News[ Change in grading under consideration By Harry Lucas ! ofessors and students urn ersity-wide have been split in the thinking about a possible change in the university’s grading system. Presently, student progress is measured on a 4-point system of straight letter grades ranging from A 4.00 to F/0.00. Plus-minus grades are not computed. A random polling of 251 students from the university’s 10 branches finds that 67 percent of the students favor a change in grading while 33 percent favor the present system. Collegian staff writer Ann Matturro reports that the results have not gone unnotic ed by the Faculty Senate, and quotes Faculty Senate Chairman elect Peter Bennett as saying he personally does not like the cur-. rent grading system and would find the grade refinement attrac tive. “It hurts me to give a stu dent who just barely missed the cut-off (for a B) a C, and to give a student who just squeaks by that same C,” Bennett said. Several different grading alter- i]TheF/7T/NGRoomji i! i i 1 chSSON 10 South Union St. | | I Middletown, Pa. 17057 | I ! j i | i e/P f The Newest Shop I j j j i \ In Town I j | | ~ Klein ! j 11 20 % OFF AXi )£s&} \ i ! i i| | | Hours: Monday—Friday 9-6 Saturday 9-5 // W 944-3905 X x\ Name Brand Jeans & Tops For Men & Women natives explored in the survey in clude: a plus-minus system where students receive an A plus/4.33 to an F/0.00, each level being an in crease of 0.33 points; another plus-minus system with grades ranging from A/4.00 to F/0.00, and a direct percentage system with grades ranging from zero to 100 based on a curve. According to the survey, the A random polling of 251 students from the Universi ty’s ten branches finds that 67 percent of the students favor a change in grading while 33 percent favor the pre sent system. direct percentage system is the most popular. Anthony R. Scian dra, an engineering major at Capitol, says, “I’m content with the present system. However a change to the percentage system would lead to more exact grade point averages.” “It’s silly,” says Dr. Theordora Graham, a member of the Humanities Division. “What it boils down to is ‘what is the grade being used for?’ ” While acknowledging the fact that grades are important as determiners for admission to in stitutions of higher learning, Graham said, the real benefit of student evaluation lies in the helpful annotations teachers write on students’ papers and exams, not in the later grades given for work as “they don’t tell the whole story.” Graham further emphasized the fact that all grading, no matter how standardized, is subjective: meaning somewhere someone decides what questions are rele vant and what questions are not. Graham believes that changing the grading system would not make a substantial difference in student evaluations. Dr. William Welsh, head of the Division of Science, Engineering, and Technology at Capitol, feels a change to a plus-minus system would be beneficial. He sees a Carpet Remnant Sale 'pOtAtyotojUfy CWlfut'teiHHAMU, &Hd'iallr4Hd6 MOORE'S CARPET '"Hat U OutUt" TRI- STATB BAZAAR OLMSTIAD PLAZA MIDDLBTOWN, PA 17057 Welcome PSU I Page 4 fair amount of support for this system as compared to the direct percentage system. “Numbers by themselves need an explanation,” Welsh says. “Letter grades are better understood by other institutions, especially grad schools.” Using an example to demonstrate his point,Welsh tells of a hypothetical student who received the highest grade in his class, and by most standards, would receive an A. Unfortunate ly, the grade was 85 percent - a B. The 85 percent goes into his cumulative average if graded by percent, but an A equaling 4.00 cumulative points if graded by letter grades. . Grade refinement is still in the discussion stage at University Park, and will probably stay there into the near future. EDITOR’S NOTE: See “Campus Commentary on page 11 for a random pole of campus students on the question of changing the grading system. HOURS: Thurs., PH., Sot*: 1-8 pm Sun.: 1-5 Phone 944-4504 Eg® students
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