If you have an issue with the way a homework or test problem was graded, or have an extenuating circumstance that you feel I must know about, please follow the policy outlined on this page.
Method One: For MINOR PROBLEMS that can be resolved immediately
For minor problems (couple of points) with homeworks or tests, or any obvious mistake (e.g., the grader added up the point totals wrong), show it to me after class and I'll make a quick judgement, change the grade sheet if warranted, and put the paper back in the Homework Station. Do NOT give me homeworks for regrading in any other way than handing them to me after class. Please do this within two weeks of receiving the grade, or you will have to use the second method.
Method Two: For COMPLEX PROBLEMS which require a judgement on my part
For more complex problems (homework was late, for what you feel is a very good reason, you forgot to submit all the files and lost points, etc., etc.) or for any matter that you don't handle quickly using the first method, please write it down for yourself now (so you don't forget) with all the evidence, and at the end of the semester, I invite you to give me a letter specifying what changes you feel are justified, and what your reasons and evidence are. You MUST provide all necessary evidence or I will not be able to process your request. I take these letters very seriously, and read them before assigning final grades, but after I have all the data before me about grades, attendance, and so on.
If you got an A anyway, or if you are asking for a small change and are at the bottom of the B's, I'll scan your letter quickly. Otherwise, I read the letter carefully, evaluate your claim, usually consulting with the TF, and make a judgement. I may or may not agreed with you, but at least you get your day in court. The reason I do it this way is that it is perfectly fair, and I can take all the data into consideration. My feeling is that everyone deserves at least one break, so if you handed one assignment in late, for a good reason, your other grades were good, your attendance was good, and you are close to an A-, then I will give it to you. Similarly if you misunderstood a problem on the final, blew it completely, but the other data shows that you were attending class, working hard on assignments, your midterm was good--I'll do what I can to mitigate the effect of the mistake while still being fair to the class as a whole. If, on the other hand, in my random sampling of attendance, I see that you missed half the classes when I took attendance, then your break is that I am not going to penalize you for missing a lot of classes, but you don't get another break. Similarly, if there is a pattern of problems, then I am not going to give you more than your allotted 1 break. Finally, if you cheat on an assignment, then in addition to any penalty that might bring upon you, you deserve no breaks on any other issues.
I will NOT accept any requests for reconsideration of grades after the grades are submitted, unless you can demonstrate to me that I or the TF made an obvious error.
After many years of teaching, I find that this is the best way to avoid the error of the Procrustean Bed, and not to feel like a jerk by penalizing people for simple mistakes, but also to hold everyone to a high standard that is completely fair because it is applied to everyone equally. Thanks, and let me know if you have any questions about my policy. -Wayne Snyder