Comments on: Benedict College Fires Professors For Bucking “Effort” Grading

By: Backcountry Conservative

Backcountry Conservative — Sat, 18 Sep 2004 14:31:47 +0000

Effort Grading Under Accreditation Scrutiny?
My original post on this subject is here. The State: Benedict Collegeâs accrediting agency is looking into the Columbia schoolâs controversial grading policy. The Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, which accredi...

By: Vernes

Vernes — Wed, 08 Sep 2004 21:21:51 +0000

Hurray for College.

I'm an ace at failing and I put alot of effort to be one as well.
This effort will ensure me that one day, these unskilled hands will be working on a pacemaker that will support YOUR heart!

Ain't that american educational system great?

"I know I suck at programming, but I worked so hard!"
"Well, you DID manage to blow up every component on the circuit, but alright, you pass"
"Whoohoo, My dream of designing medical electronics will come true after all!"

By: Andrew

Andrew — Wed, 08 Sep 2004 20:02:44 +0000

"predominantly black college" says it all. We can't expect the poor darkies to perform the same way we expect their white conterparts do because they are, well... black. (that was sarcasm)
Bloody bigots.
Don't they see that expecting less of blacks is racism pure and simple? this is one of many attitudes from liberals that exasperate me to no end.

By: James Joyner

James Joyner — Tue, 24 Aug 2004 19:01:53 +0000

Rusty,

The logical extension of your argument is that, once hired, a professor can do whatever he wants without repurcussion. Indeed, I don't honestly see how one could be denied tenure or promotion since any negative job action--or even potential for such--has a potential chilling effect under your conception of "academic freedom." There is no job of which I'm aware that operates under such a concept.

By: Rusty

Rusty — Tue, 24 Aug 2004 18:51:56 +0000

James, good rejoinder--and I respond in kind:

I disagree with James and the AAUP. I do not advocate dropping the 'N' bomb on students, but there is a serious question of who decides what the exception to the rule is. If the academic freedom policy is a general rule which allows professors the leeway to express unpopular ideas except when those ideas may be offensive--well then the rule has no meaning whatsoever. Why? Because the except whens are purely subjective and are therefore are at the whim of some group of people or another. Hence, academic freedom is a farce unless it completely covers all situations--even when professors utter idiotic and even hurtful drivel.

Otherwise, I fear, professors can (and have) be censured for saying idiotic things which the academic community disapproves of (for instance, racist ideas), but will receive no such censure for saying equally idiotic things which the academic community has no problem with (for instance, Marxist philosophy). When you carve out exceptions to rules you are allowing a group of people to decide when the exception is valid and when it is not. The same problem arises with Constitutional Law. Freedom of speech, except when, is nothing more than freedom of speech as long as the Supreme Court doesn't mind what you are saying. I would reject the AAUP standard as too narrow, and would have a much broader standard in it's place.

By: mypetjawa v. 2.0 (beta)

mypetjawa v. 2.0 (beta) — Tue, 24 Aug 2004 14:44:17 +0000

Efforts Based Grading
Jeff Quinton alerted me to this alarming not surprising news:Benedict College has fired two professors who refused to go along with a policy that says freshmen are awarded 60 percent of their grades based on effort and the rest on...

By: Herb Ely

Herb Ely — Tue, 24 Aug 2004 13:08:36 +0000

St. Benedicts is a special mission college. I first became aware of it when looking at colleges for a learning disabled student. To quote from the newspaper story: "Founded in 1870 to educate freed slaves, the college has been a haven for students who must overcome barriers to obtain higher education. The school's open admissions policy means many students arrive with poor study habits and weak high school records, Swinton said."

The college's decision on firing the two professors should be viewed in that context.

By: Jeffrotull2000

Jeffrotull2000 — Tue, 24 Aug 2004 08:28:09 +0000

"The concept works with those classes that arenât central to a major (econ classes for a English major) and I can the benefits. " -Jim

As far as an English major in econ would be concerned the economics for economics majors is a different class at schools where the major is impacted. If the major is not impacted than an introduction to economics class would have no significance because an econ major would not be definate until the second year. Having to compete with someone who happens to be good at economics is a fact of life.

By: Paul

Paul — Tue, 24 Aug 2004 06:43:30 +0000

it is not clear to me how it is that a professor would assess "effort."

In the past, quality of work did provide some indication. knowhatImean?

By: bains

bains — Tue, 24 Aug 2004 06:35:50 +0000

This kind of policy is especially asinine in science. Some one who only makes an effort in first year calculas is going to be in a world of hurt if they dont understant it. With rare exception, there is only one way to teach it - and that involves lots of assignments, quizzes and tests.

What in the world do these enlightened 'educators' think there preparing thier students for?

By: Jim

Jim — Tue, 24 Aug 2004 01:22:49 +0000

Here is one big problem with the concept. The concept works with those classes that aren't central to a major (econ classes for a English major) and I can the benefits. However, for those classes central to a person major (Differntial equations for a physics major), this policy will be lethal by the third year as some students struggle to keep their head above water.

By: jen

jen — Tue, 24 Aug 2004 01:08:57 +0000

Dang. I could have used this grading method when I flunked Biology 101 the first time I took it in college. The A for effort would have balanced out my F in lab (I had a C in the class portion, but I stunk at the lab work).