Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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opinion Editorials A bettei Although many students are bound to be upset at the Faculty Senate's decision last Wednesday to eliminate the "NC" grade system and replace it with an "A-to-F" system, a closer look at the situation shows that overall the senate made a wise choice. Many students' immediate reaction is that the Faculty Senate did not act in the best interest of the majority of the students. However, when viewed in the proper per spective it can be seen that the senate did not wisely and, in reality, in the students' bbst interest. The NC system now in use has a number of inequities when grade-point-ratios are computed and the proposed system should provide the apparatus to clear up the inequities. In the NC system students who receive C grades have their GPR lowered con siderably more than if he receives an NC. In this way students are punished for earning a better grade. The following is a list of advantages to the system posed by the Faculty --Grade point ratios are more indicative of the students' real academic achievement than in the NC system, where it was possible for a student to get three NCs and one A still have a better GPR than a student who has three As and a B. - A student can pass a course with a D and get credit for it. In the NC system a student has to get at least a C to get credit. This should be an incentive for students to take courses where they might be afraid they do not have the ability to get a C, but could probably get by with a D. -It will be easier for students wishing to transfer to have their grades interpreted by the school to which they are transferring. Many schools said that they view an NC as a falling grade and others ad mitted that they do not know what an NC is supposed to indicate. -The same point that was made for the student wishing to THE GAM Managing Editor JIM H E STEVE PARKER The Gamecock welcomes letters from reai subject and a maximum of 300 words. Thi name. Pseudonyms or other aliases will nc withheld if circumstances warrant. To assi pleas. include your mailing address and reached. We reserve the right to eit al lettE limitations. Address: Campusanpnin, ra r system transfer can be made for students applying to graduate school. Graduate schools can better interpret grades in an "A-to-F" system. The difficulty of transferring grades was one of the major problems with the NC system, along with the inequity in computing GPRs. A report given at the American Association of Registrars conference last year in Atlanta said "Students attempting to transfer non-credit hours are treated, for the most part, as second-class citizens; or they are only recognized when all of the other applicants have been processed." A survey done last semester by The Gamecock quoted the director of admissions at the University of Georgia as saying, "You (USC) try in every way to make a failure a little sweeter, a little softer, but we don't do that here." The director said he viewed an NC in only one way-as an F. "You can't take them as anything else. It means the student took the course and flunked it and that's all." With opinions like that by administrators of other schools, it is easily understood how an NC could damage a student trying to transfer, and that the NC system is a hin derance to students wishing to transfer or enter graduate school. Thus, a change in the grading system was in order. The senate had a number of alternatives as to which method to.change to, but in the end they chose the A-to-F system, without the use of plus f or minus symbols. r Unfortunately the senate had little discussion Wednesday about the possibility of im plementing the plus and minus options, a system that was preferred by about 60 per cent of 500 students contacted in a student governfment survey. But, even without the plus and minus options, the proposed grading system is much better than the one used now and should be approved by the Board of Trustees and President Patterson. ECOCK R SH Advertlsing Manager ART FRANK lers. Letters should be limited to.a single v must be signed with the writer's true t be used, but the writer's name will be st us in verifying the identify of writers, I telephone number where you can be r,ntfrContent,but tmeet our space A step toi equitabi The recent decision by the Fa, scrap the University's NC gradin be seen as a step in the. right dir creating a more equitable grat USC. The initial negative reacti students, as reflected by a stude survey, seems to be ill-advised light of recent revelations conc sytsem is viewed by other instit While many aspects of the N merit, the study found the system problems to students when transfer to other schools. In addition, the NC system mi process of computing a grade (GPR) utterly worthless. The G] to be a measure of a student's acai and a basis of comparison with performance of other students. Yet, because NC grades are not a GPR, many times a situal where a student is penalized Yet, because NC grades are not a GPR, many times a situation wil student is penalized, GPR-wise, f passing grade, C, in a course. For example, the student mal and two NC's will have a GPR < student who makes threeB's and t a GPR of 2.6. Who is the better stu Perhaps the main concern with seems to be how other schools rather ambiguous grade of NC. M other institutions say they see the The Game 'Bozo' speaks rO THE EDITOR: Humiliate me. It's your irerogative. Sign me"Bozo." Sign ne "Unknown." Sign me 'Anonymous." Sign me "Dust Jnder Your Feet." Laugh, magliacci, Laugh! Yes. Buffoons can write. Did you xpect me to be literate? I'm as All of surprises as a barrel full of nonkeys. My surprises, though, kre not so wonderful. Yes. I have something to tell you. I am bursting with revelations. I ave slapped on a smile to disguise ny fierce anger. I shall regale you vith laughter to trap you un >repared. I am no ordinary fool ny anger is not Impotent. I must begin with a scene of a ew weeks ago. On a Monday I sat n The Gamecock offices, urrounded by its editorial riumvirate. I had come to discuss potential investigative story nvolving the case of a Canadian ransfer student who had been everely mauled by the university nonstrosity. The - mirror image of myself nust pause. I had no humor then. was altruistic. I had "concern." wanted to fight against Injustice. wanted to expose the miserable nalaise, the educative ennui which as seeped into every pore of our sech-sucked brains. I had will. I had power. I had. urpose. Did I fare well, dear readers? )ecide for yourself. The staff of The Gamecock. . .laughed at me. at first the smirks and snickers vere hidden behind clammy ward e grades By BiW Grant culty Senate to grade, while otl g system must to an NC grade ection towards a hinderance t( Ling system at other schools fi for those atten on by many other than US( nt government However w , especially in A,B,C,D,F syst erning how the the most rewai utions. The concept, 3 system have students the o presents many without drastic attempting to too difficult to I a bad grade a ikes the whole reduced. point average "R is supposed What is the I iemic standing to the gradinj the academic some sorts seei system and tt computed into solution would tion will arise student's parti ching completE computed into This would tz I arise where a penalizing a s or receiving a subject outside time, it would I ing three B's concept of a I f 3.0, while a There are a vo C's receives the grading dile dent? own set ot adyi the NC system by recognizing interpret the flaws, the Fac any officials at steps towards NC as a failing equitable systei eock's mail against paper hands. Then the laughter came out into the open. From three corners of the room, from three glaring, reddened faces came the humor of hostility. I was reduced in their eyes to the status of a buffoon, and have presumably remained that way ever since. The experience brought back to me the thrill of my earliest humiliations. I saw how my self image had been shattered and smashed by stupidity and arrogance when my defenses were few. I am resilient now. The staff and I traded insults. Finally I walked out, slamming the door behind me. I burned with fury for a few days, and then subsided into the sac charine limpidity of the en vironment. How fare I now? My therapy is to laugh a lot and write. For what? For whom? No one. Nothing. I am not a very sensible fool. I will interrupt here. TIM BEALL 7 per cent is unnecessary TO THE EDITOR: Applicants who have alleged "law school potential" (whatever the hell that is), but whose GPR or LISAT scores don't meet minimum standards do have a "chance" of being admitted to the USC law school. And, believe It or not, it's based on merit, not discretion or who you (or your father) happen to knnw. iers say they assign no real value . The system can then be seen as i many attempting to transfer to om USC. The same can be said ipting to ender graduate schools ith the reinstatement of the em, the University will lose one of ding aspects of the NC system. Nas originally advanced to allow ption of taking .difficult courses penalties should the course prove andle. The pressure of receiving id ruining one's GPR was then airest and most sensible solution problem? A compromise of ns to be in order between the NC e old A,B,C,D,F system. One be to apply the D,F proposal to a cular major, rather than swit ly back to the old system. ke the wind out of complaints of tudent for not doing well in a his particular field. At the same ut a little credence back into the XPR. number of alternative plans to mma, most of them have their kntages and disadvantages. But that the present system has its ulty Senate has taken the first initiating a more fair and n at USC. Borderline and subpar ap plicants are given the opportunity to take three regular law school courses in the law school's summer program. If you get a "C" average and you can stay for the fall. Now why in the world should the Board of Trustees or the University president's power -to select 7 per cent be excused? The best way to prevent potential abuse of this power is to take it away; it is not needed. Give the power back to the law school ad missions people, that's how they earn their living. At least they have some idea of what and who the hell they're dealing with. I'd like to know what on this earth qualifies the University president, The Board of Trustees, and some puppet-dummy watch dog committee to evaluate "law school potential?" Haven't these people already got enough to do? Don't the Trustees trust the law school admissions people to evaluate to the best of their expert ability the potential of their ap plicants? If not, why? If yes, why do the Trustees need 7 per cent? To advance special Interests at the expense of equality? Can't we even pretend that law school applications are based on merit? Equal opportunity? This new power bestowed upon the University president is so ob viously, so damned, disgustingly obviously, directed at a favored few that it will not and could not even allow a defense. Who the hell is this Law School for? The people of South Carolina or the Board of Trustees and those who know the right backs to slap? .G. WATSON RVANT, JR