I posted this question before and got some good answers. But I need to clear up some things. First of all, my husband did not give the A as his department head asked him to do. And, yes this was made a race issue when the girl complained that my husband was racist when he would not regrade her paper right there and then. He had threee other classes right after that one. He said he would reread it on Thursday, this was Tuesday. She got 17 wrong out of 20 questions, and her oral presentation was all wrong. She did not even do her report on the issue she was given. Department head said just give her the A because we do not need to have every black in the school screaming racisim!!!! This happens all the time. None of his white students in all of his 26 years have ever co mplained of a bad grade because of their color. And lots of times blacks get better grades than whites evern when they are not deserved. Please give some intelligent answers.
2006-10-13 12:57:09 · 13 answers · asked by gatetrek4 2 in Society & Culture ➔ Cultures & Groups ➔ Other - Cultures & Groups
I am very proud of your husband for not changing her grade.
I can understand that the school wants to avoid being accused of racism. However, if they let this work, then the white folks would have something to complain about, wouldn't they?
If I were in your husband's shoes, I would tell the department head to encourage the racist charge...Then use the actual results of the student's work to prove her wrong, and make that as public as the racist charge. This, in the long run, would discourage untrue racism claims, as the precedent would be set that you'd have to prove your claim.
2006-10-13 13:06:41 · answer #1 · answered by abfabmom1 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
As a student, I can tell you the pressure that every student feels. Your whole life is at stake, your parents, possible scholarships.
If there was only twenty questions, you did not say if they were essay. If the questions were true/false or multiple choice it would take longer to argue than to go over the answers with the test questions key (answer sheet). Essay questions, tend to give a less clear cut answer, teachers know the answer, but there is no key or rubric to say what needs to be in the answer of each question. I the case of essay questions, it would have taken time to regrade. I would have wanted the teacher to provide an appointment for the next day.
I am glad that I have a university that has hired caring and nice professors, that I can email or call and count on a quick reply.
This could also depend on the image that he projects as a professor, and the students attitude to wards the professor. I have many multicultural friends, most of my friends are not white, so I know that they would not have said anything about racialism if they did not feel that they WERE treated that way at other times.
This of course if my point of view from a student.
I was in engineering but switched to language an am currently taking Mandarin and wish to spend next year in China if I can get a scholarship. I said that to let you know that I have good grades not just a person with a bad attitude towards professors.
2006-10-13 14:04:43 · answer #2 · answered by Wicked 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I don't think it's racist if your husband is trying to give a student a fair grade, especially since he's knows that by giving the A would be somewhat wrong on his part. That wouldn't be teaching the student anything. Although I am bi-racial, I feel that this is ridiculous and that the school should really stop with the whole "this is going to be racist" thing. That's not what teaching is all about. I am a student myself, and if I were in that student's shoes, I would like to get a fair grade based on my performance, not because some board told my teacher to give me a grade that I didn't deserve.
Why should race even be put into this? What's the whole point? There is none. I think that the people that your husband are working with should really check what they are saying, and see how stupid they sound.
And by the way, I feel that your husband is doing the right thing by giving the student the grade she deserves. Race or no race, we all should get a fair grade, when we are students, so we can improve and become better at the subject material that we are learning.
2006-10-13 13:08:03 · answer #3 · answered by Lavina 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I agree that the manner in which that girl approached your professor husband was very wrong, but in response to the previous person who attempted to answer this question. It is quite well understood in America that in the past not all U.S. citizens have been given equal oppurtunity to succeed. Therefore i dont feel that we shouldnt deny them some leway. However i do not agree that there should be a completly different grading scale for them either.
2006-10-13 13:08:02 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
The department chair is a lazy wimp. If she complained, the issue was very defensible. Most colleges handle this routinely through a student appeals board. That's why my hubby gives multiple choice tests to his students. M/C is color blind.
2006-10-13 13:05:24 · answer #5 · answered by Catspaw 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Sounds to me like you, not the black girl, have made this into a race issue by not focusing on her particular performance in this particular class.
If your husband similarly publically generalizes that the behavior of that black girl is typical of how all black students behave (and are given preferential treament regardless), than I clearly see where the assumption that he is racist was born.
2006-10-13 13:44:06 · answer #6 · answered by bikerchickjill 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
I think that if your husband suspects he may have a "trouble" student that he needs to protect himself by keeping good documentation of all written work, quizzes, exams, and student communication and to record his lectures and labs (to verify course material and expectations). I am appalled that a college student would pull the race card to get an "A". Good for your husband for giving her the "B", but, he must learn to stand his ground.
2006-10-13 13:11:20 · answer #7 · answered by lynnguys 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
The Department head is WRONG! If the student did not do her work correctly and got answers wrong on her test, she should receive the grade she deserves no matter what colour she is!!!!
2006-10-13 13:06:34 · answer #8 · answered by kimberleibenton 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Wow Guess that is an issue.
Here's a good place for answers.
www.eric.ed.gov
I searched grading and minority and got a few good articles.
Guess a good answer is the way they could react to a bad grade.
Oddly enough studends given good grades sometimes improve their performance.
2006-10-13 13:06:42 · answer #9 · answered by position28 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The all-consuming goal of "diversity" has become a burden to students, administrators and teachers alike.
The goal should be pure merit, nothing more. If that means less minorities will succeed, so be it. They will just have to try harder next time.
2006-10-13 13:01:16 · answer #10 · answered by college_republicans_club 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋