In answer to a prof who goes to a school with + and – grades, which seem to encourage the students to fuss about their grades even more than usual, Kraken said:
Have you considered giving them an avenue to request an improved grade?
Just outline briefly in your policy that if students believe they should have a higher grade, they need only document their grades on each of their assignments, in writing. They should include a page for each assignment detailing why they feel their performance exceeded the marked grade. Require that these requests be handed in prior to the final exam.
Then you can just point them to the policy when they beg after the exam.
I love this idea. I think it would be especially useful since I teach a composition course. It would get them writing even more.
A drawback is that some student might actually do it and then I would have to read the whole thing.