[nabs-l] professors and preferential treatment

[Serena Cucco]

Hi Kurt,

I think you're doing the honorable thing by making sure your prof. isn't
giving you a B just cuz you're blind and you might well be correct that
he/she is.  I hope he/she learns from your honesty.  BTW, what
accommodations did you use or know you should've used?  I'm wondering cuz
I'm taking Stats this summer online through Rutgers.

Thanks,
Serena

-----Original Message-----
From: nabs-l-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nabs-l-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf
Of Kirt Manwaring
Sent: Wednesday, April 20, 2011 7:35 PM
To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list
Subject: [nabs-l] professors and preferential treatment

Dear nabs list,
  So I'm currently retaking a class I took last semester.  It's a
logic class, which involves a lot of tables.  Last semester I took the
class, I got a d+, mostly because I was lazy and didn't do all the
homework, which made me bomb a few tests.  This semester I did enough
in the class to probably get a grade in the C range...but today I
found out the professor isn't requiring me to take the final and he's
giving me a flat B in the class.  I'm putting a copy of the letter I
sent this professor below my message here, I'd love to know what you
think of it.  If he's giving me the B just to be merciful, as I know
some professors do to students who struggle in classes (especially
this professor, he gives students breaks and errs on the side of
compassion when handing out grades to all his students), but I want to
make sure him cutting me this slack has nothing to do with my
blindness.  And I fear blindness is a factor...I'm not sure if this
letter will prompt him to change his mind and give me the grade I
deserve, but at least I tried.
-------------
Dear [professor's name omitted],
 [teacher's aid's name omitted] just told me I'm not required to take
the final and I'm
getting a B in the class.  I apreciate the sentiment of what you're
doing...and, honestly, a B would look much better on my GPA than what
I probably deserve.  It would certainly be more advantageous for me to
get a B in the class.  But I can't help feeling it's cheating me of a
valuable learning experience, and here's why.
 In retaking the class, I knew exactly what I was in for.  I still
chose to be lazy and not do most of my homework.  In retaking the
class, I was totally aware of the accomodations I needed to make with
the course...and those accomodations were made in such a way as to
pretty much make my blindness a non-factor.  Or at least a very
minimal factor.
 I knew exactly what I needed to do in the course to be successful,
and I didn't do it all.  I did do better the second time around...but
I honestly think my homework score the second semester taking the
course was worse than it was the first time I took it.  If we're going
purely by points, I'd probably deserve somewhere in the C range.  And
I'm totally aware a B looks much better on my GPA.  But I didn't do
the work to deserve that kind of grade.
 If you're cutting me a break to be compassionate...I'm really not
going to argue because I like having a B on my transcript.  But I feel
a little uneasy about it because I know I don't deserve it and, were I
not blind, I doubt you'd be quite so kind.  And I can honestly say my
blindness wasn't the reason I gave you C quality work.  I know you've
had blind students do amazing in your class before.  I know how to be
successful as a blind student...I just didn't do everything I needed
to to get a B grade.  And, although it's really attractive to me and
I'm kicking myself for asking you this, I hope you'll reconsider and
give me the grade I deserve rather than the grade I want.
 Take care and thanks for the class,
Kirt

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