A graduate student told me about a professor who will raise a student's grade if it's lower than an A if the student publishes a poem in journal (with an ISSN) within a year.

Is this common practice? I have never heard of such a thing.

Is this an extra credit deal or is this professor implying he probably misjudged the quality of the student's work if she's able to obtain the stamp of approval from an editor? Or is it saying publication makes the world go round? Publication is all that matters in the end?

And the only stipulation for the grade bump is if the publication has an ISSN? It's a form to fill out. Any publication can get one. (Well, personal weblogs aren't eligible, but don't worry, it's still published -- even if it doesn't "count")

I've had professors who said don't be in a rush to publish, others who recommended places to send work. As an undergrad I had a professor who required all her students to submit to a magazine so we'd understand the process and in many cases, to make us aware such magazines existed. But publication never played into grading. I suppose it would be kind of cool to go back to a professor and be all "Remember my poems? The poems you consistently gave Cs? Well the Dinglesuck Review just took six and it has an ISSN and everything. In your face!"