Don’t count on a series of A minuses to add up to that ideal 4.0 GPA next year. In the fall of 2012, the university’s grading system will officially switch over to the new plus and minus grade policy, where a plus or minus grade will weight differently than the letter grade itself.
Here is the breakdown: Currently, whether a student receives a B+, B or B-, the GPA ends up to be a 3.0, regardless of the plus or minus. Next semester, if a student receives a B+ in each class, their GPA will be a 3.3. If a student receives a B- in each class, their GPA will be a 2.7 for the semester. All Bs would result in a 3.0.
But this new policy has left many students with questions. What about minimum grade requirements for certain classes, programs and colleges? Well according to Testudo, “University policies and requirements that now require a minimum grade (e.g., A, B, C, D) will be satisfied by the minus version of that grade (i.e., A-, B-, C-, D-) under plus/minus grading.”
Transcripts may seem a little discombobulated with one section disregarding pluses and minuses, and the remainder taking them into account. But despite the new grading system, some students approve of the new policy.
Sarah Polus, a junior journalism major, thinks students will now make more of an effort to raise their grades with the new system.
“I think it’s better because with the new system you’re actually getting the grade you earn,” Polus said. “It will probably force me to work harder since I know that I can’t rely on having my grade rounded up if I get a B- or A-. Every grade counts now.”
But some graduating seniors are happy to hear they are narrowly missing this university change.
Alex Bauguess, a senior history major, says she’s relieved her college career will not be affected by the change although there are some benefits to the policy.
“I’m glad it’s not happening to me because I feel like it would throw me off if they just changed the grading system in the middle of my college career,” Bauguess said. “But I also get B pluses all the time so they would have really helped me there.”
Anthony Maiorano, a senior mathematics major, agrees. “I don’t think it’s right for the university to just change from one grading scale to another from year to year as students have become accustomed to one form of grading,” he says.
According to Testudo, all cumulative GPAs will be calculated using the grading scale present for each specific semester. If you’re a current sophomore, your cumulative GPA will be calculated using the current grading system for year one and two, and then calculated with the new system for year three and four.
Brianna Miller, a sophomore kinesiology major, says the new grading system may move the University of Maryland in the right direction.
“I think students will definitely be more motivated to work a little bit harder since their GPA is on the line,” Miller says. “I think it might be a good thing because it rewards you for working harder.”
To learn more about the new grading system, check out http://www.testudo.umd.edu/plusminusimplementation.html.