Kentucky Kernel -- April 15, 1997

<BODY BGCOLOR=#FFFFFF LINK=#0066ff ALINK=#0066ff VLINK=#660000> <BLOCKQUOTE>    <CENTER> <FONT SIZE=6> <B>Senate passes uniform grading</B><P> </FONT> </CENTER> <FONT SIZE=4><B>By James Ritchie</B><BR></FONT>Senior Staff Writer <HR> The University Senate voted yesterday to place all undergraduates under a uniform grading scale. However, the question of exactly what system remains unanswered.<P> Senate members cast a paper ballot listing their top two choices among seven proposed systems:<IMG SRC="/art/97/dotBLACK.gif" ALT="" HEIGHT=9 WIDTH=10> No plus/minus system: A, B, C, D and E only <P> <IMG SRC="/art/97/dotBLACK.gif" ALT="" HEIGHT=9 WIDTH=10> A+ system: plus/minus grading with A+ worth 4.3 points. <P> <IMG SRC="/art/97/dotBLACK.gif" ALT="" HEIGHT=9 WIDTH=10> Rounded-off A+: same as A+ system, but cumulative GPA is rounded off so that it cannot be greater than 4.0 <P> <IMG SRC="/art/97/dotBLACK.gif" ALT="" HEIGHT=9 WIDTH=10> No A+ system: plus/minus grading with no A+ <P> <IMG SRC="/art/97/dotBLACK.gif" ALT="" HEIGHT=9 WIDTH=10> All plus/no minus system: plus/minus grading without the minuses <P> <IMG SRC="/art/97/dotBLACK.gif" ALT="" HEIGHT=9 WIDTH=10> Numerical system/no letter grades: 100-90 = A, 89-80 = B, 79-70 = C, 69-60 = D, less than 60 = E. <P> <IMG SRC="/art/97/dotBLACK.gif" ALT="" HEIGHT=9 WIDTH=10> GPA neutral system: Plus/minus grades are assigned by instructor and appear on transcripts, but GPA is computed on the whole letter grade only. <P> The results of the ballot will be released today. <P> At its April 28 meeting the Senate will discuss the two most popular systems and may vote on which one to implement. However, it has until spring 1998 to approve a system for enactment in fall 1998. <P> The grading issue was fodder for much debate on the Senate floor. <P> Psychology professor Richard Smith said he had not seen enough research on the different systems. <P> "The information is not there to make an informed choice," he said. <P> Senate Chairwoman Jan Schach said the Senate will make available all the information it can compile from studies conducted by UK faculty in past years. <P> "We will gather and distribute everything we have to date," she said. <P> Student Government Association Fine Arts Senator Mark Ison said he will not base his vote on a pile of studies. Instead, he will listen to the opinions of the constituents for whom he speaks. <P> "That's the way I'm going to vote regardless of what research says," he said. <P> History professor David Hamilton said the grading issue is too important to be decided by a small cross-section of the university such as the Senate. He proposed that all faculty members be polled by mail. <P> "We should not privilege one group to make this decision," he said. <P> The Senate defeated the suggestion after discussion that students would not be represented in such a poll. The Senate is charged with representing students and faculty on issues such as grading. <P> The important issue to remember when voting on a grading system, Schach said, is that no system will please every student and faculty member, especially those who hold strong opinions on the matter. The Senate should strive to find the solution that is "most acceptable to everyone." <P> If the Senate does not meet its spring 1998 deadline, the action to create a uniform grading scale will become null. The various current systems will remain in use, and the Senate will continue to consider proposals from individual colleges. <P>    <HR> <P> <CENTER> <FONT SIZE=5> [ <A HREF="welcome.html">Contents</A> | <A HREF="http://www.kykernel.com/">Home</A> | <A HREF="/archive.html">Archives</A> | <A HREF="/feed.html">Feedback</A> ]<BR> </FONT> <P> <B>© Copyright 1997, Kernel Press Inc. All Rights Reserved</B><BR>  </BLOCKQUOTE> </BODY>