University Adopts New Grading System

1. 

   Pastor Jim Landelius

   December 14, 17:27 Reply

   I agreed with everything that Dr. McArthur said until the last two sentences. I don't think the majority of students are going to like the new grading system. As an Andrews InMinistry student, I'm under the +/- system and though I see the wisdom of it, I don't like it. Instead of the 3.83 GPA under the +/- system, I'd have a 4.0. There is only one class of student that this system benefits (from the student's perspective); the student who just can't quite get an A under the current system. A B+ is better than a B. I don't know a lot of students on campus, but as the leader for the Youth class at Oklahoma Camp Meeting, I keep in touch with a good number of them. Not one that I've spoken are looking forward to it. But I've been wrong before. Maybe I will be again......
2. 

   Eric Michaelson

   December 14, 18:31 Reply

   I will like the new grading system and then I am not going to like as well. I will hopefully like it because hopefully when I get a 90% on something I will then have an A- instead of a B on it. I rather see an A- instead of a B any day. I for sure would not like seeing a GPA go below a 4.00 just because I got the A- in the class or because I got a B+ on it when it could of been an A in the Old Grading system. But Kudos to Dr. McAurthur and the Board for jumping on the band wagon to finally implement the standard -/+ grading system.
3. 

   Peter Gust

   December 18, 05:08 Reply

   Don't like this it all. They did a good job as usual of pretending to listen to the students on this one. Why ask us if you're just going to go against what we want anyway? Kudos to all the B students at SWAU, which in turn would be D students at any other school. It's not hard to get good grades. Learning is not a reflection of a grade and it won't motivate a B student to study more, especially at the undergraduate level. I've never heard of anyone saying they wanted straight B pluses. Just because everyone else is doing it, doesn't mean we have to. That is a pretty terrible argument if you ask me. Second of all, how is it helping our GPA? The only benefit to this system is for B students, period. However, what it is doing is ruining the GPA of those students that will be looked at more closely, such as those planning to go to medical school. It's next to impossible to get a LEGITIMATE 95% in a science class. Humans make mistakes in hard classes, no matter how well they know the material. Take cell and molecular biology and let me know how it works out. Grade inflation will happen anyway so that teachers will reach their number of student A's in order to not get fired. Medical schools hardly look at GPA these days anyway, due to this inflation. Don't get me wrong, your GPA can't be much below straight As, but the MCAT holds way more weight. So really, you aren't helping give a better representation of the student, you are fabricating good B students. Most of which won't be furthering their education beyond a bachelors degree and therefore only rely on grades as a good pat on the back mechanism.
4. 

   Agoki, Chris

   December 18, 11:58 Reply

   I think GPA should be goal specific. i.e science majors should still maintain the current system since A+/A- is not a determinant factor on an individuals ability to be an excellent clinician. I don't know how consequential this is to a History major, and I would hinge on the fact that Dr. McArthur is approaching the subject from such a perspective. However, the truth remains that---An A student will make an A regardless of how high the bar is set. (If the institution is going to upgrade their grading system then they must upgrade their facilities and the means by which they teach---quid quo pro)

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