Regrade Policy Statement

What is a regrade?

A regrade is allowed only when there are clear and obvious grading errors. Grading errors are simple mistakes made on the part of the graders, and not differences in interpretation of a question or answer. An error has occurred when:

• The grader has made a mistake in point totals, or a question was just not graded.

• The answer is clearly and obviously correct based on the posted key, but full credit was not given. (This is subject to analysis by Dr. Hardinger.)

• Regrades must be requested from Dr. Hardinger. Teaching Assistants (TAs) are not involved in this process in any way.

• Submit the exam to Dr. Hardinger, along with a brief note explaining what you believe must be regraded. Just like any other "briefly explain" question, your request should be brief, but clear and very specific. The note must be word processed. Hand-written regrade requests are often too sloppy and insufficiently thought out. The note must clearly indicate which exam problems contain grading errors, and/or which pages have point total errors. A general 'regrade the entire exam' request will be denied.
  

• Each exam may only be submitted for regrade once, so carefully consider the completeness of your regrade request explanation. After the completed regrade is returned, you cannot submit the same exam again.

• In certain instances, a request to regrade one question might cause other related questions to be examined as well. This is because the answers to some questions will influence the answers to other questions. Any interpretation of a question or answer must be also be applied to all connected questions and answers. An example of this is a question in which you are asked to write a mechanism for a reaction, and a later question in which your are asked to explain why you chose that mechanism.

• All regrade scores are final, unchangeable, and not negotiable. Once you submit an exam for a regrade, you must accept the new point total, even if it goes down.

• Graders are human, and thus can make mistakes. These mistakes might be to your detriment, resulting in less points for the question than earned. Or these errors might be to your benefit resulting in more points than were earned. A regrade request implies a desire for honesty and perfection in grading, so all exam questions and both types of errors are examined. Thus your regraded exam score might be higher or lower than the original exam score. A reduced exam score is not a penalty for having made a regrade request.

• Some scores may go up, others down, some may stay the same.

• Exams on which red ink, "WhiteOut", or similar materials have been used cannot be submitted for a regrade.

• An exam which has been altered in any way cannot be accepted for regrade. This includes additional writing, even if you are just copying an answer from the key.

• Various precautions are taken to discourage cheating on exam regrades. For example, a certain percentage of exams may be photocopied before being returned. Submission for a regrade of an exam showing any evidence of alteration after grading will be considered an attempt at academic dishonesty, with appropriate penalty. Penalty include a report to the Dean of Students (without warning or possibility of appeal), with the maximum penalty (dismissal from the University) requested. A record of 'academic dishonesty' on your transcript effectively destroys your chances for medical, professional or graduate school. So don't cheat, even a little bit...the penalty far outweighs the potential gain.  Review the official UCLA policies on Academic Dishonesty.

• Submission of an altered exam for regrade will result in a report of academic misconduct to the office of the Dean of Students. This report will include a suggested penalty of dismissal from the University.
  

• The final is a single exam. Thus, Part A cannot be submitted for a regrade separately from the Part B.

• Final exams cannot be regraded, except to correct clerical errors such as (but not limited to) erroneous point totals.

• The following sentence must be included with each regrade request: "I have read the regrade policy on Dr. Hardinger's web site and I agree to its provisions." (The purpose of this sentence is to prove that you have read this web page at least once.)

• Remember that if you submit for a regrade, your score might go down, so very carefully consider the strength and merits of your request.

Regrade deadlines

• First midterm: Must be submitted no later than two weeks from the date and hour which the graded exam is first made available to the class. This does not mean two weeks from the time you pick it up. If the normal deadline falls on a day which campus is closed then the deadline is extended by 24 hours.

• Second midterm: Same as the first midterm, but the deadline is the start of the final exam.

• Final exam: The deadline is 5:00 PM on the end of the second week of the following quarter. For the spring quarter, the deadline is the end of the second week of the summer A session. For the summer A session, the deadline is the second week of the summer C session. For the summer C session, the deadline is the second week of the following fall quarter. This deadline applies regardless of how you opted to have the exam returned. It is your responsibility to collect the graded exam in a timely manner.

• "I am failing and am desperate for a few extra points."

• "I thought this might be worth a few points, even though it is wrong."

• "I am one point short of an A so please find me some points."

• "I have looked at other student's exams and we had the same answers yet they got more points." Requests based on this can be considered only if both exams are simultaneously submitted for a regrade. In this case both exams are subject to regrade.
  

• "I think I was graded too harshly" or "The grading was unfair."

• "My answers are similar to the key."

• "I do understand the material" or "I know the material." If your understanding of the material is perfect, your exam scores will also be perfect.

• "I deserve more points because I didn't have enough time." Everyone takes the same exam, so the exam average reflects the time constraints.

• "I studied hard and therefore I deserve an A." Grades are is not rewards for hard work, but rather a judgment of your skill and understanding of the subject matter relative to the standard established by the instructor.
  

When will my regrade be ready?

I strive to consider all regrades within a day or two of their submission, but because regrades rarely have to be completed immediately, it can take as long as a week before I can get to them.  Please be patient.