> 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
>
Quote the student the biblical passage "you shall reap what you
sow"
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