The news that students may be given the chance to express their opinion on the plus/minus grading system is indubitably good.
Hopefully, that voice will provide overwhelming demands that the current system be junked.
Since it was implemented at ETSU in the early 1990s, there has been one glaring flaw: there are no A-pluses.
In addition, a 90, which would pass for an A, or 4 grade points at other universities, instead counts as an A-minus here, worth 3.7 grade points.
What is taken away at the bottom end is not reinstated at the top. If we had an A-plus, a 99 might count for 4.3 grade points.
So, hypothetically, if a student were to have averages of 99 and 90 in two classes at ETSU, he or she would have a 3.85 GPA. If the same student had the same averages at another university, the GPA would be 4.0.
Sadly, no employer could see the story behind this. All they would see is a lower GPA.
In an era of rampant grade inflation, a university should do everything possible to reward true excellence. ETSU does not do this when it devalues the GPA of an A student.
Yet, there is value in a system with more increments. The difference between a 79 and an 80 should not equal the difference between 3 and 4 grade points. There is no need to be this harsh.
Therefore, a modified plus/minus system that adds an A-plus is the answer.
The Student Government Association should give the students this choice of modification when they raise the plus/minus question on the ballot.
Otherwise, it will look a lot like the choice between Gore and Bush – two flawed options.

Author