As if students did not have enough to worry about when it comes to school, the implementation of the new plus/minus grading system at LSU only adds to the already overwhelming stress we all face.
Beginning in fall 2015, LSU adopted the plus/minus grading scale as a way to better reflect students’ academic performance. The letter grades A, B, C, and D now have a suffix of plus (+) or minus (-) attached to distinguish higher or lower performance. If you receive an F, there are no accompanying suffixes.
“The vast majority of research universities use the plus and minus system, including some of the country's most elite institutions, such as Harvard University and Stanford University,” Don Chance, LSU finance professor, said.
When the rumors first came out, I heard mixed emotions from students. Some thought it would be better because it made the range for an A or B larger than previously.
However, look a little closer. Yes, earning what used to be considered a C is now a B-, but a B- isn’t equivalent to a B anymore. If a student receives a 90 in a class, what used to be a 4.0 GPA is now a 3.7 GPA. Receiving all C’s, which is considered “passing”, used to give you a GPA of 2.0; now you receive a 1.7. Most on-campus jobs, clubs, Greek organizations, and even TOPS require a minimum of a 2.0 GPA to remain in good standing.
As well as messing with our GPA, the new system is very confusing. Many students, including myself, have never used it nor do they understand it. And because the range of grades is at the discretion of each teacher, it is much more difficult to know what qualifies as an “A” is each class.
What makes me even angrier is the fact that, while the student senate passed a resolution not in support of the new grading system and the student government voted 26-14 against it, the faculty senate still implemented it.
“The new system will identify students who are doing very well, but made a B, giving them the B plus. Those who barely scraped by will get a B minus,” Gil Reeve, Vice Provost for LSU Academic Programs Planning and Review, said.
In addition, little was explained about the cost of this new program. Most of LSU’s registrar software had to be reprogrammed or replaced to accommodate this new scale. According to LSU’s final report of the plus/minus grading scale task force that transition could cost between $15,000 and $20,000. Funny, because I thought we were having an issue with budget cuts over here. Seems like this is a pretty unnecessary use of money when teachers are anxiously waiting for salary increases.
It is no secret that, regardless of your major here at LSU, you have to work hard to earn the grade you want. Working for a 4.0 with the 10-point grading scale was hard enough. Now, we have an even smaller window of achieving that goal. It is our GPA that is at stake here, people.
