Hi! This is my second semester as an adjunct for an MBA program teaching the Marketing course all MBA students need to take. The university at which I teach is pretty much a degree mill, so long as the credit card machine is up and running the admin is happy.

I have a student this semester who DOES NOT CARE AT ALL. On both of the group projects he’s been complained about for not doing his part. The two papers he’s turned in were at maybe a middle school level if I’m being generous. He got a 55 on the midterm. I sent an email to him with admin cc’d after the midterm explaining his position and what he’d need to do to improve his grade (he could even still get an A in the course, I purposely designed the course grading that way so students have a second chance built in).

The problem is he didn’t improve since the midterm. The last project of the course (a solo project) was turned in incomplete. For all of my assignments I have the students turn in a draft so I can give feedback. This student turned in a paper that was 1/3 complete for the draft. I made comments on what was there and told him that he wasted his very much needed opportunity. He then turned in the finished product without any changes. I emailed him again telling him he needs an 86 on the final exam to pass the class.

Before the final exam I gave a bonus assignment on which the students could earn 10 points for an hour’s worth of work, pretty much a gimme. He didn’t do it. I gave a bonus crossword on the final worth up to 5 points. He left it blank. He scored a 60 on the final, has a 62 average in the class, not even close to the 70 that’s needed to pass the class.

I don’t know what to do. I’m only an adjunct and I want to continue teaching since I love interacting with the students who actually care. Luckily 95% of the students are wonderful, it’s just one bad apple is spoiling it all.

I feel like failing him would lead to WAY more trouble than it’s worth. It’s not like they’re going to be doctors or pilots, they are getting this degree to have a piece of paper to show employers for management positions. And at that, a C on his resume would look poor anyway.

I know it isn’t fair to the students who worked hard this semester, but would it be wrong to just pass him and not deal with the shitstorm from admin should I stick to my guns and rightfully fail him?