University of California Departments Consider Ditching Letter-Grade System for New Students

KQED ^ | April 26, 2022 | Michael Burke

[hanamizu]

“I had a miserable class at UCSD with a “visiting professor”.”

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I have a similar tale of woe. I arrived as a freshman on campus pretty much lost. At the time to get into a class you had to get a punch-card ticket during a form of madness known as ‘open registration’. Freshmen, of course, got lowest priority on getting the tickets and on top of that fraternities and sororities would gather tickets for popular classes and professors.

I was told I had to take a foreign language. So I work my way to the Foreign Language table to be told “Chinese is still open but Russian has a short waiting list”. I foolishly thought Russian would be the easier language (it isn’t!) So I ended my freshman year with 8 units of ‘D’ in Russian. But a D is passing and I thus fulfilled my language requirement.

[Sir Bangaz Cracka]

Hmmm. Put me down for one of them engineering Phd things. I want to be qualified to make the big bucks.

[hanamizu]

“Somehow I get the impression that you were a Physics major, as was I.”

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Nope, I majored in Psychology. But in my (and the university’s defense) it was ‘rat-runner’ psychology, not ‘tell-me-how-that-makes-you-feel psychology’. We did things implant electrodes/chemical cannulas in rats’ brains, that sort of thing. Much more real science than typical psych majors. In fact the department now styles itself the Brain Science department.

[Mr Radical]

Probably ditching the A-F grading system because so many today can’t get past A-B-C...

[No.6]

>Years ago, when UC Santa Cruz opened, they tried a British style tutorial system of grading, without letter grades. It was a failure

Yep, I know people who went to UCSC then. One I know at least did quite well but he used an internship at SCO to good effect rather than relying on un-grades. Even so, I don’t think that would’ve played well outside the walled garden of Santa Cruz — but having gotten that real-life experience, the door was then open.

Go Slugs! (rofl).

[No.6]

Well stated — and in the IT space that’s for just one area fo expertise. The number of competing certs, new areas of competence, H-1Bs, fraudulent resumes, fraudulent firms pushing doctored/plagiarized/other resumes, not to mention as you said testing showing that you can study to a test vs. actually work, means that for me I’m more inclined toward practical interviews, prior experience, and easing people in to prove their worth rather than relying on any combination of acronyms.

In the experienced hire world, it’s all about track record (too bad automated HR screening doesn’t agree).

[alexander_busek]

We did things implant electrodes/chemical cannulas cannulae in rats’ brains, that sort of thing.

Fascinating!

Regards,

[alexander_busek]

Freshmen, of course, got lowest priority on getting the tickets and on top of that fraternities and sororities would gather tickets for popular classes and professors.

We had a similar procedure at Sonoma - but a fairer system. Priority was rotated, so in one semester, the Freshmen might have first pick, while the next semester, they'd be back at the bottom and, e.g., Juniors would be on top.

To be honest, Freshmen and Seniors don't really compete for the same classes (by and large).

I foolishly thought Russian would be the easier language (it isn’t!) So I ended my freshman year with 8 units of ‘D’ in Russian.

With the proper mindset, you could have had a lot of fun, learning Russian. Having a dedicated, enthusiastic instructor and congenial classmates can be decisive! But maybe you simply lacked a "knack" for foreign languages.

Regards,

[Myrddin]

Graduate in 1976. Revelle.

[Myrddin]

I was told I had to take a foreign language. So I work my way to the Foreign Language table to be told “Chinese is still open but Russian has a short waiting list”. I foolishly thought Russian would be the easier language (it isn’t!) So I ended my freshman year with 8 units of ‘D’ in Russian. But a D is passing and I thus fulfilled my language requirement.

Ouch! The Revelle proficiency requirement was a passing score on the SAT II and an oral exam that included reading a magazine article selected by the person interviewing, discussing the article, then extemp discussion. I took a couple quarters of German in the language lab, but I was really far more focused on math/physics/chemistry/biology and tolerating humanities/political science/psychology. It was enough to pass the test. Roll forward to the current time and I've completed Welsh on Duolingo, German, Spanish, Scots Gaelic, Irish Gaelic and some Japanese are looking decent. I have a native Russian friend in town who helps me get the syllable stress right. It's still a significant hill to climb. You have my sympathy on pushing through. I found Duolingo was just "ok" for Mandarin Chinese. The "Hello Chinese app is much better is very exacting on getting the tones just right. If I had time for a "do over", I might have pursued pharmacy school instead of grad school in microbiology and perhaps more linguistics.

[Myrddin]

My work groups at my current employer (30 years duration now) favors a group interview with a prospective candidate. All of the people that would work with the candidate get to ask questions. Every hears the reply. That avoids asking duplicate questions and helps on follow-up questions. It also gets a sense of how the candidate interacts with the team members. After the interview, the co-workers meet separately from the candidate to discuss pros/cons and deliver a recommendation to the hiring manager.

I was sent to Denver to screen candidates to fill 7 positions. We had 400 candidates. Lots of "creative writing" and general BS. We hired 7. Only 1 of the 7 failed to be able to actually perform the tasking. We had a reserve to call up who could do the work.

Sometimes the work we do is bleeding edge. Integrating new platforms/frameworks that have never been attempted. We expect some friction and slow going while we figure out how to proceed. I usually get those assignments. Figure out how it works. Document how to do it. Turn it over to junior/mid-level staff to flesh out the product using the established solution.

[thecodont]

Back in the 1970s and 1980s we had electronic stores, computer stores and the like everywhere; most are gone now.

I miss Radio Shack.

[hanamizu]

We did things implant electrodes/chemical cannulas cannulae in rats’ brains, that sort of thing.

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Every time I typed ‘cannulae’ my spell check corrected me so I gave up and put the ‘s’.

[hanamizu]

“With the proper mindset, you could have had a lot of fun, learning Russian. Having a dedicated, enthusiastic instructor and congenial classmates can be decisive! But maybe you simply lacked a “knack” for foreign languages.”

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There were two Russian instructors, one American and the other Russian—quite a rarity in the 60s. The American instructor’s attitude was “If I learned to speak Russian perfectly, so can you!” The Russian teacher’s attitude “I know how difficult learning English was for me, so I realize how difficult Russian is for you.” Both classes took the final exam together, the Russian teacher would walk around the class and help people who were struggling with a translation. Guess which teacher I got!

I still use the Russian alphabet when I write up Christmas lists for my wife. Drives her nuts! I don’t really have a knack for languages but I’ve acquired at least parts of some of them over the years. Spanish, Persian (Dari), Japanese, Chinese, and am now playing with French, Portuguese, Italian, Danish & Norwegian on Duolingo.

[roadcat]

I miss Radio Shack.

Radio Shack was one of my least favorite stores, because of the way it was managed and the untrained staff they had. Back in the 1970s you could find staff that understood some of the electronics components they sold. In the 1980s they got dumber. I would ask about EPROM chips and sockets, and get a confused stare. Then the store began gravitating away from electronics and towards games, batteries and toys, became a joke of a store. But it was one of few stores in malls that a guy could visit while his gal went shopping, and buy some electronic project components.

[dfwgator]

So any resume from a graduate of the UC System goes right in the wastebasket.

[colorado tanker]

I see you went to Berkeley and got an attendance certificate. This job takes skills. Do you have any qualifications that show you have the skills to do this job?

We'll be in touch.

[alexander_busek]

I had the good fortune of having a very dear elderly Jewish woman as my univ. instructor of Russian at Sonoma in the late 70s. Though U.S.-born, she had been raised in the Soviet Union and then returned to the States as an adult. Not rigorous - enrollment in her classes was dropping, so she was hanging on by a thread and not inclined to flunk people. But if true interest on the part of a student was discernible, she would "go that extra mile." She certainly did with me.

I believe that, shortly after I left Sonoma, it was no longer possible to get a minor in Russian. And even the German Dept. was in danger, due to diminishing resources / cut-backs. In spite of this, the status of the college was actually upgraded to "university" during my time there - I think, based on the number of full doctors among the instructors. (Not equitable, in my opinion.)

Regards,

[Gaffer]

I saw what was going on very early while I was working and in a position to review and directly hire applicants from that state. I routinely circle-filed them all....

[alexander_busek]

Every time I typed ‘cannulae’* my spell check corrected me so I gave up and put the ‘s’.

One has got to be more stubborn than spell-check! At least when one knows better.

Regards,

*Wanted actually to employ a ligature ("æ"), but felt it would be "overstated."