UGA Professor To Let Students Choose Final Grade If They Feel Too Stressed From Class

Peter Drinklage7 years ago

If you’re at all like me and simply fed up with either busting your ass in your classes or not doing a damn thing and knowing your grades will roughly match your effort and ability, then there are two classes being offered at the University of Georgia this fall with your name all over them. This is thanks to UGA professor Dr. Richard Watson who, along with having a name that sounds like he could be a minor character on The Big Bang Theory, will be teaching two business classes this fall in which he is planning to include what is being called a stress reduction policy.

Now, at first, a policy to reduce stress sounds great. Maybe a shorter class, less homework, permission to openly dayge in class, or something of that nature. Nope, the policy includes three key aspects that essentially scream “I do not give one singular shit about teaching this class and just want it to go easy-peasy-tenure-squeezy.”

Two of the three include the professor allowing only positive comments in regard to in-class presentations and a stipulation that students may excuse themselves from group work if they find it, or the group members, too stressful, as well as receive a final grade based purely on non-group work.

But now we get to the real meat and potatoes of the story. The professor’s policy even allows students to tell him what their grade should be if they find a grade to be too stressful.

From GA Followers:

As it details in the policy, a student can simply send an email to Dr. Waatson that includes the grade the student wishes to have. As a result, the instructor will grant that grade and “no explanation is required.” This applies to not only a single piece of work, but also the overall grade for the course.

But it’s not like the courses in question are even high stakes to begin with. They’re Energy Informatics and Data Management. And apparently these courses were already open book/note on everything.

But there is one caveat to this story, via Daily Mail:

The professor told DailyMail.com that there is no set policy in place on the website as he is making changes that will go live next week when classes start.

Honestly, I hope Dr. Richard Watson is trolling the UGA student body at large and reveals this to be a satirical prank on coddled and entitled students day one. I’m not going to get my hopes up on this one, but let’s hope Slick Dick surprises us..

[via GA Follower, Daily Mail]

Image via Shutterstock