The first day of each semester is always regarded as the “syllabus day,” where professors read the semester’s agenda and define their expectations. And while the day may seem lax and even boring, one issue continues to make students cringe: the rounding of final grades.

I’ve encountered a number of professors who refuse to round borderline grades, and like many students, I’ve set up post-final exam meetings with professors to beg them for a better grade.

Some familiar lines include, “But I never missed one of your lectures,” or “I need this grade to keep my scholarship!”

While these student-teacher conferences may be humiliating, that one grade is completely reliant on a few decimal points, and it can make or break your GPA.

However, the inclusion of the plus-minus grading system — which would allow for grades of A, A-, B+, B, B-, C+, C, C-, D+, D, D- and F — will end many students’ anxiety following the most stressful week of the semester.  

On Oct. 2, the Faculty Senate will vote on whether to accept the contested grading system, and many members of the faculty appear to be in favor of the system.

Don Chance, finance professor, said the plus-minus grading system offers students additional opportunities to improve grades.  

“It provides better resolution and more accurate grading,” he said. “Psychological studies show that more than five categories are required to accurately measure student performance. Fewer quality points are at stake for borderline students who might wish to appeal, and missing the next highest grade would not be as costly as under the current system.”

Many students have expressed concerns that the plus-minus grading system will negatively affect their GPAs, but in reality, it only offers more flexibility in grading. Students with borderline grades can be assured they will receive fair scores if they don’t obtain the higher grade.

But Chance said no dramatic changes in student grades have been noted following the inclusion of the plus-minus grading system elsewhere.

“Studies published in educational journals show no significant difference in grade point average before and after adoption of the plus-minus system,” he said.

Some will argue that the A will no longer hold the same weight under the plus-minus system, which divides the grade into A and A-, but under the current system, more than 95 percent of the student body falls below a perfect 4.0 GPA. With the plus-minus system, students can earn the chance to receive credit for a B+ at 3.3, instead of the standard B at 3.0.

A number of schools – from New York University and Tulane to Mississippi and Florida State universities – have embraced the plus-minus system, and it’s time that LSU joins in as well.

Chance agreed.

“We need to catch up with the times,” he said. “Some universities have been using this system since the ‘70s.”

While the plus-minus system will continue to be a hot topic among faculty and students if implemented, the grading system will not affect today’s seniors or even juniors, Chance said.

So before you get swept away in the Student Government anti-plus-minus movement, think about how the grading system could prevent those awkward – and usually ineffective – meetings with your professor about rounding your final grade.

A University professor says LSU must change its grading system to “catch up” to other schools.
Should LSU adopt a plus-or-minus grading scale?