Independent Student Newspaper for the University of Texas at San Antonio

The Paisano

Independent Student Newspaper for the University of Texas at San Antonio

The Paisano

Independent Student Newspaper for the University of Texas at San Antonio

The Paisano

Faculty senate votes on plus/minus grading

Faculty+senate+votes+on+plus%2Fminus+grading

UTSA’s Faculty Senate voted against the Joint Committee on Plus/Minus Grading’s (JPMC) recommendation of a “complete discontinuation of the plus/minus grading system at UTSA” on Oct. 17. The JPCM, composed of undergraduate students, graduate students and faculty from multiple colleges at UTSA, was charged with reviewing the current plus/minus grading system and producing a recommendation to Provost Dr. Kimberly Espy.

A student-wide email was distributed on Feb. 21 requesting opinions on the plus/minus grading system. Approximately nine percent of UTSA students participated in the survey. Out of the 2,723 students who participated, nearly 68% showed a preference for whole letter grades. The survey also included four alternative suggestions for the plus/minus grading system. The most popular option was to eliminate minus grades while adjusting the quality points for the remaining letter and plus grades.

“The Committee has voted to recommend a complete discontinuation of the plus/minus grading system at UTSA consistent with student opinion expressed in the responses to the survey,” the recommendation states. “In the event that the plus/minus grading system is continued at UTSA and mandated university-wide, the Committee recommends that, consistent with the student option expressed in the survey, minus grades are discontinued and that quality-point awards be adjusted.”

Following the Faculty Senate’s decision not to endorse the JPMC’s memo, a motion was made to discontinue the plus/minus grading system without caveats. Upon voting, the results were 15 yes, 18 no and 5 abstained. The split decision by the Faculty Senate will be reported to the provost, and the plus/minus grading system remains in effect at UTSA.

More to Discover
About the Contributor
Joseph Torres, Managing Editor
Joseph is a transfer student in his fourth-year as a psychology major. He is also a veteran of the U.S. Air Force, where he spent nine years working in various communication units. He joined The Paisano in 2018 and has worked as assistant news editor, news editor, and is our current managing editor. Joseph spends his free time painting, running, writing and reading about current psychological research. He is currently assisting in research on students' coping mechanisms with stress and how to be successful in college and plans to continue psychological research in graduate school.