Recently, I have received a reply mail from a professor about the course’s policy regarding grades. The content of the mail I sent was requesting for score on my reports and final exam, because I was very unsatisfied with the grade I received. However, the answer I received in return was that it was the course’s policy not to reveal the scores to individuals. This led me going on to check the school’s regulations to see if there were regulations making it mandatory for professors to release the scores. There was not a single statement mentioning professor’s role of such.
Postechians are familiar with the school’s Learning Management System (LMS) website. In the assignment section of e-Class, there is a blank at the far right to show grades on the corresponding assignment. Also, there is a “Paper-based exams” section, used very rarely, to show results on paper-based exams, such as midterm and final exams. Of course, there is a “Grade Y/N (Y meaning ‘Use’ as in revealing the score and N meaning ‘No Use’ as in not revealing the score)” that can be chosen for each assignment. However, even with such choices available, there must be a reason why the blanks exist. As I considered why these sections exist, I was again unable to understand the email I had received.
Let’s consider the Chung Yoo-ra incident. To those who are unfamiliar with the Chung Yoo-ra incident, Chung received grades she was unworthy of. This became a huge issue as students of the same course became outraged after finding out the grades she received. Chung did not attend the school, did not submit her assignments on time, and even did not take necessary grades, but ended up getting a B0.
Not revealing scores makes it more vulnerable to become victims of such incidents. I am not trying to say that professors of POSTECH are likely to act in such ways, but still revealing scores can always be a protection for such injustice. Even after all the controversy, can a particular course have a policy on “not revealing individual scores?” My answer is an absolute no. Maybe professors do not have to individually announce the scores. Nevertheless, I would like to humbly say that students have rights to know their individual scores. If a student requests for the scores or an explanation on the grade he or she received, professors should reveal the scores very clearly. A new policy must be made in the school regulations, making it necessary for professors to reveal each and every score to individuals, especially if one asks for it.