Jerk group member in research paper?

Question

In my communication class we had a research paper to write about, and the professor said that we were allowed to have a group so we would have to do less work between each individual. Big mistake on my part, I got lazy and decided to do this. So, I go ahead and get in a group with this guy next to me. Everything goes fine and we get a topic to write about, even though I didn't really want to choose that topic, I still sucked it up and went with it. Week after week he didn't do any work, or it was so unintelligible it was like reading an assignment that a child with down-syndrome had written. He could never do any of the work without me breathing down his work, so I took him to the school library to get some of the work done. I get a private study room with a computer so it would limit his distractions and I gave him an assignment and told him I wanted it done within the hour while I worked on something else on the lower floor. I come back to find him on myspace and playing videogames.

I get very frustrated and tell him to go home while I try to decipher the horrible work he had attempted to do. After we have a little conference with the teacher about how the paper is doing, I give him very detailed instructions on what to do, and he responds with "Dude, I've been doing all of the work!" I finally get sick and tired of this garbage, so I go ahead and e-mail the teacher and after a week it gets "sort" of resolved. The kid goes ballistic on me and the teacher is just a plain prick about it. The kid barely did any work, so the teacher gives him a photo copy of "MY" research paper and tells us to edit it and turn it in individually. Now, after the fact, the teacher seems to be grading my papers much harder than usually and just being a general flat-out jerk about everything I ask him. Was this the right thing to do, should I have complained about this kid or should I have just sucked it up?

I have another question about this teacher in my profile, you will be able to find it. If you could give me some advice on that, that would be awesome. It is somewhat of a follow-up.

Thanks

Answer 1

Talk to the teacher and see if you can get out of the group with this guy. If that is not an option, then go ahead and do all of the work and never let this happen to you again. Do not allow yourself to be in a group unless there is a way to kick out members who are not doing their work.

Answer 2

When is the paper due? You have a couple of options.
You can either go to the professor now and explain the situation and see if he/she will let you get out of the group project and just do it solo.

Or, go ahead and do the paper yourself and turn it in as the group project, but be sure to cite on the paper what parts you did or tell the professor about it at some point. Many times a professor will include an evaluation of a group project as as opportunity for each team member to tell what they contributed and how they feel the group worked together as a team.

I feel your pain; I can relate to your experience. I was always a good student and many times a teacher or professor would assign me to a group with weaker students on purpose I suppose so in theory I could mentor them and pull them up, but it never worked out that way--I just felt used and abused and resentful of others not pulling their weight. The worst experience like that lately was an online masters' class. Apparently that is a very popular technique for online learning. I got stuck in a group whose first language obviously wasn't English, and then there was the time lag and the barrier of having to wait for them to respond (or not) to e-mail and forum posts to try and divide the project. It was like pulling teeth and very frustrating. I was very dissatisfied with the final product--it was nothing like I would have turned in had it been totally mine.

Whatever happens, I'm sure this will be one of those character-building lessons that will help you learn to avoid group projects in the future (or at least be more discriminating about who your partner is!)

Edit: I just read the rest of your details. At the risk of offending (I honestly don't mean to, just trying to understand it & help you do so), are there perhaps some multi-cultural and/or diversity issues here? Because it sounds like the teacher is biased toward the lazy kid for some reason. If the professor has any sense or any fairness at all, he has likely seen this scenario played out many many times, and should have procedures and policies in place for dealing with it.

The only other possibility is that since it's a communications class, part of the grade is on your ability to communicate and work together as a team. But it seems like if that were the case, he would have made everybody do a group project and not have it just have been an option. Just do your best to play his little game & not make any more waves and just get through this class the best way you can. Anything else you do now to complain or whatever will no doubt just make things worse. If you should end up failing or it affecting your GPA too adversely, I suppose you could retake the class with a different professor, and if things get severely unfair, you could make an appt and take your concerns to the department chair (unless it's this same guy or his best buddy!) Good luck!

Answer 3

Wow. If I had gotten a lazy partner I probably would have just sucked it up, done all the work, and not complained to the teacher. But then I'm a meek little wuss. I don't know you, but I'm kinda proud of you for insisting your partner do his share of the work. You're teacher sounds like a jerk. I know it's frustrating to get graded unfairly, but try to look at the big picture and maybe it won't seem so bad. This is just one class. It won't kill your GPA if this one professor gives you lower grades. Maybe check out ratemyprofessor.com before you sign up for next semester's classes, so next time it happens you might get a professor who deals with it better.

Answer 4

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Answer 5

talk to your professer about the situation, and possibly ask him if you could work alone. i know that it might be a lot (or SEEM like a lot) and that it is late, but this is a horrible situation that could hurt your personal grade. Also, working alone builds up confidence and your personal knowledge