried to contact him to arrange a meeting- no reply. I submitted the paper- a month later I get my Mark via website- B+ (the only B I got) and I had questions. What was my mark on the paper and presentation. No reply. No contact nothing. I emailed, went to his office, called. nada.

So I took it up with the program admin- who told me this prof has a bad rep for this sort of thing. It took a couple of weeks but the program director agreed to let me re-submit the assignment and have another prof mark it- however, this was not really helpful, considering my course grade is made of more than one assignment. Also, after I agreed to this I had a hell of a time communicating with the PD about the logistics of this.

In the end, I dropped it. Which I regret now. That B+ is just so glaring! Although it didn't stop me from getting scholarships, admission to PhD programs. Had it been the difference between an -A and A maybe I would not have been so upset.

Either way, I feel that you paid, you put your energy and dedication into the work and you deserve an explanation of how you were graded and why. and the admin should be aware of faculty that are not living up to their prof duties. JUST BE SURE THAT YOUR REASONS ARE WARRANTED.. .. or else you very well may get a bad rep.

I would advise speaking with the prof about your concerns, including the fact that you are thinking about bringing it up with admin before you actually do it. If you can get a hold of them that is.

[StrangeLight]

i would strongly recommend NEVER complaining about the difference between an A and an A+.

[natsteel]

With a small program and the fact that your grade isn't the make-or-break grade of your graduate career, I would say nothing and just avoid the professor in the future.

+1. As they would tell you on the CHE forum... "STFU." No need to cause any waves especially when the problem is not having an adverse effect on your academics and the solution likely would not produce a favorable effect for either you or the professor.

StrangeLight is right... you could easily come off as a gradflake.

[Mal83]

I had a bad experience with a young adjunct professor in undergrad, it was more of a personal dislike for him rather than anything he did academically. Although I felt that he also didn't like me and was less forgiving with me than he was with some of my classmates who didn't seem to deserve the grades they got...of course I am admitting honestly that this is mostly my perception, I never looked at or critiqued their written assignments, but when participating in class discussions it was like..."did you seriously just say that and you're getting an A in this class?" He also clearly had his favorite which was just annoying because he would let her ramble on and on about nothing class after class, she sounded like a high school junior rather than a college junior, but somehow that earned her top points for class participation. I know that this particular classmate's work, while she tried, was mediocre because she ended up in my senior capstone class a few semesters later with a different professor who I actually liked and respected (thank god) where we all reviewed and critiqued each others' work. None of us could believe she ended up with a B on her final paper, it was deserving of a C at best...but everyone else in the class received an A...I think the professor, who was fantastic, just wasn't going to give anything less than a B to seniors on their capstone projects...

The adjunct prof was probably the worst teacher I had in a long time...he was new, he cursed a lot in class...it was an International Organizations class for crying out loud, not sure what there was to get so fired up about, but he'd go on these little rants laden with profanity....all I remember from him is..."well fuck the League of Nations..." Are you for real? He also brought up the fact that he did indeed have a girlfriend and taught at Princeton as often as he could....my only thought was who let such a jackass into a Princeton classroom to teach? I was even confused as to how anyone let him teach at my school.

Then he had the audacity to keep me and another classmate after class and inform us that we weren't participating enough and if we don't understand the material we should be seeking extra help. Uh, this isn't quantum physics here ok pal, this is an upper level course and I paid for the class so don't tell me I need to do this that or the other. If he was genuinely concerned it sure didn't seem like it, he was such a snot about it, it seemed more like he was just annoyed that we weren't overjoyed to be in his class. Then at the next class I actually offered my opinion on something and he was just like "I wouldn't say that." With the way he said it he might as well have said "don't bother next time." At that point I was done bothering, and the semester was almost over.

He gave me a C+ which was devastating at the time, and still stings a little. I didn't even think about going to talk to anyone about him, I just let it rip on his evaluation. He was a total awkward dweeb who didn't command my respect. Told him to tone it down on the cursing and we're all big kids now and don't need to be kept after class to be accused of not understanding the material. I was a quiet student at the time and my strong suit was writing papers, which we did plenty of. Not a single other professor ever bothered to tell anyone that they're not participating enough, they know that we know what we need to do and if we don't do it we deal with the grades we get and that's that. I hate a professor who tries too hard to be liked, it's just annoying. I'm not sure if I had any grounds to go to someone about him, but like I said, didn't even think about it at the time, but I'm glad that I didn't because stirring up trouble over a personal dislike wouldn't have gotten me anywhere. I did tell my adviser though the reason I dropped a stats course, the professor was moving way too fast, had no patience for anyone who wasn't keeping up and yelled at someone for sighing. He actually yelled... "DON'T sigh in my class!" He was also teaching things that were in the course descriptions for more advanced classes, not sure if anything came of it, but again it was no skin off my back and never had to see him again.

Edited May 29, 2011 by Mal83

[BCHistory]

i would strongly recommend NEVER complaining about the difference between an A and an A+.

This.