The Sandspur

Issue date: 11/4/05 Section: Life & Times

Media Credit: Tom Reese/KRT Campus EVERGREEN COLLEGE: Evergreen professor Peter Bohner, left, and his students discuss course work in Political Consciousness and Social Movements.

Ever wondered what college would be like without grades? Ever sit around while studying and wish grades were not important? Recently, a number of colleges have adapted a different system of grading, where grades are less important, and education is the highest emphasis.

At New College of Florida in Sarasota, for example, students are "graded" at the end of the semester with a grade of between one and three. This way, more focus is put on how much they have learned, rather than how they can take tests. They also do not put focus on credit hours, but rather, "mastery of the subject," according to NCF's Dean of Admissions, Jake Hartvigsen.

At Evergreen College in Olympia, Washington, students are given written assessment evaluations at the end of the semester, rather than grades, which is quite similar to the approach taken by New College. This is meant to focus more on the individualistic personality of the student and the growth of that student throughout the course of the semester.

In this new form of grading, there are "no multiple choice tests, no 500-person lecture classes, no graduation honors, and no cram sessions the night before," says msn.com researchers. Discussion-based classroom styles and "boatloads of faculty attention" are what this new system is all about. Evaluations at the end of the semester are a reflection of the growth a student has made, and how much they have learned, rather than the traditional testing style. This forces the student to focus on learning, rather than memorizing.

However, there are draw backs to this type of grading. Since the evaluations replace grades, grad schools will be forced to read pages of evaluations rather than viewing the normal GPA or list of letter grades. On one hand, as msn.com has found, "last year The Wall Street Journal ranked the New College of Florida as the second-best public college or university in the country for sending grads to the nation's leading law, medical, and graduate schools." On the other hand, students fear this new system will cause grad schools to turn their heads at the detailed evaluations. Tradition, they have found, is hard to break free of.

It all comes down to the style that suits a student's individual needs. Since every student learns differently, we are forced to find a way that fits us the best. Whether it be the traditional test and grade system, or the new discussion and evaluation form of grading, college is a place to learn and have the best experience possible.

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