Prof cites pressure to alter final grades

[Judi Lynn]

Jan. 13, 2004, 10:39PM

Prof cites pressure to alter final grades
Baylor regents reviewing allegations
Associated Press
WACO -- Baylor University regents are reviewing a finance professor's allegations that he was pressured to change 12 grades last spring.

The allegation is part of a report prepared by the executive committee of the school's faculty senate and obtained by the Waco Tribune-Herald.

Finance professor Jim Tipton said a dozen grades from his commercial banking class were changed in the spring 2003 semester.

"The administration views them as academic infractions. I told them at the time that I had trouble with their position. My two points were: fairness and integrity," Tipton wrote in an e-mail to an associate history professor who is the faculty senate secretary.
(snip/...)

http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/metropolitan/2352458

[ithacan]

1. Admin. changed grades given by prof!

boy, talk about a lack of integrity! Administrators, without consulting the prof, change low or failing grades to "pass" or "withdraw"

The article is written in such a convoluted way that you have to really pay attention to figure it out.

This is in the heart of the Red states, Republican values...

[Lydia Leftcoast]

2. As an ex-academic

I have to wonder whether the students whose grades were changed were either star athletes or the children of major contributors. The article doesn't say.

[Mikimouse]

3. Sadly, this happens more often than we would like to admit

I know of another instance where a professor's final grades were changed by admin., because the students were graduating seniors. Never mind the fact that the students didn't botehr completing assignments, and did not bother taking the final exam. But, they were GOOD kids and after all, deserved to graduate-Horse****! I review the listings of class grades every semester to ensure that mine have not been changed, because I get a fairly large number of scholarship athletes and graduating seniors. I have no qualms, NONE, about failing students if they do not do the work. If any of my grades are EVER changed without my knowledge, you will hear about the lawsuit.