As I learned last night in the course of a really interesting discussion, Woody Allen once said that 80% of life is just showing up…at least that the way I heard it. Apparently, Benedict College has taken this to heart, as freshmen are guaranteed passing grades just for…showing up.
From Fox News:
It’s possible for freshmen at Benedict College to pass their classes, even if they fail every written exam.That’s because 60 percent of their final grade is just showing up and participating in class. The other 40 percent of their grade is earned through traditional test-taking and academic performance during their freshman year.
According to the SEE grading policy � which stands for Success Equals Effort (search) � the balance shifts as the student advances in school. In the sophomore year, effort is counted 40 percent while achievement is 60 percent. Then, in the final two years, a student is evaluated on achievement alone.
Some students say the policy is even more challenging than standard grading systems. A representative from the college wouldn’t speak on camera but on the school’s Web site, college President David Swinton defended the SEE policy, saying, “the emphasis on effort will result in an improvement of education outcomes for our students.”
FOXNews.com – U.S. & World – S.C. College’s Grading Policy Makes Waves
As my students know, I’m far from a harsh grader. In fact, that consensus seems to be that I’m “easy.” As a practical matter, the way I structure my courses, most students who show up, do the work, and demonstrate some knowledge of the core concepts get at least a B. My most recent survey class, where I teach intro to US history to underclassmen, had this breakdown:
A: 23, B: 10, C:3, D:3, F:5.
Most of the students who flunked attended only sporadically, and on the other end of the spectrum I stand by every A I gave out. Those students worked hard and earned their grades.
By giving me the freedom to structure my course and my evaluations, the university let me do a good job, I think, of teaching history. I think that it’s absurd for any university to issue mandates on how to grade–it should be left to the professor. If she/he knows what they are doing, no problem. If not, they shouldn’t be teaching anyway.