The Carleton Academic Student Government (CASG) is working with the university senate to implement permanent changes to the university’s grading system.
Possible reforms include introducing exploratory courses, which would allow students to take courses outside of their program without impacting their CGPA, and a pass/fail option for first-year courses.
According to CASG president Matt Gagné, a student input survey has received over 100 responses rating the current grading system and providing recommendations for changes.
Gagné said COVID-19 made grading reform a priority, but that long-term grading reform is a goal CASG has had for several years.
“We’re trying to test the waters to see where students’ heads are at,” he said. “We want to see what we can change permanently to make things better and more coherent to what the 2020 student needs.”
Gagné added that the 12-point grading system will remain and that the goal is not to make grading less rigorous.
“The goal is to recognize that the policy we have now was created 30, 40 years ago and things have changed,” Gagné said. “We’re trying to make it more versatile for students in the long run.”
He added that recommendations will be reviewed by the CASG council before a final proposal is sent to the senate for consideration. Gagné said he is hopeful the proposal will be sent by the end of the semester.
Howard Nemiroff, associate dean of undergraduate studies at Carleton, is working alongside CASG and is encouraging all students to share their thoughts.
“There is no limit to what the changes can be,” he said during a virtual Q-and-A hosted by CASG on Sept. 14. “It’s about what makes sense for you and what you want. We’re here because we want you to succeed.”
Havailah Arnold, a third-year global and international studies student, said she hopes this reform will address the Sprott School of Business’ grading distribution rules.
The rules recommend capping the number of students with A grades in 1000-level and 2000-level courses at 25 per cent, and 30 per cent in 3000-level and 4000-level courses. The Sprott instructor’s handbook includes no reason for the recommendation.
“It makes me really angry,” Arnold said. “Grading is such a big part of university and it really affects us as students. It doesn’t keep in mind students that need grades to get into graduate school.”
Arnold added that she hadn’t heard about CASG’s survey until the Charlatan reached out for an interview. She said information about consultations with students on university policies should be better promoted.
Aryan Moghaddam, a fourth-year finance student, agreed that CASG should make sure to have students from different backgrounds respond to the survey to avoid only supporting high-achieving students.
Moghaddam added he wants grading reform to address the lack of transparency in the university’s grading system. He said this is important for students to better understand their development and that grading information shouldn’t be so secretive.
“It’s so sad that you have no idea how you compare to everyone else,” Moghaddam said. “You don’t know the averages, you don’t know where you are. It’s just so hard to [access] all this information.”
Featured image by Aaron Hemens.
