UNI Professor Named in Grievance Filed by National Guardsman 'Strongly Patriotic'

The UNI professor named in a grievance by a student who said he wasn't allowed to retake an exam he missed for National Guard training, said there is more to the story.

Cathy DeSoto, a psychology professor at the University of Northern Iowa, said she can only provide a limited explanation of the situation because of student privacy laws, but she pointed to a line military veterans in her family and said she is "strongly patriotic."

"I am strongly patriotic," DeSoto said in a statement. "The issue is whether students’ grades may be adversely and unfairly and unduly affected by a course’s policy regarding missed exams; the answer is of course no."

The grievance, filed by Iowa National Guardsman and UNI freshman James Roethler, said he missed a test last week because he had to attend a four-day Guard drill, the Associated Press reported.

He said DeSoto told him he would not be able to make up the exam. Students in the class are allowed to drop their lowest test score, and he said he was told this would have to be the dropped score.

Read Patch's earlier story about the grievance.

DeSoto said she was caught be surprise when the situation made the news, and is now combating criticisms that she, or other UNI professors, are anti-military.

"The University of Northern Iowa does not have professors who would have policies that would have undue negative influence on students who miss classes for reasonable purposes, of which National Guard duty clearly applies," she wrote in a statement. "It should be obvious that no professor would ever have a policy that a missed exam in such circumstances would result in a zero or a failing grade or anything remotely like that."

However, DeSoto's hands are tied when it comes to defending herself or explaining what exactly happened due to federal student privacy laws. Instead, she tried to explain school policies for missing exams and how professors apply those policies.

"The policy requires the student to make a good faith effort to talk to the professor and try to resolve concerns informally," she said. "This has not been done, instead the student appears to be attempting to try the case in the press."

The Associated Press reported Roethler said he went to DeSoto on Oct. 15 to discuss a possible makeup exam.

Here is DeSoto's statement, in full:

"The University of Northern Iowa does not have professors who would have policies that would have undue negative influence on students who miss classes for reasonable purposes, of which National Guard duty clearly applies.  For example, it should be obvious that no professor would ever have a policy that a missed exam in such circumstances would result in a zero or a failing grade or anything remotely like that. To imply otherwise is libelous. 

"Professors are unable to comment on student academic performance related to a particular students.  This makes it impossible to me more specific.

"UNI has policies related to when students feel that a class policy is unfair. I strongly support that procedure. The policy requires the student to make a good faith effort to talk to the professor and try to resolve concerns informally.  This has not been done, instead the student appears to be attempting to try the case in the press, providing what appears to be partial information.  

"Implications in the media that UNI professors may not support persons who are serving our country are also, in my view libelous.  Although such considerations are wholly irrelevant  -- they have been brought up.  For the record, my father is a veteran, my only brother is a veteran, and the father of my daughter is active duty who has served two tours in Afghanistan.  My sister serves in the state department and will be going to Afghanistan.  I am strongly patriotic. The issue is whether students’ grades may be adversely and unfairly and unduly affected by a course’s policy regarding missed exams; the answer is of course no.  

"As a professor at the University, I honor all polices and support the appeal process, and hope that all parties will begin to follow it faithfully."