Students have choice of P/F or grade this semester

[cowgirl836]

Agree. Not trying to be a shyster, but my daughter won't have stepped foot in a university cafeteria for 2-3 months, would seem pretty unfair to expect us to continue paying for those services.

I would think the university could get some of it back with no labor/food (well, pending how much they could cancel and refund) orders for some of that time.

 

[CycloneErik]

If a student was on academic probation they may have be thrown a life preserver

Not if they fail.
The only times I've known that a student was in that situation occur at the end of spring semester when they have failed and are reaching out and/or flailing about trying not to get kicked out, but that's always to no avail.

Getting an F or "fail" won't help them, I'm sure.

 

[CycloneErik]

GPA's have become a bit of a joke with grade inflation. Does anybody actually get C's and D's anymore? I already think of most A's and B's as not much more than indications of a passing grade. And C's and D's are often just charity for a prof not willing to flunk someone.

Show me a system of grading that is truly based on competencies, then you'll have my attention. Most grades are scores about how someone "took a course," not the actual competencies of the course. If a competent person who didn't take the course can't pass the final exam, then the prof is assessing the course, not the competencies.

Yes, Cs and Ds are earned today by plenty, and for plenty, that C is their entire goal.

 

[BCClone]

GPA's have become a bit of a joke with grade inflation. Does anybody actually get C's and D's anymore? I already think of most A's and B's as not much more than indications of a passing grade. And C's and D's are often just charity for a prof not willing to flunk someone.

Show me a system of grading that is truly based on competencies, then you'll have my attention. Most grades are scores about how someone "took a course," not the actual competencies of the course. If a competent person who didn't take the course can't pass the final exam, then the prof is assessing the course, not the competencies.

my son got a B for an 89 last semester. Graded on a real curve.

 

[Farnsworth]

You can pick and choose which courses, not all or nothing. Man I know a few classes I would have made a pass fail on to focus on other ones.

 

[cycloner29]

I graduated ISU with a low GPA, but came away with seven job offers. Anymore it seems a lot about work experience and being able talk with people than grades/GPA.

If someone had a 4.0 GPA with no work experience and all they did was study, eat, and sleep, would you hire them over someone who had a 2.4 GPA (mine was actually higher that this), worked through college, got involved in college, and could carry on a conversation with someone?

Just my $.02

 

[Entropy]

Yes, Cs and Ds are earned today by plenty, and for plenty, that C is their entire goal.

This.
It varies from semester to semester, and I don't use a curve (my course sizes are small enough), but handing out Cs and Ds happens every semester.

 

[LindenCy]

GPA's have become a bit of a joke with grade inflation. Does anybody actually get C's and D's anymore? I already think of most A's and B's as not much more than indications of a passing grade. And C's and D's are often just charity for a prof not willing to flunk someone.

Show me a system of grading that is truly based on competencies, then you'll have my attention. Most grades are scores about how someone "took a course," not the actual competencies of the course. If a competent person who didn't take the course can't pass the final exam, then the prof is assessing the course, not the competencies.

You are mostly right on the first paragraph. A's and B's are way too easy to get in the current environment.

You're near 100% right on the second paragraph. Students build up "easy" points and do well enough on exams. You definitely still have legitimate A's in there, but a lot of people who eek out an A, and even then I have people with B's who beg for A's even in the easy system. If you haven't guessed it, my day job is as a prof.

 

[madguy30]

You can pick and choose which courses, not all or nothing. Man I know a few classes I would have made a pass fail on to focus on other ones.

There's a semester my sophomore year of college that has always made me question when people say they miss the good ol' days of college life.

 

[LindenCy]

Yes, Cs and Ds are earned today by plenty, and for plenty, that C is their entire goal.

This is true also, but way too many A's. I feel like I grade too easy, and still I am apparently not on the easy end of profs.

 

[CycloneErik]

This.
It varies from semester to semester, and I don't use a curve (my course sizes are small enough), but handing out Cs and Ds happens every semester.

Some of the happiest students are dudes who get Cs.
One jumped up with "Hell, yeah!" for his 77.

A hockey player in a different course went with "**** yeah, I ***********' did it!" with his C.

 

[LindenCy]

Some of the happiest students are dudes who get Cs.
One jumped up with "Hell, yeah!" for his 77.

A hockey player in a different course went with "**** yeah, I ***********' did it!" with his C.

This is definitely true. Students who get Cs are the ones who are satisfied with it, I think. The B students are the ones who complain the most I would guess.

 

[CycloneErik]

This is true also, but way too many A's. I feel like I grade too easy, and still I am apparently not on the easy end of profs.

I just live in the world of introductory courses, and I think that there likely should be a pretty hefty # of As and Bs.
But I fail more students than most I meet, but I'm generally thought of as the easy one, so I have no real idea.

 

[LindenCy]

I just live in the world of introductory courses, and I think that there likely should be a pretty hefty # of As and Bs.
But I fail more students than most I meet, but I'm generally thought of as the easy one, so I have no real idea.

You're probably in the same boat as me, but some students beg for the F with the lack of work they do.

 

[CycloneErik]

This is definitely true. Students who get Cs are the ones who are satisfied with it, I think. The B students are the ones who complain the most I would guess.

I wonder if B is a tough spot for some. I can't remember any complaints from B students, though. When they happen for me, it's someone who's failing by so much that I couldn't even make up a way for them to pass, or someone who sees a 97 and wonders why I think they're a failure.

Or the person whose B- broke them for a few weeks, but she recovered.

 

[CycloneErik]

You're probably in the same boat as me, but some students beg for the F with the lack of work they do.

I just "happily" fail them. I think people tend to be surprised that I shrug my shoulders at that point, but I'm not going to take it personally, or rant and rave (I've seen enough people do that). I just figure that it fits the day one speech that you can get whatever you earn.

 

[BCClone]

This is definitely true. Students who get Cs are the ones who are satisfied with it, I think. The B students are the ones who complain the most I would guess.

Not sure why people are complaining about Cs and Ds, I rather prefer them myself? Wait......what are we talking about again?

 

[CycloneErik]

Not sure why people are complaining about Cs and Ds, I rather prefer them myself? Wait......what are we talking about again?

We're changing your name to FClone now.

 

[madguy30]

Not sure why people are complaining about Cs and Ds, I rather prefer them myself? Wait......what are we talking about again?

 

[Gonzo]