By Elijah Mckenzie
When posed with the above question, some students may believe that determination and effort alone should merit an “A.”
However, many professors shake their heads at this notion, knowing that in order to obtain such a high mark, students have to do more than just show up to class.
Charles Zimmerman, a communications professor at the University of Louisville, says students have a false sense of what grades they will receive due to the way in which high schools evaluate their students.
“High school rewards students who simply show up, work hard and involve themselves in group work,” said Zimmerman. “They grant extra credit for extra work, not for the achievement.”
Philosophy professor Robert Urekew shares the same sentiment. “Just as a baseball player doesn’t deserve to go to first base because he tries hard to hit the ball but misses, it would seem inappropriate for a student to expect a high grade on the basis of effort alone,” said Urekew.
For Urekew, his students seem to expect the same grades that they earned in high school; however, Urekew consistently continues to grade based on actual results.
“In a sense, I don’t really give grades,” Urekew said. “I merely record what the student has accomplished.”
For other students, making the grade comes down to more then just the effort put forth during class.
Some, like business major Eric Cevallos, find using outside resources critical in performing well in the classroom. “The resources are out there,” Cevallos said, referring to the study sessions provided by REACH.
“You have to do the work outside of class.”
However, even using services such as REACH or the Writing Center doesn’t always equate to an high grade.
“I have gone to class and I have done the required work and I have yet to receive an ‘A’ for it,” said Cevallos.
For senior Ashley Glenn, attending class and completing required assignments such as reading and homework should earn only a median grade, and that grade expectations depend heavily on the class setting.
“Lectures require you to just reiterate what teachers say,” said Glenn, “But labs and workshop classes force you to bring out your own ideas and opinions.”
This may be due to the size of lecture classes, which typically contain a high number of students.
Due to this, professors usually expect participation only for standard tests and assignments, rather than personalized responses from each and every student.
These settings are in contrast to workshop-style classes, where professors may reserve high grades for students that involve themselves in the course.
Since there is the expectation of a stronger relationship with the instructor, students may find their work graded more harshly in the setting of an intimate class.
