+/- Survey Results:  2008

 

There were 173 respondents, over a third of the total faculty.  Although there are strong opinions on each side, a clear majority is in favor of adopting a +/- grading system.  The Senate is not bound by the results of the survey and may make any decision it wishes regarding the structure of a plus/minus grading system and whether or not  it ought to be adopted.

The detailed results are interesting -- the "favored" results are as follows:
    Adopt plus/minus  [53% yes, 32% no, 6% don't care and 9% undecided]
    Count grade points to one decimal place  [57% yes; 43% two decimals]
    No A+  [46% don’t include A+, 40% include A+ and 14% undecided]
    If A+, then it counts for only 4.0  [54%]
    Plus/Minus all the way down to D-  [36%; next highest was “no D+ and D-”, 28%]

    Maintain C (2.0) for good standing  [69% with only 3% in favor of letting C- satisfy requirements]

    No number-to-grade conversion scheme in Catalog  [40%; 28% prefer publishing a "typical" scheme; 24% prefer making the suggested scheme manadatory]
    Mandatory Grading System  [49%; 34% preferred the system be “professor’s choice”; 10% up to colleges; 7% undecided]
    Do not use the "alternative" plus/minus system [68%]

 

   

Plus/Minus Survey Results:

1.All things considered, and assuming that the practical details can be worked out, are you in favor of the general idea of adopting a plus-minus grading system at WSU?

Base

173
100%

a) I am in favor of WSU adopting a plus-minus grading system.

92
53%

b) I am against WSU adopting a plus-minus grading system.

55
32%

c) I don’t care what the grading system is at WSU.

10
6%

d) I am unsure whether or not WSU should adopt a plus-minus grading system.

16
9%

 
 
 
 
   
   

 

2. If WSU were to adopt a plus-minus grading system, what is your preference about how many decimal places the grade point scale should include?

Base

173
100%

a) Two (e.g., A = 4.00, B- = 2.67, C+ = 2.33).

75
43%

b) One (e.g., A = 4.0, B- = 2.7, C+ = 2.3).

98
57%

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3. If WSU were to adopt a plus-minus grading system, would you prefer that the system include the grade A+?

Base

173
100%

a) Yes.

69
40%

b) No.

80
46%

c) I am undecided.

24
14%

 

 

4. If WSU were to adopt a plus-minus grading system that includes an A+ grade and in which an A counts for 4.0 and an A- counts for 3.7 (or 3.67) grade points, how many grade points would you prefer an A+ be worth?

Base

173
100%

a) 4.0

93
54%

b) 4.3 (or 4.33 if a two-decimal place system is adopted)

80
46%

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5. If WSU were to adopt a plus-minus grading system, how would you prefer the bottom of the scale to be structured?

Base

173
100%

a) Nothing below C except D and F

26
15%

b) Nothing below C- except D and F.

49
28%

c) Nothing below C- except D+, D and F.

19
11%

d) Nothing below C- except D+, D, D- and F.

62
36%

e) I am undecided.

17
10

 

 

6. If WSU were to adopt a plus-minus grading system, what is your preference for how to deal with the various catalog requirements regarding maintaining a C average or 2.0 GPA?

Base

173
100%

a) Revise the requirements so that a C- (=1.7) satisfies those requirements.

6
3%

b) Leave the requirements as they are (need a C or 2.0 for good standing) and encourage our C- students to work harder.

119
69%

c) Let individual programs make their own rules about what to do with C- grades and program standing.

38
22%

d) I am undecided.

10
6%

 

7. A very common scheme for converting percentages to grades in a plus-minus system is this one: A+ 97.0-100 A 93.0-96.9 A- 90.0-92.9 B+ 87.0-89.9 B 83.0-86.9 B- 80.0-82.9 C+ 77.0-79.9 C 73.0-76.9 C- 70.0-72.9 D+ 67.0-69.9 D 63.0-66.9 D- 60.0-62.9 F Below 60.0 If WSU were to adopt a plus-minus grading system, what is your preference about mandating a conversion scheme?

Base

173
100%

a) The scheme above (or one like it) should be required and published in the Catalog.

41
24%

b) The scheme above should be suggested and published as “typical” in the Catalog, but individual professors should be allowed to decide for themselves how to convert percentage grades to plus-minus grades, provided that such conversion schemes are published in course syllabi.

49
28%

c) No scheme should be suggested or published in the Catalog; individual professors should have the responsibility of making up their own schemes and including it in their syllabi.

69
40%

d) I am undecided.

14
8%

 

8. If WSU were to adopt a plus-minus grading system, what is your preference about making the system universally required?

Base

173
100%

a) It should be entirely mandatory.

85
49%

b) It should be up to individual professors to decide whether to use plus-minus grading or the old “straight grades” system.

58
34%

c) It should be up to Colleges (or Departments/Schools) to decide whether to use plus-minus grading or the old “straight grades” system.

18
10%

d) I am undecided

12
7%

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Bottom of Form

 

9.The most common basic structure for plus-minus grading in the US is the one so far discussed. A small percentage of schools use a different system, along these lines: A 4.0 B+ 3.5 B 3.0 C+ 2.5 C 2.0 D 1.0 F 0.0 If WSU were to adopt a plus-minus grading system, would you prefer it to include or not include “minus” grades?

Base

173
100%

a) I prefer the plus-minus system discussed at the beginning of this survey.

118
68%

b) I prefer the plus/no plus system mentioned in this question.

36
21%

c) I am undecided.

19
11%

 

I am a faculty member of the

Base

150
100%

a. Barton School of Business

29
19%

b. College of Education

7
5%

c. College of Engineering

17
11%

d. College of Fine Arts

18
12%

e. College of Health Professions

10
7%

f. Fairmount College of Liberal Arts -- Humanities

20
13%

g. Fairmount College of LIberal Arts -- Math/Natural Sciences

21
14%

h. Fairmount College of LIberal Arts -- Social Sciences

19
13%

i. University Libraries

9
6%