Can a professor do this?

[Linas]

So my bio professor decided that he will not be holding the final exam, and instead taking our highest test grade and using it for our final exam grade. Great for the folks that did ok on previous exams but i needed this final to get an A. Is this technically OK for him to be doing?

[Ericman197]

Depends on university policy. If he's tenured he could probably get away with it. If it really bothers you then try to talk to him about it, and failing that, talk to the dean. There's a guy at my school who is kind of a dick, and he wound up getting a different final because he bitched and moaned to the dean. The professor in question is tenured, but a totally cool guy... he just put in a few questions that weren't discussed in lecture (but were in the book), and everyone freaked out.

[kasanovakarl]

Originally Posted by Ericman197

Depends on university policy. If he's tenured he could probably get away with it. If it really bothers you then try to talk to him about it, and failing that, talk to the dean. There's a guy at my school who is kind of a dick, and he wound up getting a different final because he bitched and moaned to the dean. The professor in question is tenured, but a totally cool guy... he just put in a few questions that weren't discussed in lecture (but were in the book), and everyone freaked out.

+1

I would discuss this with the professor immediately, if that doesn't get you anywhere talk to the dean. I just had a class waived for my masters that everyone had to take, but I would talk to them immediately due to the ending of the semester approaching. Does it call out a final exam in your syllabus? Technically the syllabus is supposed to be the final word, so you might be able to talk you way into getting what you want.

[Pilgrim]

He probably can, but if he published a Syllabus with grading criteria and methodology, it seems to me that he has some obligation to adhere to what he told the class. I suggest talking with him about it personally and letting him know that you believe you could improve your grade by taking the final. Why not ask him to offer the final to those students who want to take it? That's also a common practice. (I work at a university and am fairly familiar with these issues. Normally, there is a work-around for students who would be harmed by the change in grading process.)

[Sonic_Death]

I had this happen to me with one very flaky teacher. Luckily, not only was he flaky, but his tests were easy, and I had an A on the past two exams, so I ended up getting an A on the final by the same decree.

[i_got_a_mohawk]

If he had already declared X amount of marks coming from the final exam or whatnot, you can question it and take it to a department head and your student advisor. Well, thats what would happen over here anyways.

But like has been said, depends on individual uni policies.