Schools to 'level' undergrad grading

The University's four undergraduate schools have decided to "level the playing field" by standardizing plus-minus class grading options for all students taking the same class. Under the new policy to take effect this fall, College students taking courses from Wharton, Engineering or Nursing schools will not receive final grades with plusses or minuses. In the past, College students may have received plusses and minuses while their non-College classmates never did. The faculty of each school determines their school's grading policy. Only the College is able to give plus-minus grades to students taking a College course. "[The current policies are] a terrible mishmash," Associate Engineering Dean John Keenan said. "These decisions will help straighten things out." "We thought it fairer to give grades according to schools," School of Arts and Sciences Associate Dean Norman Adler added. The new policy will make grading in the class fair, administrators say, since every student will be on the same grading system. While it is not clear how often Wharton, Engineering and Nursing professors differentiate their grading between College and non-College students, the current policy now can both help and hurt College students. "I've had complaints from students [taking course in Wharton] with a Wharton student sitting next to College student," Wharton Associate Dean Janice Bellace said yesterday. "Both have an A-minus -- for the Wharton student, it's an A, for the College student an A-minus. Many students have complained this is unfair." But Associate Engineering Dean Keenan said yesterday few Engineering students had protested the current grading practice. "There hasn't been a great amount of complaints, but it certainly exists as a potential for being unfair," Keenan said. While the practice of giving College students plus-minus graders in Wharton classes is not widespread, Wharton sophomore Samantha Helman said last night she is glad the system will be more fair in the future. "It's not really a problem, but I just remember one dual-degree student where she got a B-minus rather than a B," Helman said. "She was really upset." Deans first discussed changing the undergraduate grading policy during a Council of Undergraduate Deans meeting in December. At this months Council meeting, the deans agreed that all students would be treated equally in grading courses if all four schools' faculty members or undergraduate affairs committees agreed on the change. During final grading period, professors receive different grade forms for each students. Currently, forms for non-College students in non-College classes mark out the places for plusses and minuses, while forms for College students in non-College classes do not.

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