A decent GPA is necessary for many college students’ achievements. A higher GPA gives students looking to apply for competitive interdisciplinary majors or graduate programs an advantage, and it also plays an important role in the pre-screening process in job recruitment. It is also crucial to gaining admission to the Commerce School. One way to earn a higher GPA is to sign up for courses on a credit/no credit basis. However, the deadline for changing grading options in the College of Arts and Sciences is the same as the add/drop deadline, which is usually around two weeks after the semester begins.
This deadline is arguably too early and leaves too little time for students to make informed decisions. The first week of a class is usually spent on general introductions and administrivia, and students typically don’t take a test in the first two weeks. As a result, because they fear getting stuck with a course with a rigorous grading policy and ending up with a low grade, students refrain from signing up for intense courses which could potentially harm their GPAs. In addition, because students cannot anticipate their commitment in extracurricular activities in the early stages of a semester, they might try to avoid the risk by not signing up altogether. This policy turns exploring unknown topics into risky gambling. When compared with various other schools, the problem with the deadline is more obvious. The deadlines for changing grading options are around four weeks after the first day of the term at Harvard and MIT. At the University of California, Berkeley, the spring term started on January 20 this year, and the school allowed students to alternate the grading option until April 3.
While the grading system is admittedly a strong incentive for students to achieve academic excellence, if the policy undermines the liberal arts education essential to the University and leads to significant inconvenience for students, reforms are necessary. One possible solution is to extend the add/drop period. However, this change may result in administrative inconvenience for the instructors, as an article on the Harvard Crimson explains. Extending the add/drop period would also result in the negative effect of discouraging students from trying harder in a difficult course. With the option of dropping the course by clicking several buttons on the SIS, students may feel less motivated to consult the professors and challenge themselves academically.
Therefore, as a middle ground, extending the deadline for altering grading option is a better approach. While no letter grade would be given, it still takes effort to pass a credit/no credit course. Extending the deadline for changing the grading option can effectively reduce the cost, allow students to make better informed decisions on their course selection and provide an important incentive for exploring unknown fields. With the option of switching to credit/no credit grading later in the semester students would feel more comfortable developing a more diverse course of study and be more willing to remain in a challenging course without worrying that the grade may adversely affect their GPAs. Students pursuing challenging degrees or applying for competitive programs can thus stay exploratory in their study with the reduced workload, focusing more on learning in other disciplines rather than carefully only choosing classes based on their ability to get an A.
There are worries about the possible impact of the credit/no credit option on the overall educational quality. The College stipulates that no more than 24 credits that count toward the degree requirement can be taken on credit/no credit basis, and credit/no credit course credits cannot apply to area or major requirements. These restrictions can effectively deter the grade inflation caused by the credit/no credit option.
The University offers classes in a wide range of disciplines taught by outstanding faculty. Shrinking away from fully utilizing these resources and challenging oneself would surely be a waste of tuition and time in college. While concerns about GPA could be a significant burden for students, an extended period for changing the grading option would ameliorate the dilemma and provide a way out.
Sasha Wan is an Opinion Columnist for The Cavalier Daily. She can be reached at s.wan@cavalierdaily.com.
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