SNU instructor's missed deadlines result in temporary 'F' grades for 59 students

An instructor at Seoul National University missed the grade submission deadline for a course, leaving all 59 students with temporary F grades and delaying a transcript needed for an exchange program application.

The entrance of the Seoul National University campus is seen in southern Seoul. [SEOUL NATIONAL UNIVERSITY]

An instructor at Seoul National University missed the grade submission deadline for a course, leaving all 59 students with temporary F grades and delaying a transcript needed for an exchange program application.

The course, offered by a department within the College of Social Sciences, was a third-year class in the fall semester, according to the university on Wednesday.

The instructor informed students on Dec. 25, 2025 that due to a scheduling conflict, they would temporarily receive "I (incomplete) grades and that final scores would be submitted by [that] Friday."

But on the indicated Friday, which was Dec. 26, 2025, the instructor sent another message saying they had "contracted the flu and could not complete grading." The university’s system then automatically recorded F grades for all enrolled students when the deadline passed.

Students, however, said the instructor continued to share posts on a personal blog and social media while the grade submission remained delayed.

On Dec. 29, 2025, the instructor shared a blog post titled “[Theodor W.] Adorno was right.”

“I still have one course left to grade and plenty of other tasks, but I thought it would be good to read the new translation of 'Aesthetic Theory' (1970) over the break, so I pulled a few introductory books on Adorno from my bookshelf and stacked them on my desk.” the post read.

The instructor also posted a commentary on the shutdown of MTV, the U.S. television channel on Friday, the day they said they had caught flu.

“I’m angry that the instructor delayed the grade announcement twice and ended up giving every student an F,” a student said. “I’m also upset that the instructor only posted a notice after the F grades had already appeared. People can get sick, but I don’t understand how someone can be this irresponsible.”

Another student also expressed frustration.

A student’s transcript shows an F in the grade column.

“After reading the blog post, I felt like they treated reading as more important than entering grades,” the student said. “When I contacted the school, they told me it wouldn’t matter as long as the grades were corrected by Jan. 9, and that answer just made me more upset.”

One student preparing for an exchange student program said the delay caused real problems.

“I need to submit my transcript within the application period, and I also have to choose a university based on my grades,” the student said. “But this course hasn’t released a final grade, or even midterm or final exam scores, so I have no way of knowing how I did. It’s a difficult situation.”

The instructor sent another notice to students on Tuesday.

“I sincerely apologize to everyone who was confused and concerned,” the message read. “I plan to submit the grades this afternoon, but the delay must be explained, and the administrative review process needs to finish. I expect the grades will be available by the afternoon of Jan. 8 [Thursday] or by noon on Jan. 9 [Friday].”

A representative from the department said the instructor is currently abroad and has been dealing with flu-related respiratory issues and vision problems.

“We advised them several times to inform students in advance if grading would be delayed, and we understand those notices were sent,” the representative said. “We have no further comment.”

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom. BY KIM CHANG-YONG, LEE GYU-RIM [paik.jihwan@joongang.co.kr]