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Volume CXXXI, Number 21 |
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Forum airs complaints
DANIEL JEFFERSON MILLER
ORIENT STAFF
Aside from addressing the recent controversial plus/minus
vote, larger issues, such as apathy and the widening gap between the administration
and the student body, were discussed Monday evening in the living room
of 7 Boody Street.
A result of sophomore Mark Lucci's personal initiative,
a group of incensed students gathered to discuss the decision of the faculty
to begin a plus/minus system of grading. Lucci, a member of the Recording
Committee, coordinated the forum in order to gauge student opinion, as
he feels that the faculty stepped in and disregarded the poll that was
conducted to assess the feelings of students.
The aforementioned poll attracted only 37 percent of the
student body, yet 70 percent of those voting preferred to maintain our
current system. Though voter turnout was admittedly, and embarrassingly
low, 70 percent of voting students opted to maintain the current system
of academic evaluation.
Before opening the floor to open discussion, Lucci stated
that he believed the faculty completely disregarded student opinion in
favor of adopting a scale that better suits their own preferences. Lucci,
on the low student vote turnout, remarked that graduating seniors were
less likely to even cast a vote, and that perhaps students studying abroad
were completely left out.
Some students present sought a faculty reconsideration of the issue, while
others seemed content with the idea of protecting stability of the transcripts
of all current students. Andrea Larkin '03 and Heather Honiss '03 circulated
a petition letter-bearing an impressive list of signatures-addressed to
President Mills, which asked for all current first-years, sophomores,
and juniors to be exempt from the new system.
As a result of the new change, transcripts will bear an
addendum, noting the change in grading policy that is to begin with the
2002-2003 academic year. This measure though, does not settle the qualms
of all students.
"When you're applying for jobs, and they're getting
hundreds of applicants they're not going to read it carefully, they're
going to glance at it. It could be good for some people, but it could
definitely be detrimental to others," said discussion participant
Lauren Paponne '03.
The tone of the evening suggested that students were indeed
unhappy with the decision that would affect the appearance of transcripts,
the larger issue, however was one of disregard for student opinion.
Means of protest and courses of action were discussed as the forum evolved into a brainstorming session, directed towards maintaining the rights of students.