By Nicole Park

Daily Titan Staff Writer

For the first time in my Cal State Fullerton educational career, my Titan Degree Audit will be missing a familiar two-word phrase I strive so hard to earn each semester: “dean’s list.”

It happens to the best of us. During a particularly hard semester, we may fall behind, but what makes this loss such a painful one is that I’m missing out on my distinguished academic placement because my “B” is missing its well-earned plus sign.

In an unnamed online course I’m currently taking as my “easy elective,” I’ve not only learned to value the experience on-campus classes bring, but also the magnitude of our school’s plus/minus grading system.

What I don’t value or even remotely support is the ambiguity surrounding the policy.

Despite the university decision to weigh grades and GPAs according to the plus/minus scale, professors can choose to omit the nifty symbols based on a subjective like or dislike basis.

The plus/minus system was “officially” adopted by university administration in spring 2005, according to the CSUF Admissions and Records Web site.

What this message sends to students is that the faculty of CSUF is not in unity with the administration of CSUF on the grading policy and academic worth of students’ work and that the lack of clarity on an issue so integral to education is acceptable.

The pluses and minuses aren’t for decoration; the system provides for the truest possible GPA, and while the school would most accurately call my standing 88 percent in said class a “B+,” my professor decided it’s going to be a plain old “B.” This means the class is only worth 3.0 of the 3.3 points I rightfully earned, a .3 difference that fell in favor of mediocrity.

What the numbers show are not only lost grade points, but an utter disregard of student effort and achievement. For example, although I almost earned an “A” in the class, I will be getting the same grade as someone who barely squeaked out of the C-range with an 80 percent for the semester.

While it is a relatively new adoption by the university, five years is more than enough time for professors to adapt and revamp their grading scales to use the correct, university-prescribed, grading symbols.

I think the CSUF policy should be more defined and have a uniform, enforced policy.

Professors should realize that although they can choose to grade using either scale, students have no choice in the matter and GPAs reflect the grading scale of the university, not the imaginary, arbitrary and oversimplified scales of some professors.

By Jeremiah Magan

Daily Titan Opinion Editor

I don’t understand the students who torture themselves over their GPA. Unless they plan on going to graduate school, their GPA doesn’t really matter beyond a C average after college.

That’s not to say that students should be lazy and not put as much effort as they can into their education; but at some point, most students have to realize that they cannot achieve a perfect 4.0, have some semblance of a social life and maintain their sanity.

Going to school shouldn’t be about the grades; it should be about the learning process.

As long as I can demonstrate that I have learned the material and can utilize the skills I have been taught, then what else do I need?

But there are those who only care, and are even obsessed, about their GPA.

To those people, every little grade point matters. I hate those people. They annoy the living crap out of me.

To students like this, nothing is more important than proving how much better they are than their peers.

The university made a clear-cut decision in 2005 to grade every student on a plus/minus grading system, but like many things Cal State Fullerton administrators “decide,” it has become less of a rule and more of a suggestion.

It is official university policy that students should not skateboard on campus, but I have never seen anyone receive a ticket, citation or any other form of punishment for breaking this rule.

I have never had a university police officer chase me down as I roll down Titan Walk.

How a professor grades their students should be left up to the individual professor to decide. How many students can honestly say that they have visited the school’s Web site to review the university’s grading policy?

I would venture to guess not very many.

So how can anyone be surprised or upset when they walk into a new class and the grading policy for that professor is different from a professor they had before?

Students are more than likely unaware that there is supposed to be an university-wide grading policy, so how can they be upset at the end of the semester when they realize that their 89 percent will only get them a 3.0 for the class and not a 3.3.

Students have every opportunity to know how they will be graded when they begin a course. If they actually care about their GPA, then they should try harder to get the grade they want within the system their professor uses.

It really is that simple; no one is responsible for a students’ grade other than themselves.