Class rules need more consistency
STAFF EDITORIAL
Spring has sprung and it is time for us to gather our things, reminisce about winter break and return to class. Break is always too short and three short weeks quickly sneak away. But with our new year comes the new semester, new teachers and syllabi. Each class syllabus serves as the rulebook for the upcoming semester. But each rulebook changes between classes and sometimes it is hard to keep track of the specifics.
As we browse each syllabus and begin to worry about the 12-page paper, the 20-minute presentation, the 26 homework assignments, the midterm and the final exam, our eyes glaze over and we slump into our chairs from a preemptive exhaustion as the professor recites the Pepperdine mission, again.
But with each new semester and bundle of teachers come a new set of rules completely different than the rest. Whether it is absences, food, laptops, cell phones or the grade scale, the constant inconsistencies are confusing and sometimes upsetting. While behavioral differences may waver between classes, the big issues like the grade scale should remain consistent throughout the university.
The confusion usually begins with the minor differences. Some teachers encourage laptops, while others despise them. Some teachers never let a muffin through the door, while others snack along with you. Some teachers only allow water in the classroom, but does this include SmartWater as well? Or only Pepperdine-sanctioned agua? The guidelines can get fuzzy. But these little differences are typically ironed out within the first few classes, and everyone journeys along together in stressed-out bliss.
Some differences, however, can lead to an unfair advantage or disadvantage for students. The important issues, such as grade scale, outside assistance and citation format, should stay consistent within each division.
Grades, and of course our personal and emotional growth, are one of the most important aspects we get out of college, which is why we work so hard. The majority of students use these hard-earned grades to apply for medical school, law school or graduate school. The extra hours of stressed-out studying buckled down in the library, the consistent loss of sleep, and the strained eyes focused on the computer screen culminate in our final report card – our ultimate report card.
A few years ago Pepperdine changed the grade scale so that it no longer includes an “A+” as the highest grade. Grades are also no longer weighted. Therefore students who earn a well-deserved “A-” are only allotted 3. 8 GPA points rather than the desirable 4.0 GPA points designated for an “A.” So what constitutes an “A” now? Well, with some teachers it is
94 – 100 percent, while with others it is only 98 – 100 percent. The range difference creates an unfair system for students in each program. A grade should be awarded equally across the board and reflect the effort of each student in each class.
Over the years, students have learned how to avoid the difficult classes at all costs. One tactic used is the best communication system on campus, the Peppervine. Gossip mongrels work over time to steer peers toward the easiest classes and away from any impending difficulties.
RateMyProfessor.com is another tool that students use to avoid any strenuous work. On this site students can rate any professor on their teaching style, or even, hotness, and leave comments.
But for those students not tangled up in the vine or surfing the Web, they are put to an unfair advantage against those who do. Students who do not get mixed up in the rumor mill should not be at a disadvantage for their random teacher selection. No student should be at disadvantage over another. All classes should use the same grade scale, whether it constitutes 94 or 98 to 100 percent as an “A.”
All classes are different and that is what makes them interesting. But each class should follow the same grade scale in order to maintain equality for all students.
01-17-2008
