Nick Habib, Ph.D., chair of the philosophy department, introduced a new grading proposal during a Sept. 24 Academic Senate meeting. The new system would implement plus (+) and minus (-) grades on transcripts.
Habib is a Pierce College philosophy professor and part-time California State University, Northridge ( CSUN) professor.
He introduced a plan that was adopted by CSUN in the mid-80s, called the “plus and minus system,” in hopes of refining the placement of students on the grading scale.
Habib, who has taught at Pierce College for 31 years, said the categorical grade system (A,B,C,D,F) is “cosmetically misleading,” meaning that, with a plus/minus system, it is easier to provide the student with a grade that reflects the caliber of their work.
“It’s as simple as that,” said Habib. “If there is a problem, we will switch over to categorical grading.”
According to Habib, the system not only rewards performance and drives the student to compete, but also assists the professors in producing accurate grades.
The plus and minus grading plan, now in the proposal stage, has provoked heated discussion throughout campus on how or if the system would be used.
As the temperature rises, faculty and administrators have not been able to reach a decision due to uncertainties.
Shelley Gerstl, dean of Admissions and Records, said if the system is implemented, the C- grade may be eliminated, because it would not transfer to a four-year university.
According to Gerstl, the plus/minus system could increase the number of requests for grade changes, resulting in more work and possibly affecting the software system that is used by the college.
She also sees a positive aspect, that it could “possibly bring to light different grading practices between instructors, becoming clear when they are being lenient or holding high standards.”
“It also could be used as a motivational factor to determine how good or how bad a student did,” said Gerstl.
Sharon Levick, a Pierce College economics professor, believes that “some people would be afraid that their GPAs might go down.”
She says that there is no uniform grading system now, and the plus and minus system would also be non-uniform.
Currently, there are more than 20,000 students who attend the college. How will this plan possibly affect the Pierce student? First, for students who like earning a solid A, B, C or D letter grade, it may be a thing of the past. Second, if the plan is put into practice, it has not been determined if there will be a uniform structure, which means it will be up to individual instructors to determine what exact grade would merit a plus or minus.
Third, if a student is taking two classes, with one professor using the new system and the other professor using solid grading, it may affect the student’s grade point average.
Fourth, universities will be able to view more precisely where the students place on the grading scale. Lara Kalaidjian, vice president of the Associated Students Organization, said, “Universities are getting more competitive.”
She feels that the plus/minus system is a fair way for students to have an equal opportunity to be accepted. Kalaidjian feels that it is an incentive to reach for higher grades.