This course has two broad aims. The first is to enhance your learning in the diversity and biology of organisms. Course outline . Like most professors, I find having to assign grades among the least desirable parts of my job. In my courses, grades are not arbitrary.
Students earn their grades based on how they perform in the course requirements listed below.
I do have standards of what I think is excellent, passing, etc. I believe strongly that an A should be reserved for significant achievement, and I would be delighted if everyone in class performed at that level. An F, on the other hand, is a bad grade, and I do not give it lightly. When I have given failing grades, it was because the student either was truly not prepared for the course, or did not do the required work. As you can tell, I am against grade inflation.