Standardized grade rubric on hold

Although it will not officially go into effect until Fall 2013, Mount Royal University is asking professors to begin implementing their new standardized grading rubric this semester. However, not all students will enjoy the benefits of the new system this year.

The motion to go forward with this change was made in April 2012, but in May the Dean’s Council made the decision not to enforce it until 2013.

“It’s just confusing,” said Jennifer Langille, vice-president of student academic affairs. Since last year, SAMRU has been encouraging the change. “We did research and asked for the university to implement the policy.”

Previously, there were 31 different scales throughout the university.

The change will make it much easier on students. With the old system, getting an A+ is a lot easier to achieve in some courses than in others. Depending on the class, getting 74 per cent might be a C+ or a B.

Langille said that students often ran into problems more difficult than mere frustration. “Some programs ask that you maintain a C average but they never say which scale,” she said.

In addition, she said MRU had been trying to get on a board that grants scholarships to students and, because of the varying grade scales, they weren’t considered.

While most students are eager to accept the changes, some professors are not so keen on adopting a new method of grading.

“Some of them love it, some of them hate it and some don’t care,” Langille said. “There’s going to be some growing pains.”

There were a number of professors who supported the policy when the motion was passed in April. However, some departments are still waiting until next fall to make the change.

“There was wide support in our faculty,” said Chad London, dean of the faculty of heath and community studies. Among the six different departments in the faculty, only two — justice studies and social work and disability studies — made the switch.

“The changes were too extensive,” London said.

To make such a large transition to a new method of grading, London said departments need time to revise their assignments and exams in order to avoid inconsistencies and grade inflation, and that waiting would be the fairest thing to student.