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Associated Student Government University of Arkansas ASG Senate Resolution No. 42 Authors: Senator Amy May West, Senator Will Hansen, Senator Ashton Dawson Sponsors: Senator Amy May West, Senator Will Hansen, Senator Ashton Dawson A Resolution for a Consistent Grading Scale for DBCAFLS Whereas, The University of Arkansass grading policy is under a 5-point scale; and Every college at the University adheres to this policy with the exception of the School of Law, the Fay Jones School of Architecture, and the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences (DBCAFLS), who are under the plus/minus (12point) grading scale; and The DBCAFLS changed their grading scale in 2005 to a 12-point grading scale, with 75% of faculty in favor, 25% of faculty against, and the intention for the policy to be a trial run1; and Being under the plus/minus grading scale has a slightly negative effect or has no effect on student GPA2; and Data shows the implementation of this scale within DBCAFLS at the University of Arkansas is no exception; and The plus/minus grading scale could deter students from other colleges from enrolling in a DBCAFLS course; and A students who seek to be nationally competitive are at a disadvantage with DBCAFLS choosing to implement a 12-point grading scale; and DBCAFLS students compete for the same scholarships as the rest of the university, but under the 12-point system must maintain higher grades to maintain and qualify for those scholarships; and Students in the Bumpers College are unhappy under the current grading scale, as shown by a vote taken at the beginning of the 2013 spring semester by a Quantitative Tools class, in which 37 were in favor of changing the grading scale back to a 5- point scale and 5 against, and in a Research Proposal Development class, in which 15
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Whereas,

Whereas,

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Whereas,

Whereas,

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students voted in favor of changing the grading scale to 5 points and 1 voted against the change; and Whereas The Bumpers College Ambassadors voted unanimously for changing the DBCAFLS grading scale back to a 5-point system; then The Associated Student Government supports and recommends that the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences return to the 5-point grading scale which was used prior to the fall semester of 2005, and is the grading scale accepted by the University.

Be it therefore resolved:

Official Use Only Amendments: Vote Count: Aye Legislation Status: Passed Nay Failed Abstentions Other

___________________________ Mike Norton, ASG Chair of the Senate ___________________________ Tori Pohlner, ASG President

________________ Date ________________ Date

Sources: 1: Mohler, C. (2000). Information on plus/minus grading. Retrieved from http://aaup.truman.edu/FS_Plus-Minus_Proposal_Oct_00.pdf 2: Vincent, Christopher. (2005). Bumpers to change grade policy. Retrieved from http://www.uatrav.com/2005/04/01/bumperstochangegradepolicy/