Hi folks,

So I got an assignment back AFTER I wrote my last exam. The exam for the course was five days before the assignment was available for pick up.

So if the prof/IA tells me that you had a three day window to pick up the assignment, do I have an argument?

I understand that regrading should always be taken care of before the exam, which I find 100% fair, except that this assignment was handed back really last minute, about five days after the exam. That exam was also my last exam, so I went back home for the holidays, and I don't have the luxury of just hitching a 1 hour bus ride to McMaster to pick it up whenever, I live about 3 hours away.

The fact that you weren't around when the assignment was handed back is not an excuse. You're expected to be available and be able to get to Mac during the ENTIRE session, not just until your last exam.

I'm a bit confused about what happened though. Did you not pick up your assignment, and then just got your final grade and want the thing regraded? Or did you pick it up late? How strong is your reason for wanting it re-graded?

The three-day window was likely because they need to get final grades in to the registrar by a certain date after the exam. Typically these policies are stated ahead of time - if you couldn't get a grade change after a certain date, for example. If that wasn't the case, then you might have an argument there. Also, if the assignment was due in October or something and you just got it back now...but if it was due near the end of term, then depending on the nature of the assignment it's not that unreasonable to only be getting it back during the exam period.
You'd be making a lot more work for them if they change your grade now, if the registrar already has the grades - it makes it unlikely your mark on the assignment would change unless there was some major error, even if they agreed to re-grade it.

Originally Posted by starfish

The fact that you weren't around when the assignment was handed back is not an excuse. You're expected to be available and be able to get to Mac during the ENTIRE session, not just until your last exam.

I'm a bit confused about what happened though. Did you not pick up your assignment, and then just got your final grade and want the thing regraded? Or did you pick it up late? How strong is your reason for wanting it re-graded?

The three-day window was likely because they need to get final grades in to the registrar by a certain date after the exam. Typically these policies are stated ahead of time - if you couldn't get a grade change after a certain date, for example. If that wasn't the case, then you might have an argument there. Also, if the assignment was due in October or something and you just got it back now...but if it was due near the end of term, then depending on the nature of the assignment it's not that unreasonable to only be getting it back during the exam period.
You'd be making a lot more work for them if they change your grade now, if the registrar already has the grades - it makes it unlikely your mark on the assignment would change unless there was some major error, even if they agreed to re-grade it.

I agree, but I don't see how that policy is realistic. If McMaster expects first years to move out the day after their last exam, I don't see how booking a vacation a day after my last exam or going back to my hometown is different. It wouldn't be fair to a first year to come back to McMaster to pick up an assignment after being told to move out the day after their last exam. What about those people that don't have the luxury of hitching a ride back to McMaster within an hour? And even though I am not in first year, it should not be different than me going back home, if they don't expect first years to stay on campus until December 20, I don't see why they'd expect me to either.

I haven't gotten back my final grade yet. The assignment was available for pick up about a week after the exam was written (5 days after precisely). I haven't picked it up yet. I'm not saying I will regrade it, but there is a chance that when I do pick it up in January, if I do see any discrepancy between the answer key and what I wrote, I want to bring it up.

There was no regrading policy stated in the course outline. The assignment was due in early December, and I don't find it unreasonable to be getting it back during exam time, but I do find it unreasonable if we are expected to quickly travel back to McMaster just to pick up an assignment and get it regraded before December 20 on such short notice.

I think if you're going to hand it back within exams after exams are over for some people, then don't expect them to take a 4 hour ride back to McMaster just to pick it up, they should expect to have it dealt with in January. It might not work, but that's my view on it.

If they really did not want to deal with this in January, the assignment should have been handed back before exams, because then students would have no excuse.

It really doesn't matter what your view on the policy is - it is school policy, plain and simple. By choosing to attend this school, you agree to take responsibility for getting yourself here Mon-Sat during the term as outlined in the sessional calendar.
You can debate the fairness of it all you want, but that really won't get you anywhere. IF you were in this situation as a first-year student and IF you lived in residence and were kicked out the day after your last exam, they MIGHT be willing to be flexible with the pick-up time, but they aren't required to do so. They also MIGHT be willing to be flexible with your individual situation, but again, are not required to do so. It sounds like they're allowing you to pick it up in January though, which seems accommodating to this situation.

If it was due in early December, it's not too unreasonable to hand it back near the end of exam period (although it does depend on the nature of the assignment and the number of TAs per student). The alternative is having it due earlier when you would have less time to complete it or perhaps not having covered the material yet. Or, simply not handing it back at all and just posting a grade.

If I'm understanding your second post correctly, you don't even know if this is a problem with your grade yet? Your thread title is "I want an assignment regraded", which sounds like you've already made up your mind. There usually is a policy stated somewhere (it's not always in the course outline), but if there isn't, then they should still accept the re-grade. However, like I said before, it's a huge hassle for them - unless there is a clear/objective error in marking (eg they added it wrong or something) then it probably won't make a difference either way; re-grades aren't guaranteed to increase your mark.

At this point, if you haven't gotten the assignment grade or your course grade, then I don't really see the point in trying to figure out how you can get a re-grade. It likely won't even be necessary.

Originally Posted by starfish

It really doesn't matter what your view on the policy is - it is school policy, plain and simple. By choosing to attend this school, you agree to take responsibility for getting yourself here Mon-Sat during the term as outlined in the sessional calendar.
You can debate the fairness of it all you want, but that really won't get you anywhere. IF you were in this situation as a first-year student and IF you lived in residence and were kicked out the day after your last exam, they MIGHT be willing to be flexible with the pick-up time, but they aren't required to do so. They also MIGHT be willing to be flexible with your individual situation, but again, are not required to do so. It sounds like they're allowing you to pick it up in January though, which seems accommodating to this situation.

If it was due in early December, it's not too unreasonable to hand it back near the end of exam period (although it does depend on the nature of the assignment and the number of TAs per student). The alternative is having it due earlier when you would have less time to complete it or perhaps not having covered the material yet. Or, simply not handing it back at all and just posting a grade.

If I'm understanding your second post correctly, you don't even know if this is a problem with your grade yet? Your thread title is "I want an assignment regraded", which sounds like you've already made up your mind. There usually is a policy stated somewhere (it's not always in the course outline), but if there isn't, then they should still accept the re-grade. However, like I said before, it's a huge hassle for them - unless there is a clear/objective error in marking (eg they added it wrong or something) then it probably won't make a difference either way; re-grades aren't guaranteed to increase your mark.

At this point, if you haven't gotten the assignment grade or your course grade, then I don't really see the point in trying to figure out how you can get a re-grade. It likely won't even be necessary.

Yes, I am pretty sure it won't make a difference in my grade, in which case, no point of getting it regraded. But if I am on a borderline between two grade points, I'm fairly certain I can get it regraded because looking at the answer key, I don't see how I could've lost all those marks. I will discuss it with the IA and see if they can do anything about it first, if they can't, then I will submit it for a regrade.

And can you send me a link to this policy you're talking about? McMaster is very flexible and fair about situations like these, such as students not being able to write cancelled exams days after because they booked vacations, etc.

The course calendar states that students should expect to have academic commitments Mon-Sat of the academic term. The specific information about being responsible for yourself to campus was in light of a possible transit strike a few years back, as well as in the context of Saturday night exams when there was no GO service, and Friday night exams that finished after the last GO bus left - no exam schedule accommodations were made. Might be under exam regulations or something, idk. I had a friend crash on my couch for this reason.

I think they're more accommodating in individual situations. Once you have many people affected, it becomes difficult to do, hence the blanket policy to cover them so they're not obligated to do anything. For example, say there's a GO strike for the month of December - they can't reschedule ~10 000 people's exams.