Posted on 04/05/2024 3:55:45 AM PDT by karpov
On January 5, 2024, Western Oregon University (WOU) announced a bold change to its grading regime: “The letter grades of D- and F” have been axed in favor of a mark of “No Credit (NC)” for undergraduates. WOU’s provost, Jose Coll, clarified that this new system will not lower the university’s academic standards but, rather, “increase retention and graduation rates.” The university will no longer “mask” students’ “demonstrated abilities” with a slew of poor marks, following the likes of Brown University and Hampshire College, which have already exchanged letter grades for alternative measures in some instances.
By removing troublesome grades, WOU’s administrators might conceivably be making a commendable decision to lower students’ anxiety. After all, if failing grades prevent students from changing majors, cause them to drop out, or lower their chances of finding a job post-graduation, would it not be reasonable to refrain from handing them out?
The short answer: no. Simply ignoring a problem does not make it disappear. Instead of nixing the unsatisfactory grades from students’ transcripts, WOU should consider how this decision will devalue the university’s academic culture. Rigorous academic standards are a cornerstone of higher education, and the fear of receiving a failing grade has traditionally been a powerful motivator for students to put forth their best efforts. By removing the negative impact of failure from a student’s GPA, there is a risk that some students may become complacent and less driven to excel academically. This could lead to a decline in the student body’s overall academic performance and achievement.
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Anyone of intelligence knows that many degrees and most liberal arts degrees are worthless.
That pesky IQ-Gap just won’t go away.
There is no deductive reasoning being used that logically deduct that an F grade either means someone is not living up to their ability or a person hasn’t the ability to master a subject for whatever reason. An F is not a condemnation of a person’s existence or of every ability a person does possess. It merely gives a guideline as to whether or not a person’s ability and potential is lacking and they should pursue either remedial help in the subject or find a subject which suits their ability.
Whether you’re just another cog on a sprocket or part of a high-speed precision gearbox, you can’t be “out of spec” or all hell will break loose.
Meanwhile, everyone will know that a *No Credit* means a *D* or *F*.
They are not fooling anyone but themselves.
This is yet more convincing evidence of the worthless value of going to college. We must fill colleges full of bodies even if those bodies lack motivation or the mental horsepower to learn anything.
This is why young people won’t show up every day at work on time and won’t exert any effort to do their jobs when they do show up.
This is the cancer of “entitlement” telling young people they are wonderful, special and deserve all the best things in life just because they breathe.
No effort is required of human LOSERS.
This is punch in the face to all who work hard and excel in school and at work.
Missing here is the answer to a fundamental question: “How does a society function or continue when key jobs are not being completed?”
Airliners fall apart in the sky when nobody cares if important tasks are completed or done with conscientious precision.
If the student gets an NC he will have to take the course again so it will take him longer to graduate (if he does graduate), so the university gets tuition money from him for a longer period of time. Of course if he got an F he would have to re-take the course anyway.
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