possible problem with a professor... need advice

[Sava]

Okay, here's the situation.

I'm in a philosophy class that is an independent study/flexible learning class. I meet with my instructor once a week at 10 minute appointments where I hand in assignments and discuss the pace of the class. Essentially, he makes sure I'm on track to complete things on time and am not falling behind, etc.

Oh, and this is at a junior college... it's Philosophy 100. A very basic course. Easy... no problem, right?

Well, this guy has been grading it like a graduate level course. That wouldn't be a problem, necessarily. I'm smart enough to handle this. Sure, it's annoying that I'll hand in a paper, get nothing marked off... he tells me I did great, and then I get a B+ instead of an A. WTF?

He's done this all semester long with papers and the weekly reading assignment questions. On one of them, an assignment containing 5 questions, he marked off one part of one question, and gave me a C for the whole assignment. So half-credit for one question, the four other questions were correct, and I get a C. Yeah... whatever...

Going into the final he tells me I'm in between an A and a B (any other class I'd have a solid A). But that's fine, I think to myself. I am going to ace this final. He tells me to take it either Thursday, December 7th or Friday December 8th.

This is an independent study course remember... a flexible pace for people with busy schedules...

He is only at the college on Tuesday and Thursday. It was too late after my appointment with him on Thursday to take the final, so I decide to take it on Friday.

The testing lab at the college is where the tests are for all the independent classes. At the Naperville campus, the lab is open from like 7AM to 9PM. Silly me, I make the assumption that on a Friday, the hours would be the same. Or if not the same, I figure going a 4PM would be okay.

So I get there at 4PM on Friday the 8th. The lab is closed. Nobody is there. Lights off. Crickets chirping. WTF?

The hours for the lab on Friday are 9AM to 1PM. WTF is this? 4 hours on Friday? That's it? This is supposed to be the lab for independent study courses right? The lab where people go to take their tests because they are in flexible paced courses!

So I email my teacher an inform him that the lab was closed. I tell him that I plan on taking the test on Monday since I had another class on Saturday. I didn't get a reply, so I took the test on Monday, December 11th. He obviously didn't even check his email until Tuesday since he only is at the campus Tuesdays and Thursdays.

I get an email on Tuesday saying that I need to take the final as soon as possible or else he'll have to lower my grade... uhhmm... I already took the final. I took it on Monday. I emailed him back telling him I took the final on Monday. No reply.

Thursday (today), I go in for my last appointment with him for the semester. He is grading the finals as I get there. I don't even think he expected to see me since he told people the last appointment was optional. We talked about my final and he told me I got a 92... the highest score out of anyone else in the class... but a 92 is a B... uhmmm okay. I guess I'm not in a 100 level philosophy course at a junior college, but a graduate level philosophy course? But whatever. He then tells me that because I took the test "so late" he would have to take off points.

I asked him how it would affect my final grade. He said that despite my having a very high B (or rather, an A in any other course), that now I was probably going to get a C, and that any other instructor might give me a D for the class.

I'm just sitting there sort of in shock. I wrote three papers, getting an A and two "B+'s" (B+'s, but no errors or corrections or anything). I handed in every assignment on time getting lots of A's and "B's". Again, B's where nothing is wrong, there are comments like "great" on the paper, but yet it's not an A.

I take the final, I get the highest grade in the class. And he's telling me I'm going to get a C, and that really, I deserve a D for the class?

WTF is this?

All because I missed the test on Friday because the lab was closed because of the funky hours? Which, BTW, had no bearing on him because he wasn't even there until Tuesday. It made no difference which day between Thursday or Tuesday I took the test since he wasn't even there. And even though he got there on Tuesday, he was grading the finals on Thursday when I arrived.

Oh and this final was not long. We're talking 16 true/false questions and 6 short essay questions. Short essay as in a paragraph.

So what should I do about this guy? If he gives me a C, it jeopardizes my chances of transferring to a school I plan on going to in January. In fact, I'm pretty sure it would cause serious problems for me. The other wonderful thing is, this junior college is on a long semester schedule which goes from next January to May. And the school I am transferring to is on trimesters which goes January to March, then March to June. So the earliest I would be able to get to this other school again would be the fall of 2007.

I'm at the mercy of this douche, but is there anything else I can do? Can I talk to the department head? What should I do?

Maybe he'll be reasonable and give me a B and everything will work out. But I need to be prepared for the possibility that he won't.

[Asher]

The problems here are numerous:

1) Philosophy professors are all douches
2) Philosophy professors get off on their feelings of superiority, thus the rigorous marking
3) Philosophy is an artsy-fartsy subjective course. There's no right or wrong.

Go talk to the department head/dean. In my experience they're happy to hear from students -- it's their job.

[SlowwHand]

Yeah, what Asher said. Good luck.

[Spec]

Kill him.

Spec.

[Provost Harrison]

I'd b*tch and moan at a bulletin board about it. Once that step is complete, have the pompous sh*t bumped off.

Failing that, I would go to his superior and stir up ****

[DanS]

If you haven't already, gather your grades/tests/papers together and make your case to the professor why you should receive a higher final grade. Talk about things like effort shown in preparation for your 10 minutes a week, and your punctuality to the appointments. Be respectful, as you are trying to persuade somebody to see it your way.

If he insists on the grade, ask him what you could have done to improve that grade. What he tells you is important, so write it down.

If it is a problem to you, and apparently you don't mind burning bridges, you can escalate the situation. But that bridge will be a burning heap from that point on.

[SlowwHand]

The guy is a part timer. He probably sells shoes at Payless as his other job.
Burn bridges? Ok. Have to go to someplece else for fancy footwear.

[Provost Harrison]

Dan, you're a girlyman. Escalate, escalate, escalate!

[DanS]

Sava has already booked classes at this JuCo, and if he can't transfer because of the grade, and the Dean agrees with instructor, Sava might have to take more classes at the JuCo to raise his overall GPA. If that happens, this prof might have friends where Sava least expects it.

[DanS]

Originally posted by Provost Harrison
Dan, you're a girlyman. Escalate, escalate, escalate!

Believe it or not, I think lots of profs will raise grades based on a good presentation on the merits. That would be the best outcome, and would require the least amount of effort on Sava's part. This prof might get his rocks off on students begging for a grade, in which case Sava should do at least a little bit of begging.

[DaShi]

Tell the Dean that he's lowing your grade because you refused his sexual advances.

[Provost Harrison]

Well, give him the benefit of the doubt and let him humbly grovel for his mistakes. If he does not accede...take him to town!!!

[Whoha]

this is a class you should have bailed on much eariler. he doesn't like you.

[Ogie Oglethorpe]

He wants you. All philosophy teachers are teh soy.

[Asher]

DanS' approach is what we call the bend-me-over approach. It works on the nice profs and profs with some kind of soul or otherwise positive connection with the student.

This would be fine had he not missed two critical points: this is a philosophy prof at a junior college. This philosophy prof is so bad that he couldn't even get an Agathon-level position. He's clearly exacting revenge on his students and thrives on their pain.