TESC BSBA Students: Make Sure to Watch your GPA!

[cookderosa]

Thanks, Cook, for the encouragement and advice to appeal to my mentor. That thought did not occur to me.

I drafted and sent an email to her today explaining the unique situation, so we will see what happens. She was very courteous and easy to please during the course, and gave me a 100 on every written assignment, except for one 96. So, I'm hoping she will be merciful.... :o

I hope so too. While you wait, start that assignment. *worst case, you can use it if you have to retake, but let's hope you'll just be able to submit

Keep me posted, I want to know how this all plays out. Remember, this may take several emails.

[Levi]

WHOA!!!! I just caught one of my type-os!! I've changed it, it's correct now, but just to be clear. Your mentor DOES have the authority. Your mentor CAN change a grade. Likely your mentor is the ONLY ONE who will initiate a grade change. Gosh, I don't know how I misspoke earlier!!?! Just glad to catch it now.

LOL! When I first read your original post I was confused, but after a few seconds I understood what you were trying to say and recognized it as a typo. No worries. I'll keep you posted. Thanks!

[Levi]

I just got a reply from my mentor regarding the appeal. Here it is:

Hello. I am not able adjust a grade without the permission of the College. You need to contact the College directly and see if you are able to get an extension to do this work. Sorry I can't do more and thanks.

*********************

So now I'm going to have to try to get a straight answer from the college...Who knows how long that will take?

Also, if I do end up having to retake the course, I must enroll in the December 2010 semester to even be close to being finished by the March 2011 graduation date. I don't even know if I will be able to make that deadline. And the early registration for the December semester ends Nov. 7.

I wonder if the new Straighterline Business Communications course would be accepted for credit. I'm sure it would be faster, and it would be cheaper if this doesn't work out.

[HorseManiac]

I hope everything works out for you.

Horsemaniac

[bricabrac]

So now I'm going to have to try to get a straight answer from the college...Who know how long that will take?

Also, if I do end up having to retake the course, I must enroll in the December 2010 semester to even be close to being finished by the March 2011 graduation date. I don't even know if I will be able to make that deadline. And the early registration for the December semester ends Nov. 7.

I wonder if the new Straighterline Business Communications course would be accepted for credit. I'm sure it would be faster, and it would be cheaper if this doesn't work out.

Well the good news is you have options:

If they allow the extension (call the registrars office in the am) you would then be able to submit the final project for grading. It seems the mentor has given verbal approval he/she would actually approve the extension. Whether or not the college will allow since the time lapse who knows; the deadline is usually the final day of the semester.

If you take the course over you are able to resubmit the work you've already done. You would just need to inform the mentor its a redo. Some have said when they've taken a course for a second time they choose the same mentor. Obviously you have a good rapport with this mentor. All you would have to do is resubmit the work, not sure if you would have to retake the midterm (if you do you already know the exam) and submit the final project.

IMHO the best option would be to first request an extension. If not approved take the Penn Foster Business & Technical writing. You could complete the course within 1 week and transfer to TESC though ACE. Not sure how this will affect the GPA problem. I guess they would then code the TESC course as a duplicate and on your transcript it would appear as 0.00R. To be sure I would ask someone in the registrars office. You would then not have an official GPA. Not sure how that will affect your future plans? But, you would make the March 2011 graduation using this option or with the extension if approved.

The SL course is not yet ACE approved. Plus it looks like a ton of work.

Good luck! Lesson well learned I'm sure.

[skyfall123]

I wonder if the new Straighterline Business Communications course would be accepted for credit. I'm sure it would be faster, and it would be cheaper if this doesn't work out.

Currently the Straighterline Business Communications is worth no college credit at all. Zero. Nada. Nothing. There is no guarantee that the course will be given ACE approval. At this point you would be flushing time and money down the drain. In fact, why Straighterline is advertising the course and currently charging people to take it since it HAS NOT BEEN ACE APPROVED is a question that the "Straighterline Team" should answer. There is no money back guarantee by Straighterline that will pay you for your time and energy if the course is not approved.

[Levi]

Currently the Straighterline Business Communications is worth no college credit at all. Zero. Nada. Nothing. There is no guarantee that the course will be given ACE approval. At this point you would be flushing time and money down the drain. In fact, why Straighterline is advertising the course and currently charging people to take it since it HAS NOT BEEN ACE APPROVED is a question that the "Straighterline Team" should answer. There is no money back guarantee by Straighterline that will pay you for your time and energy if the course is not approved.

Bricabrac and Geezer, you are correct. I contacted the College today regarding the new Straighterline course and this is the reply I received:

Upon review of your file and with the conferall of the Associate Director of Advising, your best option to improve your GPA would be to retake our MAN-373 course. Since you have already earned a grade for this course and because your GPA follows you academically, replacing Managerial Communications with an outside course will not affect your current Thomas Edison State College GPA.

To improve your GPA, it is in your best interest to retake our MAN-373 course.

So Bricabrac, the Penn Foster course would not be feasible either.

I will look into the course extension option right away.

[JBjunior]

I just got a reply from my mentor regarding the appeal. Here it is:

Hello. I am not able adjust a grade without the permission of the College. You need to contact the College directly and see if you are able to get an extension to do this work. Sorry I can't do more and thanks.

*********************

So now I'm going to have to try to get a straight answer from the college...Who knows how long that will take?

Also, if I do end up having to retake the course, I must enroll in the December 2010 semester to even be close to being finished by the March 2011 graduation date. I don't even know if I will be able to make that deadline. And the early registration for the December semester ends Nov. 7.

I wonder if the new Straighterline Business Communications course would be accepted for credit. I'm sure it would be faster, and it would be cheaper if this doesn't work out.

For those that disagreed, I am glad we can all have opinions.....

Anyway, so obviously the mentor is not willing, I never said they didn't have the power, to change the grade for whatever reason. I attended TESC and if I remember correctly there was a clear policy on when an extension could be requested as well and I don't think that will be feasible.

Bringing in any outside class obviously won't change the GPA at TESC as they only calculate their own courses and they won't take that course off of the transcript unless you retake the course.

[skyfall123]

Levi, not that it will make you feel any better, but my son missed a C by one point and had to retake his final course. It cost him three months and me another $600. He just finished and will now graduate. But he will graduate... just like you will shortly. Be proud of all the time, effort and determination that you have put into this degree. You've done it at a young age with grace and maturity. If the worst thing that happens is that you have to retake the course, then gear up, do it, and don't look back. You should be proud of yourself! We are!!!

[bricabrac]

Levi,

Oh well, it was worth a shot. Whether you get the extension or retake the course you are only 3 credits away from your degree!

I second Geezer’s comment, "You should be proud of yourself! We are!!!" Well said Geezer, well said...