News from the Little State University that Could
I just wandered over to the website of my alma mater, The Little State University That Could, because I was curious what my GPA was in order to get the graduation honors I got. I'm looking at grad schools (why yes, I am a masochist, or at least partially insane) and Another State University offers the degree I want at a price point I might some day be able to afford. AnSU waives the GRE requirement for various GPAs so this is an important thing to note. For my likely chosen program, they waive it at a 3.2 (which is appallingly low imho, and goes to show that they don't think cops and so on are smart). For the program I was contemplating because lo the apple doesn't fall far from the tree, they waive it at a 3.7. Note the huge gap between the two programs. Note that I now question if I'm smart enough to get the graduate degree my father, my (late) mother, and stepmother all have!
But here's the interesting part. LSUTC is changing their standards for academic honors. Here's what's in their current faculty handbook:
Graduation Honors
ACADEMIC HONORS ARE AWARDED AS FOLLOWS:
Undergraduate students who have completed a minimum of 51 undergraduate credits at Montclair State are recognized for academic honors. Grades of “A” through “D-” must be received for a minimum of 48 of these 51 credits.
For recognition of May candidates at the Commencement Exercises, the honors designation will be based upon the student's cumulative grade point average as of the previous January plus the anticipated MSU credits that will be earned by the end of the Spring semester. Academic honors are awarded as follows:
Cumulative GPA of 3.450 - 3.649 cum laude
Cumulative GPA of 3.650 - 3.849 magna cum laude
Cumulative GPA of 3.850 - 4.000 summa cum laude
The following standards will be applied to graduates, starting in August 2015:
Cumulative GPA of 3.700 - 3.799 cum laude
Cumulative GPA of 3.800 - 3.899 magna cum laude
Cumulative GPA of 3.900 - 4.000 summa cum laude
Fascinating. Utterly fascinating.
Is this in answer to grade inflation or something else?
But here's the interesting part. LSUTC is changing their standards for academic honors. Here's what's in their current faculty handbook:
Graduation Honors
ACADEMIC HONORS ARE AWARDED AS FOLLOWS:
Undergraduate students who have completed a minimum of 51 undergraduate credits at Montclair State are recognized for academic honors. Grades of “A” through “D-” must be received for a minimum of 48 of these 51 credits.
For recognition of May candidates at the Commencement Exercises, the honors designation will be based upon the student's cumulative grade point average as of the previous January plus the anticipated MSU credits that will be earned by the end of the Spring semester. Academic honors are awarded as follows:
Cumulative GPA of 3.450 - 3.649 cum laude
Cumulative GPA of 3.650 - 3.849 magna cum laude
Cumulative GPA of 3.850 - 4.000 summa cum laude
The following standards will be applied to graduates, starting in August 2015:
Cumulative GPA of 3.700 - 3.799 cum laude
Cumulative GPA of 3.800 - 3.899 magna cum laude
Cumulative GPA of 3.900 - 4.000 summa cum laude
Fascinating. Utterly fascinating.
Is this in answer to grade inflation or something else?