Hello -
I am hoping that some of my more experienced colleagues can offer me some
advice regarding a student request.
The student in question has written me regarding a class he took from
me more than 4 years ago. the student is now requesting that I write a
letter supporting a retroactive drop of a poor semester, because he failed
the other classes which he took that semester. I've never heard of a
retroactive drop of a bad semsester.
This student was very disruptive during the classes which he attended,
which were few. a large part of the grade was based on participation which
included attendending and contributing in a constructive manner to
discussions and class exercises. I remember having a conversation with him
at that time suggesting that he was overcomitted and should drop his
courses (since he was doing so poorly) I was new to teaching and had a
very small class and gave him a passing grade - though he should have
failed altogether.
My difficulty with this is that I don't really approve of a retroactive
dropping of a poor semester four years later. It seems like one more
example of lowering the academic expectations, making excuses for students
etc.
On the other hand, perhaps I'm just jealous - there are a few semseters
which I'd like to retroactively drop myself.
tia
Susan Freedman-Noa
