Why did my husband, a professor of 26 years have to give a black girl an A, when her actual grade was a C?

Question

My husband has been a professor at Northern Ky. University for 26 years. He recently gave a test containing two parts. One, multiple choice, and two an oral presentation. The oral presentation was graded on making eye contact with the audience and the contents of material. This is a criminal justice class. Well, this black girl got all the other blacks in the class (5) and decided to give their presentation together. Fine says my husband. He graded all of them equally as all the other students. The only black guy in the group got an A because he never looked down at his notes during the oral part and got 100% on his multiple choice. The rest were scattered B's and C's. This one particualr girl received a B and complained. Said she did not like her grade and he needed to regrade it. He said he would when he could. She went to department head. My husband was told to give this girl an A. He would not do it. She actually got a C and he curved her grade. Is this right?

Answer 1

Do you feel that his being a professor for 26 years should have changed the outcome somehow? If not, then why mention it? How should his tenure affect this story? It seems to me that his experience should have worked by NOT changing the grade. True?

Answer 2

I am not going to make it an issues of sexual relationship in school and I am not going to make it a black/white issue either. The issues is that a student that deserved a C grade got an undeserve grade. I think this is a matter that needs to be brought up to the Dean or to Department Head of that field. You need to tell your Husband that if they make ONE exception becuase of "Special Interest" then this is not right....A student grades cannot be changed simply because someone says so. The student's ability is the one graded on the material. So bring it up and I would sugest this...not to grade on the curve...not unless the class group looks respectable. These students need to learn that there are no easy breaks or that life is easy...remember that some of these "Adults" are going to be Crimminal Justice field...I think you want a your husband to sleep well at night...not thinking that was a bad decision on his Part.

Answer 3

I would assume it's because the Dept. Head disagreed with your husband and felt she did in fact deserve an A. I really don't mean any offense by this, but just because your husband has been a professor for 26 years doesn't mean he's perfect, right, or even a good teacher...just tenured.
Really there could be a number of different reasons as to why her grade was changed, you're the one making it a race issue.

Answer 4

There is not enough information in your question. Did the department head look at her work and compare it against other students'... did their presentation get messed up by the rest of her group and she did enough good work to get an A on her own... did all blacks get consistently lower grades overall... etc. There are far too many factors that you left out.

If he thinks that being female or being black is the only reason that the department head had, then I would suggest for him to go to the accredidation people and make them aware of what the department head is doing, and to leave race out of the discussion; they can decide if that's why or not.

Answer 5

First and foremost I believe that if you do a "C" average work, you should receive a "C", no questions and arguments. I've known people who cried their way to an "A", it's disgusting. But my main concern is, I feel that the "Black" issue with you is bothering you the most. Not just some girl who is caucasian, but a Black girl. So now the problem may be that your husband is letting a girl's color stop him from being "fair" and you Really dissaprove of that.

Answer 6

The unfortunate truth is that sometimes the "shot callers" of certain organizations and/or institutions feel that it is better to give in to the demands of certain individuals as oppose to doing what is right (i.e conducting a thorough investigation, speaking with both parties, etc). As you may have guessed, this is all due to convenience and their unwillingness to get involved in issues that they may deem as frivilous and/or unworthy of review. It's sad but it happens.

(By the way, I couldn't help but notice that you mentioned the students race several times throughout your question. Do you feel that it was a race issue? That the female student was given a A because she was Black?)

Answer 7

I would have to say that it was most likely her "Attitude" regarding the presentation encoupled with the presentation itself. A great attitude will compensate for many of the other so called standard rules of presentation. I too have been nervous, and tho prepared and speaking in front of over 300 people, it WAS my attitude that made it all so worthwhile and I was myself. What came across was the information and my spirit....i was so shy that I thought I was a failure....then to find out that it was just the opposite. i applaud your husband and the student.

Answer 8

What Rose said is partially right (except the ******* part). SOME not all of black people do try to make things a black/white issue especially in schools. He probably did do this to shut her up. She probably started to blurt out retarded remarks on racism or discrimination and he felt threatened for his job. And its not just blacks that make these little scenes. Its another group of minorities that like to cause a scene too. I think he should of fought it through with strong evidence and the rest of the class as proof of her lacking performance. He should of never gave in to her whining. She'll do it again.

Answer 9

Curving a grade from C to A is not fair to the other students assuming the grades in the class reflect a proper spread across all grades proportionately.

I'm failing to see the link to race here unless there are further points you wish to elaborate upon. Obviously, one's race is supposed to be irrelevant in grading students.

Answer 10

Unbelievable!