Faculty Finds Grade Inflation Problematic

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Sports/ B6 Mosaic/ Bl ;Faculty finds grade inflation problematic BY CAJT SIMPSON grades are rising higher than the the college level. said , "and as a rc ult, ·the com Rich stated in an e-mail Staff Reporter qua lity of students and more stu Leslie Goldstein, professor mittee is making the same rec message he did not reca ll th e JUST THE FACTS The Faculty Ad-hoc dents are receiving higher of political science and commit ommendations." request to publish depnrtmental • The faculty Senate WJ-11 ommittee on Grade Inflation grades," he said. lee member, said the committee In particular, the committee grades. review recommendations to will make three new recommen The ad-hoc committee from will pre ent three almost identi will re-submit the recommenda Goldstein said the second combat grade intlation Muy 2. ( dations to the Faculty Senate 2002 fo und in 1987 that 24 per cal recommendations, although tions previou sly rejected by recommendation was to make May 2 to combat gtade inflation cent of all grades were A or A-, on ly one of these was passed by either the ·provost or the Faculty faculty members accountable • The Fa ulty Ad-hoc at the university. wh il e in 2002, 35 perccni were the senate last year. Senate, she said . for their grading patterns. Committee on Grade lnl1ation Don Le hman, professor of A or A-, Lehman said. "The senate adopted the One recommendation is to The puqJOsc would not be found that Jn 2002 35 percent medica l tec hn ology and chair The percentage of the top idea to define grades in the make depa11ment grade distribu to force professors to give a pro of gn1dcs were A or A-, with man of the committee, said the grades ha increased by 46 per Faculty Handbook last year," tions accessibl e to the public to poliionatc amount of grad es in some departments reportedly committee was established last cent, he said, while !he number she said, "but we do not believe reveal di screpanci es, Goldstein every cl ass, Goldstein said . givmg 70 percent of their stu year at the request of Provost of B grades has remained steady it is a good definition an ymore." sa id . "This would ge t peo pl e dents A's. Dan Rich to research the extent and the number of C's fell 26 This year, th e co mmittee "Tbis would be used as a thinking seriou sly about how of the problem at the university. percent. held open hearings and an way of shaming outli er depart th ey give grades," she sa id . • The number of C's ha s The committee found grade Last year, the committee online di scu sian but it did not Lllent s," she sa id . "Some depart The committee also wants dropped 26 perc ent. inflation to be a significant proposed six recommendations, have enough time to re-evaluate ment arc giving over 70 percent to investi g-a te several faculty problem, he said, magnified by including awarding grades grade di stribu tions and develop A's." suggestions, she said, beca use • Some faculty have stated in the ris ing competi tive ness of the based on new defi nitions of the a new set of solutions, Goldstein Ri ch rejected thi s proposal the deadline for recomm end a circulated e-mails that they university in the academic com gradi ng system, encouraging sa id. last year, Goldstein aid, and tions did not all ow re earch this are concerned about student mun ity. fac ulty to cha ll enge students and "We.didn 't rea ll y have t,imc prohibited the committee from evaluations and di stribution of "What's happeni11g is th at exami ning g1adc distributions at to study systematica ll y," she naming names. grades per department. see COMMITTEE page A4 Dark Arts lights up stage BY LAUREN TRENGROVE shirts. The red lighting bounced off the Sl/l ff RepOrter perfo rmers and accent ed the red in their The Dark Arts Performing Dance costumes. Company presented its annual concert, During the entire routi ne, performe rs Revelations of Rhythmic Desire, Saturday danced compl etely i.n sync, never missing . evening in Mitchell Hall. a step. The performance was divid ed into I 0 Another act fea tured n medley of cur routines and each featured unique music, rent Hip-hop top 40 songs such a "Caught costumes, lighting effects and introductory Up" by Us her, "Hot in Herre" by Nell y monologues. a11d "1, 2 Slep" by Ciara. The group di spl ayed ball et, jazz, The performers wore torn jeans. modern, point, Hip-hop, Afri can , bri ght co lored off-the-shoulder slmts and Caribbean, tap and Latin dance moves were accompanied by four slmtlcss men. during the show. During th e li ve ly routine the dancers Junior Dark Arts member Amanda showcased th ei r quick [l ip-hop moves. Schlefman said she joined th e group after Two ball et dancers were featured in lly ing ou~ at an audition in the fall. anoth er act where they mirrored each Much practice was put ilJto prepara other's movement s, one trailing a few sec tion for th e event, she sa id. onds behind th e ot her. " We practice three times a week fpr As th is routine p!'ogressed, the steps two. hours during Fall Semester, three moved fro m slo\V and graceful moves to times a week for three hour. during Spring quick, high-paced ba ll et footwork. Semester and every day at least two weeks Jun ior Jenn Daniels said she ha been before the performance," Schlefm an sa id . to Dark Arts performances a few 1imes and Opening for Dark Arts was the group has enjoyed them because of their modern lT Deep, which featured a fluti st, drummer, moves and music. guitarist and tw o lead singers. "1 hea rd about it because a lot of my The group warmed up th e crowd with sororiry si ·ters are 111 the show so 1 usua l its R&B and Hip-hop-style m·usic fo r 40 ly come every year to watch them," she minutes before the dancers took th e stage. said. Fifteen performers danced to son gs by Junior Diane Turner said the perform arti sts such as Janet Jac kson, Snoop Dogg, ance' as enJ oyable and energizing. Usher, Amerie, Nell y, Petey Pablo and "This performance definitely kept my Ciara. All were included in three of the 10 attention the whole time," she sa id. " I rea l dances, while other routines showcased ly liked all of the jazz routllles." varying memb ers. Ti lE REV lEW/ hri s Fahey In th e opening routine. the dancers The Dark Arts Performing Dance Company showcased various acts in Mitchell Hall Saturday. wore blac k top hats and red lies over white Senior ice skaters Bush s UN. nominee bid farevvell to lJD to speak at university BY SHAW A WAGNER pone th e planned vole to May BYMEGHAN skating after this," he said. "It's Nat1o11ai,State Neu·s Edllor 12. VANDEVENTER bittersweet." John Bolton is scheduled to However, some Staff Reporter Individual ~kater s elected spea k on campus Ma y 18, six Republicans outs1dc the com The Collegiate Figure music that would express their days after the Senate Fore1gn mittee such as Sen. M 1tch kating Team presented its personal feelings and send a Relations Committee decides McConn ell , R-Ky.. the annual skating event at the Fred message t friend and families whether to confirm him as Republica n majonty wh 1p, have Rust lee Arena Friday night to in the audience. ambassador to the United ex pressed su pport for Bolton. clo e th e year and say farewe ll Senior Jamie dmonds Nations. Jn a television int erv iew on to graduating eniors. expressed her sentimental feel Ralph Begleiter, di stin BS's " Face th e Na ti on." The team, which placed as ings for the eveniug and skated guished journalist in rc idcncc, McConn ell rc pond ed to criti sil er meda li sts at the Nationa l to the s ng 'Tm Moving On" aid well before Bolton was ci sm aboul Bolt on's prev ious om petition April 11, presented by Rascal Flatts . nominated to be U.N. ambassa harsh remarks on th e Umted "A Night at th e Movies" as the "I have been skating for 13 dor, he began making arrange Nations. seventh themed event by the years and this is sort of it for ments to have the former under "I th in k there are so me of university's fig ure skating club. us," she said. "This night means secretary of state for arms con our Democratic co ll eagues th at The night included a variety a lot to all of us because we trol appear at the Global Agencld are simpl y uncomfortable w1!h of popular music selections and worked so hard to prepare for lecture serie last December. sending ~om cbo d y to th e U.N. a specia l performance by team it." Bolton was known as an that may ac tually chall enge USA skater, senior David Edmonds said team mem extreme conservative in hi s pre busin ess as usual up th ere," he Pell etier.

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