Grading

Defintions

"In pathology, grading is a measure of the progress of tumors and other neoplasms. Some pathology grading systems apply only to malignant neoplasms (cancer); others apply also to benign neoplasms."

"Grading in civil engineering and construction is the work of ensuring a level (or possibly sloped to specific degree) base for a construction work such as a foundation or the base course for a road or a railway."

Quotations

"With grades students learn to guess the professor's mind and to obey. It is a very sophisticated machinery, whereby the natural desire to learn, the intrinsic motivation to want to learn something because you are interested in the thing itself, is destroyed. Grades are the carrot and stick that shape obedient employees and that prepare students for the higher level indoctrinations of graduate and professional schools. The only way to develop independent thinking in the classroom is to give freedom, to break the power relationship by removing the instrument of power."

"Instructors are responsible for providing written guidelines to all students at the start of each course, outlining how the final grade for the course will be calculated, and including any related policies such as arrangements that may be made for students who are unable to complete a test or other graded work because of short term illness or for other reasons."

"If you were to visit education, as an alien, and say "What's it for, public education?" I think you'd have to conclude -- if you look at the output, who really succeeds by this, who does everything that they should, who gets all the brownie points, who are the winners -- I think you'd have to conclude the whole purpose of public education throughout the world is to produce university professors. Isn't it? They're the people who come out the top."

Syllabus: Offer and Acceptance of Grading Scheme

Offer

Syllabus is offered by the instructor to the Students in a course, typically on the first day or thereabout.

Acceptance

Unconditional

This occurs when a student accepts the syllabus without conditioning the acceptance thereof. This acceptance is typically signified by failure to withdraw from the course before the add-drop date.

Conditional

This occurs when a student accepts or students accept the syllabus upon condition that it be modified in some way.

For example:

• Grade(s) shall be A+.
• Essays shall be used in place of closed-book examinations.
• Instructor shall answer any and all questions during an examination.
• Grade shall be determined by roulette wheel.
• Students shall grade one another using a consensus-driven process.
• Student(s) may use any or no citation.

A letter or postcard is likely the best thing to negotiate such changes.