On Tue, 21 Dec 1999, K Jung wrote:
> I am a new faculty member at Truckee Meadows Community College in Reno,
> Nevada. I was astonished to find that approximately 50% of the faculty here
> award "W's" (withdrawals) to those students who have earned an F in the
> class. The rationale goes something like this: "F's are punitive."
> "Students will be prevented from going on with an F on their transcripts."
> "This is a community college, therefore we are more student-centered." I,
> however, gave F's to those who deserved them, but this issue has really made
> me think about my rationale/automatic behavior. I vowed to do some research
> over the break to assess what the difference (if any) between these options
> are. I would really appreciate some data/citations from anyone who also has
> bumped into this phenomenon.
>
I have detected a trend for some Deans to remind the faculty that
all efforts should be made to help students succeed. I find this a trend
among colleges that heavily depend on students enrolmemt figures
as a marker for their continued progress. I had a major clash with an
administrative official because I awarded two Fs .He had hinted that I
should have given the students "I"s.
Michael Sylvester
