A motion to raise the grade point average requirement for Dean's List honors was tabled during an Undergraduate Curriculum Committee meeting on Thursday. The proposed changes would have increased minimum GPA from 3.5 to 3.67, or up to an A- average, for a given semester, for students in the incoming class of 2006 and beyond.
Jessie Ann Owens, dean of Arts and Sciences, was the first to raise the issue, citing a dramatic increase in Dean's List candidates. "I was concerned that the number of students on the list was much higher than it had been in the late '80's. The percentage had grown, and it seemed to be less of an honor," she said.
But, during an open forum to discuss the changes last Monday, students voiced concerns over raising the Dean's List minimum. Among the arguments were concerns over perceived differing grading policies between the humanities and social sciences, as compared to the School of Science at Brandeis. Grade Point Averages in the Schools of Humanities and Social Sciences are, as Dean Owens states, "Slightly higher than those in the sciences," and some students say they considered any change as having a negative impact on those students in the School of Science.
While comparable changes had been made in the Latin Honors Program, students also argued that the current Dean's List standard serves as a motivating tool each semester for students to push themselves to achieve higher grades. Owens cited Hillary Yaffe '03 and student representative to the UCC Stephen Burns '02 as two particularly vocal students during the forum.
Although this motion was tabled, Owens said she recognizes a need to address the problem of grade inflation in other ways at Brandeis.
"Next year, the UCC will talk about the larger issue of grade inflation," she said.
"I don't think that it is a huge problem at Brandeis, like for instance it is at Harvard University, but we have some inflation problems. I think it is healthy for not only teachers, but students as well to talk about what an A means, or a B or C. Still, (the student forum and tabling of the motion) is the best example of student voices being heard on campus. They were articulate and persuasive and changed our thinking on the issue," she said.
Mark Hewitt of the Registrar staff, via e-mail, described the UCC decision, "the proposal was tabled (deferred) until more thought can go into whether it is indeed an appropriate change," he said.
Although very few definite numbers have been determined, Owens estimated that about 40 percent of Brandeis students have a GPA over 3.5 each semester. She explained that this percentage continually shrinks for those students maintaining a GPA that high for a year or a career respectively. She also estimated that, on average, between 25-30 percent of students at Brandeis have a GPA over 3.67 each semester, but that number also shrinks accordingly, if considered over a longer period.
The UCC is comprised of three students, two elected and one appointed by the Student Union. Faculty and Administration make up the rest of the UCC, each sending several representatives to each meeting. The UCC has jurisdiction over all academic policy. Recently, it has been responsible for changes in the terminology of academic concentrations.
Overall, student reaction to the tabling of the motion was positive. Some retained more impartial views on the Dean's List policy. "Overall it really doesn't make any difference. Graduate schools aren't necessarily going to be impressed with a student on the Dean's List eight times, it doesn't hide your GPA and overall it doesn't really matter," Joshua Contor '04 said.