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can a professor fail a large portion of the class?

 
Old 04-07-2010 at 09:07 PM   #16
sniderj
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Alchemist11 View Post
Eh, I never said it was true, but that's how the professor seems to be thinking of it at any rate.

In either case, I don't think if someone passed the course that he would go and individually ask for each person who failed the exam to not pass the course.
He doesn't have to go ask anything. He receives exam grades. He then pops them into excel, and uses an if statement on the exam grade to determine whether to use the real weighting, or apply a failing mark. Then he saves the file and sends it off to the registrar. Job's done.

I'm not saying it's right. I'm just saying he can do whatever he wants.
Old 04-07-2010 at 10:40 PM   #17
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Eh, he could, yes, but it's unlikely, is all I'm sayin'. Easiest way to solve this is to just do well on the exam.
Old 04-07-2010 at 10:43 PM   #18
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Why is it unlikely? If a professor says you can't pass if you don't pass the exam, I don't imagine they're joking around (unless this was brought to light on April 1st). I tend to agree with that mentality, because if you don't know enough of the theory to get a 50% on a cumulative exam, then you really shouldn't pass the course. It shows that you just crammed info into your head for the midterm, regurgitated, and moved on with your life.
Old 04-07-2010 at 10:49 PM   #19
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then make the final worth 100%. Why make me waste my time on marked assignments and labs if its going to be all about the final
Old 04-07-2010 at 10:56 PM   #20
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Wouldn't you rather have some good assignment/lab marks behind you if you end up getting a 55 or 60 on the exam?
Old 04-08-2010 at 09:24 AM   #21
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Quote:
Originally Posted by sniderj View Post
Why is it unlikely? If a professor says you can't pass if you don't pass the exam, I don't imagine they're joking around (unless this was brought to light on April 1st). I tend to agree with that mentality, because if you don't know enough of the theory to get a 50% on a cumulative exam, then you really shouldn't pass the course. It shows that you just crammed info into your head for the midterm, regurgitated, and moved on with your life.
Man, you non-engineering types are weird... (in a non-offensive kind of way ; ) )
You don't have profs put material on for the specific purpose of making you fail the exam?

E3N03 anyone?
Or how about SE3X03 Fall 2008, anyone?

Anyways, yeah... the way of thinking in engineering is that you can fail more then 50% of the class, but it just doesn't look good for the prof. They will usually curve just enough that around 50% passes.


EDIT: why are the emoticons so annoying. I would prefer they be static on a forum.
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Old 04-08-2010 at 09:43 AM   #22
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Just FYI, I failed one ECE course with a 59.7 last year. Professors can and will enforce the pass midterm/final to pass the course policy.
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Old 04-08-2010 at 10:15 AM   #23
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Did the prof say on the syllabus that if you failed the exam you would fail the course? I think they can do whatever they want if its on the syllabus, but can they really just change the scheme like that at the last second? Isn't this what we have a student union for?
Old 04-08-2010 at 10:28 AM   #24
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Quote:
Originally Posted by samd View Post
Did the prof say on the syllabus that if you failed the exam you would fail the course? I think they can do whatever they want if its on the syllabus, but can they really just change the scheme like that at the last second? Isn't this what we have a student union for?
I doubt the prof all of a sudden decided this, I'm sure from the start of the course he/she was planning to fail anyone that fails the exam
Old 04-08-2010 at 10:41 AM   #25
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ThatGuy View Post
I doubt the prof all of a sudden decided this, I'm sure from the start of the course he/she was planning to fail anyone that fails the exam
That's what I'm saying, profs are usually pretty upfront about this belief right from the get-go. For one of my courses you have to pass the combination of the midterm and final or else all your other marks go to zero and you fail the course. But this was stated on the syllabus.
Old 04-08-2010
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Old 04-08-2010 at 06:02 PM   #26
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Quote:
Originally Posted by sniderj View Post
Why is it unlikely? If a professor says you can't pass if you don't pass the exam, I don't imagine they're joking around (unless this was brought to light on April 1st). I tend to agree with that mentality, because if you don't know enough of the theory to get a 50% on a cumulative exam, then you really shouldn't pass the course. It shows that you just crammed info into your head for the midterm, regurgitated, and moved on with your life.
I never said I don't agree, personally I think the same thing - one should pass the exam to pass the course. And once again, I suppose it doesn't matter how likely it is - just pass the exam, problem solved.
Old 04-08-2010 at 06:37 PM   #27
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Im also in 2FH3 this term, and for the record, this course SUCKS.

Its clearly stated in the outline that a failure on exam means failure of course. But, the midterm had over 70 people fail, out of a class of ~200. Not sure if they can/will do this, since its not even offered in summer, so we will have to wait till 2nd term next year. She also doesnt seem to care if we fail, because she belives we have all the time in the world to do her 50 million homework questions + tutorial examples + lecture examples. I just wish she would be more specific on the exam, or not make it cumulative at the very least.

Just try our best, and hope it works out
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Old 04-08-2010 at 09:15 PM   #28
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Quote:
Originally Posted by kldv View Post
Man, you non-engineering types are weird... (in a non-offensive kind of way ; ) )
You don't have profs put material on for the specific purpose of making you fail the exam?

E3N03 anyone?
Or how about SE3X03 Fall 2008, anyone?

Anyways, yeah... the way of thinking in engineering is that you can fail more then 50% of the class, but it just doesn't look good for the prof. They will usually curve just enough that around 50% passes.


EDIT: why are the emoticons so annoying. I would prefer they be static on a forum.
Heh, I'm waiting to get pretty much destroyed on the 2C03 exam by Janicki. It's not a good feeling when then TA says you're screwed no matter how well you're doing in the course.

I'm 99% sure this guy would have been gone as a prof over 10 years ago if it weren't for the fact that he churns out research papers like no other.

Quote:
Originally Posted by blackdragon View Post
Im also in 2FH3 this term, and for the record, this course SUCKS.

Its clearly stated in the outline that a failure on exam means failure of course. But, the midterm had over 70 people fail, out of a class of ~200. Not sure if they can/will do this, since its not even offered in summer, so we will have to wait till 2nd term next year. She also doesnt seem to care if we fail, because she belives we have all the time in the world to do her 50 million homework questions + tutorial examples + lecture examples. I just wish she would be more specific on the exam, or not make it cumulative at the very least.

Just try our best, and hope it works out
Just be glad you guys don't have Math 2ZZ3.
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Old 04-08-2010 at 09:35 PM   #29
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I have this course next year, crap



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