Biology C2005/ F2401 Regrade requests
Deadline: One week after exams were returned to class.
Math Errors: If there was an arithmetic error in adding up points on your exam, let us know right away, and we will record the correct grade. This doesn't constitute a regrade request, and we are happy to fix it. Just write a note on the front of the exam and give it to one of the instructors.
Rationale for Regrade Policy: The regrade procedure is intended to correct serious errors in grading. It is not intended as a opportunity to argue about each judgment call made by the graders. We agree that graders sometimes take off 1-2 points too many here and there, but we believe that they also give you 1-2 points too many just as often. When we regrade exams, we sometimes disagree with the exact points awarded on each question by the graders, but the total grade usually comes out the same. Our overall experience with regrade requests is that fewer than 10% of them lead to a change in an exam grade, and an even smaller percentage have any effect on the final grade for the course. Therefore it seems a waste of our time to regrade most exams, and a waste of your time to agonize over the possibility of gaining an additional point. You can almost certainly gain more points in the course by devoting this time to studying for the next exam. However, significant mistakes in grading do occur, if rarely. If you sincerely feel that your exam was unfairly graded, we will consider regrading it. In that case, we reserve the right to regrade the entire exam, which may result in either an increase or a decrease in your grade.
Some Cautions: When calculating the final letter grades for the course, we try to give extra consideration to each student who is near a cut-off, to see if there is some justification for bumping the letter grade up a notch. We will keep a record of all regrade requests, and students who have asked for this extra consideration during the course of the semester may not receive additional consideration at the time that final grades are assigned.
Unfortunately, there have been several instances in the past where students have modified an answer after the exam had been graded, and then submitted the exam for a regrade. Because of this, we will not consider regrades of exams that were written in pencil, or corrected with whiteout. Also, a random sample of exams are photocopied before they are returned. Any indication that a regrade has been requested for a modified exam will be considered cheating, and appropriate disciplinary action will be taken. We are sorry we have to even bring up this subject, as we know most students are honest. However, we feel the best way to be sure that honest students get a fair deal is to be strict with those who try to bend the rules.
How to Request a Regrade: If you feel that a regrade request is justified, print out the Regrade Request Form, fill it in, and staple it to the front of your exam. If you like to use your old exams to study for the next one, make a copy for yourself before handing it in. (It usually takes us a long time to do regrades.) Give your exam + regrade form to one of the instructors, or put it in one of our mailboxes (Boxes # 2433 or 2453 on the 7th floor of Fairchild),or bring it to one of our offices, 912 Fairchild or 744 Mudd. If we're not there, slip it under the door. Do not put regrades (or anything else for Dr. M) in any of the boxes in the Mudd hallway.
What Merits a Regrade: The following are the usual circumstances that may lead to an increase in points:
1. Your answer is really the same as the one on the answer key, but the grader didn't realize it. Your explanation should make it clear why you believe your answer is the same. For example, "The answer key says we were expected to write 'quaternary structure', and I wrote 'the association of subunit polypeptides in a protein', which is another name for the same thing."
2. Your answer is different from the one provided on the answer key, but your answer is also correct. Your explanation should make it clear that you have read the answer key, and why you think that your answer is equally good.
What Doesn't Merit a Regrade: The following are NOT valid reasons for regrades:
1. "Most of what I wrote is correct, so I think I deserve more partial credit." Partial credit is given equally for all students who write a particular answer, so it would not be fair to give you more points for this without adding points to all students who wrote the same answer.
2. "I wrote so much, and the grader didn't notice that the correct answer is buried somewhere within this long paragraph." We consider it legit to deduct points if the correct answer is accompanied by incorrect information or by so much irrelevant information that it gives the impression that you didn't know the answer, and were just writing down everything you could think of on this topic.
3. "I'm just 1 point away from an A, so I thought it was worth scrounging around to find an extra point somewhere." It's not.
The Bottom Line: We apologize for being so hard nosed about regrades, but in our considerable experience, they consume an inordinate amount of effort, both yours and ours, for very little benefit.