2008 Woodie Awards
De Anza instructor defends plus/minus grading system
Dan Mitchell / Guest perspective
Issue date: 10/30/06 Section: Opinion
Monday, October 30th, 2006
I was the Academic Senate President when the Board of Trustees voted to approve the modification to the grading system that introduced the use of plus and minus symbols at De Anza and Foothill. I am probably more familiar with the issue than most people on campus. Let me offer some comments on portions of the article.
From the article (slightly reformatted): "Cynthia Kaufman, who teaches Philosophy and Women's Studies at De Anza, said, `My understanding was that it is mandatory. I was told it was optional last year but they were phasing it in this year.' Vice President of Instruction Judy Miner verified that while the plus/minus standard is the new system for De Anza, instructors could choose not to use it."
All faculty must "use" the current grading system that includes plus and minus symbols, just as they did with the previous system that used only base letter grades. However, there has been no requirement that every individual faculty member always use every possible grade symbol when assigning grades.
For example, a faculty member is not required to assign say, a `D' grade in a class if, in the faculty member's professional judgment, no D grades are warranted. The same now holds true for assigning grades that include + and symbols.
There is no rule that any individual faculty member must assign, for example, some `B+' grades in a class any more than there was a rule requiring a faculty member to assign, a `D' in the past. This is not in conflict with the wording that the Senate has used in this regard:
"Individual faculty members assign grades that they believe best reflect the performance of their students. It is the position of the Academic Senates at both Foothill and De Anza Colleges that a plus/minus grading system allows an instructor to make finer and possibly more accurate distinctions in evaluating students performance and have argued this case successfully before the Board of Trustees. Senate language regarding this issue described a situation in which all faculty acknowledge the plus and minus symbols. The Senate encourages faculty to use a plus/minus grading system in their courses. However, individual faculty members have the right and responsibility to assign grades that they believe best reflect the performance of their stu-
I was the Academic Senate President when the Board of Trustees voted to approve the modification to the grading system that introduced the use of plus and minus symbols at De Anza and Foothill. I am probably more familiar with the issue than most people on campus. Let me offer some comments on portions of the article.
From the article (slightly reformatted): "Cynthia Kaufman, who teaches Philosophy and Women's Studies at De Anza, said, `My understanding was that it is mandatory. I was told it was optional last year but they were phasing it in this year.' Vice President of Instruction Judy Miner verified that while the plus/minus standard is the new system for De Anza, instructors could choose not to use it."
All faculty must "use" the current grading system that includes plus and minus symbols, just as they did with the previous system that used only base letter grades. However, there has been no requirement that every individual faculty member always use every possible grade symbol when assigning grades.
For example, a faculty member is not required to assign say, a `D' grade in a class if, in the faculty member's professional judgment, no D grades are warranted. The same now holds true for assigning grades that include + and symbols.
There is no rule that any individual faculty member must assign, for example, some `B+' grades in a class any more than there was a rule requiring a faculty member to assign, a `D' in the past. This is not in conflict with the wording that the Senate has used in this regard:
"Individual faculty members assign grades that they believe best reflect the performance of their students. It is the position of the Academic Senates at both Foothill and De Anza Colleges that a plus/minus grading system allows an instructor to make finer and possibly more accurate distinctions in evaluating students performance and have argued this case successfully before the Board of Trustees. Senate language regarding this issue described a situation in which all faculty acknowledge the plus and minus symbols. The Senate encourages faculty to use a plus/minus grading system in their courses. However, individual faculty members have the right and responsibility to assign grades that they believe best reflect the performance of their stu-
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