The Observer, April 22, 2005
Volume XXXVII, Issue 26
Necessity of traditional freshman forgiveness policy under debat
A forum hosted by Undergraduate Studies was held last Tuesday to discuss and review undergraduate academic polices.
Attended by 15 undergraduates, 10 faculty and staff members, First Year Dean Julie Amon, and Dean of Undergraduate Studies Margaret Robinson, the event was held in the 1914 Lounge in Thwing.
The forum focused on the implications of the first-year grading policy. Currently, students in their first year can only earn credit and grades for courses they complete with a grade no less than a D. Any failing grade or withdrawn class a freshman might receive will not be counted when calculating his grade point average and will not appear on his official transcript.
In addition, first year students have the opportunity to withdraw from a class until the last day of classes. If a student fails or withdraws from a course that is required by their major or is a part of their core classes, they must retake the course the next time it is offered.
Many students are in favor of the "freshman forgiveness policy" and take have taken advantage of it. "The policy is good because it gives freshmen a chance to get adjusted to the work and other demands of college. It means we are allowed to screw up, which is nice because college is a big transition that most of us struggle with," first-year student Amy Rohmiller said.
While Rohmiller said that she never used the option herself, she notes that she "very seriously considered it" and that "a lot of people I know use it, especially to drop classes late."
However, the policy is currently under review. At the forum, faculty and students debated whether it was necessary to have a first-year grading policy that did not allow students to fail a course considering the fact that first-year students have ample time to withdraw from classes.
According to second-year chemistry/spanish/political science major Matt Wholey, "There is no reason for a student to get an F," sophomore Matt Wholly said. "Since students can drop a course at the end of the semester, they should know by that time whether or not they will be failing the class."
Forum participants also noted that the first year grading policy creates other problems. For example, students would rather get an F than a D, since the failing grade will not hurt their grade point average or show up on their transcript.
By the end of the forum, it was concluded that the first-year grading policy may be unnecessary because freshmen are already allotted extra time to withdraw from a class.
Rohmiller is hoping the option stays in place, though. "I think the university should keep the policy because it's one of the few things they do to grant freshman leeway as they adjust not just to a heavier workload, but also to being away from home and other familiar things and get used to acting like a responsible adult."
