SiMON FRASER UNIVERSITY
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SENATE
MEMORANDUM
L. A. BOLAND, CHAIRMAN
From......................................................................................................
SENATE COMMITTEE ON EXAMINATION AND
GRADING PRACTICES
INTERIM REPORT ON ITEMS REFERRED
Sub jeci.......TO .THECOMNITTEE
?
Date...... JULY21,
?
9.7.O
...................................................... .... ..............
I.
The Committee has held a series of meetings to consider a number of
specific items. In its first meetings, the Committee developed Terms
of Reference which were submitted to Senate and approved by Senate at
the meeting of July 6, 1970.
II.
Particular attention has been given to matters arising from the Mitzman
motion which was approved by Senate at its meeting on June 1, 1970, to
the effect that: "If the grades submitted by an instructor are not
approved by the departmental chairman, and if the faculty member con-
cerned does not adequately explain or reassess the grades, then credit
without grades will be assigned to all students in the course with the
provision that any individual student who wishes his or her work
assessed by an independent examiner may apply in writing to the depart-
ment chairman who will arrange for the appropriate assessment and trans-
mittal of the appropriate grade to the Registrar. Students applying
for independent assessment must do so within the following semester."
.
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The Committee noted that in those instances where there are credits
without grades there could be problems, particularly with Government
of British Columbia scholarships, and also problems concerning deter-
mination as to whether or not a student should be placed on academic
warning, on probation, required to withdraw or required to withdraw
permanently. These matters, in particular, would be of concern to the
Senate Scholarship Committee and to the Senate Committee on Undergraduate
Admissions and Standings.
III.
For the current semester 70-2, the Committee is of the unanimous opinion
that for scholarship purposes and continuation of study purposes that a
substitute grade should be calculated for courses with credit but
without grades - with such grade not to appear on statements of marks or
transcripts but only to be used in calculating the student's average for
the purposes noted. The substitute grade should reflect the student's
gradings in other courses undertaken during the current semester, and
the student's overall grading on other courses taken previously at this
institution. Generally, the substitute grading should have somewhat
more weight placed on recent work than on overall work, provided that the
work undertaken recently represents a reasonable course load. The
Committee has developed a formula to achieve these ends, to accommodate
most cases. Unusual cases may require special decisions by the Committees
concerned.
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S ?
The Committee recommends the following motions to Senate for approval
for the Semester 70-2:-
1.
"That for the Summer Semester 70-2, if a student is to receive credit
without grade in one or more courses for the current semester then a
substitute grading be calculated, for use by the Senate Scholarship
Committee and by the Senate Committee on Undergraduate Admissions and
Standings but not for entry on statements of marks or transcripts.
The substitute grading average will be calculated as follows:
Substitute Grade Average = R.G. + (N - R) X
N
where
R = The number of credit hours applicable to those courses where
approved gradings have been submitted for the Summer Semester 70-2.
G = The GPA (grade point average) for R for Semester 70-2.
N = The total credit hours applicable to courses for which the student
was formally registered this semester, including both graded and
non-graded courses.
X = One half the sum of [the cumulative grade point average on work
. ? undertaken at this institution prior to the current semester plus
the grade point average of Semester 70-1 or of Semester 69-3
provided the load for the semester was 12 or more hours]."
Note: In the calculation of X, if the course load for Semester 70-1
equals 12 or more hours, the grade point average of that semester
will be used; if the course load for Semester 70-1 was less than
12 hours but the load for Semester 69-3 was equal to or greater
than 12 hours then the grade point average for Semester 69-3
will be used; and if the course load for Semester 70-1 or 69-3
were both less than 12 hours then X will be equal to the cumula-
tive grade point average (excluding the work of Semester 70-2).
2.
"That, for calculating a substitute grading for Semester 70-2, in those
instances where a student has no prior record at this institution but
where the student this semester has courses with approved gradings in
11 or more hours, the student's average will be calculated on the courses
comprising the 11 or more hours."
Note: In effect this would give a substitute grading average equivalent
to the average grading of the other courses for 70-2. No specific
recommendation is made for cases where the student has less than
11 graded hours remaining in 70-2, as it is considered these must
be judged by the Committees concerned. The intent of the previous
items will provide guide lines.
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3. If motions 1 and/or 2 are approved:-
"That these motions be drawn to the attention of the Senate Scholarship
Committee and the Senate Committee on Undergraduate Admissions and
Standings for appropriate use by them for Semester 70-2."
IV. The Committee has been charged with reporting hack to Senate on the
referral of the Scholarship Committee Paper S.375, and on Paper S.379
(K. Rieckhoff) by the close of Semester 70-2. The Committee is unable
to comment further at this time on these papers and requires further
detailed study before submitting additional report.
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SiMON FRASER UNIVERSITY
MEMORANDUM
To ................... SENATE
Subject .........
1TE1IM....
PORT
ONITEMSREFERREI), TO
THE COMMITTEE - REFERENCE PAPER S.39
From ?
L.
A. .............
Chairman
Senate Committee on Examination &
Grading Practices
Date ........ ....
1979.
•Reference is made to Senate Paper S.392, Page 2, Item 1.
The Senate
,
Committee on Examination & Grading Practices reconsidered the
definition of 'X' as indicated in Item 1, Page 2 of Paper S.392 and requests
that the following definition of 'X', and of the Note, be made when the paper
is presented for consideration:
X
=
One half the sum of /The cumulative grade point average on. work
undertaken at this institution prior to the current semester plus
the grade point average of Semester 70-1, or of Semester 69-3, or
of Semester 69-2, provided the load for the' semester was 12 or
more hours/t'
Note: In the calculation of 'X', if the course load for Semester 70-1
equals 12 or more hours the grade point average of that semester will
be used; if the course load for Semester 70-1 was less than 12 hours
but the load for Semester 69-3 was equal to or greater than 12 hours
then the grade point average for Semester 69-3 will be used; if the
course load for Semester 70-1 or for Semester 69-3 was less than 12
hours but the load for Semester 69-2 was equal to or greater than 12
hours then the grade point average for Semester 69-2 will be used;
and if the course loads for each of the Semesters 70-1 or 69-3 or
69-2 were less than 12 hours then 'X will be equal to the cumulative
grade point average (excluding the work of Semester 70-2).
Explanation
1)
The original proposal allowed utilization of work of 12 hours or more for
70-1 or 69-3. The change permits consideration back to 69-2 and is made
because of,,thë unusual situation which arose in 69-3 through discontinuation
of a number of PSA courses.
2)
The Senate
Committee
on Examination & Grading Practices emphasized its
desire that in any instances where the utilization of the substitute grading
generates an average of a border-line-doubtful type, that the benefit of the
doubt be given the student,and that this was particularly important in the
case of decisions relating to academic warning, on probation and requirement
to withdraw.
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