Students Baffled By Late Grade Returns

We are now entering Week Six of Spring Semester. The especially avid and motivated among us are already putting together course outlines and scouring Wash Law for the perfect supplement to get through the Spring Exams looming on the horizon. Unfortunately, some students do not yet know how their study tactics worked out last semester; they are still waiting for their grades.

While the majority of grades were published in the last several weeks, at the time this article went to press at least two classes, a large International Law class and a small Higher Education Law class, were still waiting to learn how they performed last December. 2L Kevin Inman is one of the students from the International Law class that is still waiting on his grade. Inman notes that "my resume looks a little different than it would if I had all my grades." Fortunately, Inman's prospective employer did not mention his lack of grades, although he has not yet had to turn in a transcript.

Other employers are not being as patient. Another 2L, Stephanie Patton says that her summer employer has already contacted her twice asking for a copy of her most recent transcript. According to Patton, "although the transcript is not due until March 2nd, they're already inquiring as to my grades. They've made multiple queries." Patton had been waiting on her Communications Law grade until last week.

2L Christina Totino can sympathize. Totino did not get her Criminal Procedure grade until last Tuesday and, although already employed for next summer, sees several potential problems with the speed with which students receive their grades. Totino states that "because many people at other schools already have grades, I think it puts people at a disadvantage with jobs, especially when employers are considering two candidates - one with her grades and the other without." She notes that "even students with really good grades are put at a disadvantage because you can't know your G.P.A. until that last one comes in."

While David Mitchell agrees that it is important for students to know their grades when applying for jobs, he understands why the process may take longer than some students would like. He explains, "you have to strike a balance between grading fair and grading quickly. It would be nice to have grades early for the job application process, but it is more important to get them correct."

Some law schools have clear deadlines for when professors must turn in students' grades. For example, one former dean of New York law school explains that his school "had a requirement that faculty submit grades within five weeks after the examination date." Further, the school "imposed a fine of $50/day on those who did not comply with the policy." However, "in any one year, only a couple of people did not get the grades in on time." As the former dean is no longer with the school, he asked that his name and the school remain anonymous.

According to Dean Maggs, GW has taken a different approach. He explains that the school has grading guidelines in place, but that the guidelines are subject to exceptions. While the particular numbers are worked out by the Records Office, Maggs states that the school looks at the total number of exams that each faculty member will have to grade and then imposes a guideline of grading eight exams a day, seven days a week, beginning in early January. He notes, however, that a number of professors have reasons for an exception to this deadline, such as teaching a January course in the Munich program or serving in other roles, such as a dean of the law school. Maggs states that "getting the grades out is very important" to him because he knows students need them in applying for scholarships, job applications, and the like. However, he notes that "I don't think you'd want to go to a law school where professors are asked to drop everything to do grading." Still, Dean Maggs personally monitors any areas of particular concern and points out that at least 95% of the grades are in on time, and that this year may have actually been better than most.