Can a Professor Pass a Failing Student? (Everything You Must Know 2024)

Failing a class or a subject is never a good feeling. One of my cousins got demotivated due to it. I know it’s tough, but I asked her not to lose hope. Undoubtedly, it is not the end of the life. There is always hope, even in a bad situation. You may be in a similar situation and don’t know what to do. Firstly, calm yourself and try to talk to your professor. After reading it, you may have the most common question in your mind “ Can a professor pass a failing student?”. How do I know it? Simply because many of my students and even my cousins ask me this question. 

Of course, I’ll answer you about it, but there are many other important things that you must remember. What are they? Relax. Go along with this guide and get to know them one by one.

Can a professor pass a failing student?

A professor can change your final grade irrespective of what you have earned. It means that even if you were about to fail, your professors can change your grades and give you a pass. On the other hand, if you are getting a pass and your terms are not right with the professor they may fail you. However, it is unethical and your professor is not allowed to fail you for an unnecessary reason.

Every professor has their way of grading. Some prefer not to fail the students, as it will destroy the student’s future. On the other hand, some are against passing the failing students. They believe it will be wrong with the students who have worked hard to get the grades.

What are the reasons why your professor may fail you?

Sure you may want to know when a professor can fail you. Thus, the following are the reasons why a professor may be failing you-

1. Wrong Behaviour

If you have wrong or inappropriate behaviour with your professor they may have full rights to fail you in the classroom. Obviously, no professor would want to get disrespect from their students. When you get rude, they will try to push you down.

2. Poor preparation

Many students do not give their 100% when they are studying. Of course, it makes professor angry as they are putting their full efforts into teaching you. In such a case a professor may fail you if you do not perform well in the classroom. However, most of the institutions feel that it is wrong.

3. Cheating 

The most important one is if you cheat on the exam, it will not take seconds for your professor to fail you. It is because cheating is unethical and unacceptable. If you think your Professor will never get to know that you have cheated on the exam then you are wrong. This is because many students email the professors regarding cheating in the classroom. If you have ever done it and still do not get caught, feel yourself as a lucky person.

4. Missing up classes

Students who do not go to class every day lose the required attendance. In such a scenario your professor has all the rights to fail you or may not even let you sit for the exam. Thus, you must ensure the attendance required.

In addition to that, one thing that you must remember is that you must not try to date your professors. It is because if you suddenly break up, they may fail you to take revenge.

What to do if a professor is failing you purposely?

Think that your professor is purposely failing you. In such a situation, what will you do? Clueless? Worry not. Here are the things that I always suggest to my students when they think the professors are purposely failing them-

• You must have the right paperwork or evidence that may validate that you were right.
• Try to communicate with your professor directly through an email or a face-to-face meeting. However, make sure that whatever you say is not against your professor. Tell them why getting a wrong fail may affect you.
• If necessary go to the college dean, and inform them of the behavior, the professor is having towards you. If you have evidence try to show them to make your case stronger.
• Try to talk to the students who have earlier pas from the professor. You may find a student who has faced a similar situation and can get guidance on what to do next.
• You can also file a complaint against your professor who is not good at teaching or is unfair in grading.

How to know if the professor will fail you?

The first thing that will help you to identify if the professor is about to fail you is checking his or her body language. Generally, the professor gets pissed off with the students who have not done well in their academics. Further, they may mock you in front of other students intentionally or may give you the hardest topics of the subjects for the assignments. Additionally, their behavior towards other students will be much better than yours. There could be several reasons, due to which they may have started hating you.

Do professors like failing students?

There will be times when you will think that your professor likes to fail the student but in actuality, it is not true. Your professors are there to help you grow in your life and not to fail you. If you think that your Professor really wants to fail you, there may be some reasons behind it. If your professor thinks you are not giving 100% of you in the academics, they will fail you.

Also remember, it is very hard for professors to fail their students, but they do it for the betterment of the students. However, on the other hand, some professors may fail you deliberately just for personal or unnecessary reasons. In such a case you can also complain about them.

What will happen if the professor fails you?

There could be several outcomes if the professor fails you. The first thing is obviously the falling of your final GPA score. Your final GPA plays a crucial role even in your career growth. Getting a fail means you will have to repeat the whole semester again. It means you will have to repeat one whole year which will add to your tuition fee.

Another thing that may happen is that the place you are applying to may also look for other candidates because you have an F on your mark sheet. Thus if you think you are about to fail, you must try to contact your professor. In addition to that you can also make a complaint about your professor if they are intentionally failing you. However, let me remind you it is never the end of life. There are a lot of other good things waiting in your way.

Conclusion

Your professors definitely can make you pass even if you get a fail. It is ethically wrong and you can complain about it to the head of the institution or the administrator department. You must check out the rules and regulations of the institution first. It is because there can be several reasons why your professor may be allowed to fail you. However, talk to the professor directly. Tell them how a failure will impact your future and ensure them you will give 100% in your academics next time.