Students downgrade themselves to graduate
By KELI OSBORN
Of the Emerald
The University's confusing
grading system has created an
unusual problem, leading some
students to petition to change their
D grades to F’s in order to
graduate.
“It’s ludicrous," says Marliss
Strange, a member of the
Academic Requirements commit
tee, a University student-faculty
group which reviews such peti
tions.
Strange says the present grad
ing system can surprise students
at the end of their college career
by preventing their graduation.
"A student can function for a
long time without realizing he’s in
trouble,” she says.
The trouble arises from two
separate rules governing the
kinds of grades tallied for gradua
tion requirements.
The first — the 85 percent rule
— says that for all graded work
completed, 85 percent must be
passed with grades of A, B, C, D or
P. (I,X, and Y are marks and are
not counted as work completed.)
The second rule requires that
90 percent of credit earned A, B,
C, D and P must be passed satis
factorily or with no Ds.
So, while complying with the 85
percent rule a student can still vio
late the second, a glaring problem
is the lack of an adequate warning
system for students who are
breaking the 90 percent rule.
University Registrar Wanda
Johnson says an academic warn
ing system has been im
plemented, but admits it doesn’t
do enough. Though it catches
students who accumulate a cer
tain amount of D, F and N credit
over one or two terms, the system
can overlook the student who
gradually gathers D grades
through several years of study.
A sub-committee of the
Academic Requirements commit
tee is now studying proposals for
new percentage rules that would
put an end to the problems
created by the current grading
system.
But Bob James, a faculty
member of the sub-committee,
stresses that the new proposals
can only be a temporary solution.
“What we have now, in our
grading system, is more patch
than boat,” James says.
The entire grading system must
be revised, he says. However,
such a major change is at least
two years away, and it is wise to
add more patch to the boat to
meet current needs, he insists.
Last spring, James submitted a
proposal to the faculty that would
have brought all work taken
pass-no pass under the 85 per
cent rule, and graded work under
a reinstated GPA standard.
He now admits the proposal
was ill-conceived. “It would have
required students receiving “no
passes” to continue taking clas
ses pass-no pass in order to meet
the 85 percent rule," he says.
James says it will be March
1979 before the faculty approves
any temporary revisions of the
grading system, and encourages
students to make their opinions of
the system known to the
Academic Requirements com
mittee.
Students can reach James at
686-2842 or leave a message for
him in the Fine and Applied Arts
office in Lawrence Hall. Strange is
available for discussion of the
grading system in her office in 164
Oregon Hall.
Official advocates peer advising
SALLY HODGKIN SON
Of the Emerald
Peer counseling is a “big step in
the right direction” toward improv
ing University academic advising,
according to Gerry Moseley, as
sociate provost for student affairs.
“I personally have absolutely no
reservations about peer advis
ing,” Moseley says. “I’ve seen it
work before, so I’m a strong advo
cate.”
Moseley came to the University
in March from the University of
Texas-Austin which has, he says,
a very successful peer advising
program.
Moseley says he is impressed
with the psychology department's
pilot peer advising program. Peo
pie, both within and outside the
University community, are watch
ing it carefully, he adds.
“I think they’re going about it
very reasonably and very care
fully. There's no way it can’t be
successful,” he says.
"I see it snowballing very fast
because the need for competent
careful pre-advising is so essen
tial, so rewarding, and so clearly a
good idea,^says Moseley.
But there may be a problem in
getting enough students trained
as peer advisors, Moseley says.
One reason for inadequate ad
vising at the University is “human
nature," Moseley says. It's human
nature to wait until the last minute
to seek academic advice, thus
causing an advising traffic jam
that faculty advisors can’t handle.
Peer advisors could help ease
that last minute advising load and
encourage students to seek help
earlier by being readily available
throughout the year, Moseley
suggests.
Moseley says a major disad
vantage to peer advising may be
giving academic credit for advis
ing rather than wages.
“I don’t think we should have
academic credit for something
which is a work-related task," he
says.
Peer advising is just a part of
Moseley’s goal to improve
academic advising. He also plans
to supply faculty advisors with bet
ter information about each
student's program and grades,
and support and recognize out
standing advisors.
Students will cast ballots today
in IFC, SUAB primary election
University students once more
will have a chance to choose who
will represent their interests on
both the Incidental Fee Commit
tee and the Student University Af
fairs Board.
Primary elections will be held
today and Thursday from 8 a.m. to
5 p.m. at a variety of campus pol
ling places, with general elections
to follow Nov. 8-9.
This year, 21 people are seek
ing seven seats on the IFC and a
chance to influence allocation of
$1.5 million in student fees. IFC
members fund over 55 student
programs and services, including
the EMU, the Athletic Department,
ASUO programs and others.
Over $31 is taken each term
from every students' tuition and
fees payment to support these
programs. A typical student's
four-year stay at the University will
cost about $350 in incidental fees.
SUAB members represent stu
dents in all academic areas in both
the University Senate and the
University Faculty, and work for
student interests with the ad
ministration.
Of the 18 two-year positions in
tthe SUAB, six will be vied for this
vweek.-However, only positions
Oregon Dally Emerald
representing Architectural Allied
Arts, will be contested, as only
four candidates have sought
SUAB posts in the election.
SUAB chairer Gary McMahon
encourages those interested to
begin write-in campaigns, in view
of the fact that no one has filed for
three of the positions. They are:
positions 3 and 4, business and
economics, and position 11, Fine
and Applied Arts.
Students may vote at one of
eight polling places, including the
library, the Carson and Hamilton
dormitory cafeterias, Amazon
Student Housing, the EMU lobby
and outside the Law School.
John Clark
1687-B0B3
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Congressman
JIM
WEAVER
Nov. 1
Room 129
Law School
Topic
Cutting
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Political Ecology
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