Four days after my exam, I checked my grades on ACES Web. I "aced" the political science exam-a solid 'A' in the class. I call my parents and break out the champagne. My 'A' is still there the next morning. I was not seeing things. An 'A' in polisci, what's next, The White House? But I guess it was not meant to be.
A couple days later, I get an email from the University Registrar. The subject line is "Incorrect Grade Entry," and the entire email is only two sentences long. They got right to the point. My real grade was a 'B.' They typed the wrong letter. Oops.
The registrar should not make these mistakes. Grades are important to us and influence our futures. The spirit of the registrar's office suggests that mistaken grades are acceptable and normal. How often does the registrar and his staff type the wrong grade, anyway? Maybe it's harder than I think to distinguish between A's, B's, C's and D's.
Now, I understand that mistakes happen, and that the registrar was correct in fixing his mistake. But when the registrar and his staff tell you about the error, it sure seems like they don't care. Mr. Registrar, if you continue to mix up people's grades, please at least call them and offer an apology. Your two-sentence e-mail just doesn't cut it.
I hope you and your staff will have more respect for students and our grades in the future. As students, we can't easily, quickly, and impersonally correct our mistakes like you can. If you are not too busy, why not make a phone call and apologize for mixing up letters our grades? Mr. Registrar, shouldn't your office be held to the same standards as everyone else at Duke?
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