associated students of asu

student senate

fifty-SECOND legislature

Twelfth Regular session date: MARCH 4, 2003

senate PETITION 63

iNTRODUCED BY

THE UNIVERSITY AFFAIRS COMMITTEE

And

SHANNA BOWMAN

ACTIVITIES VICE PRESIDENT

A PETITION

ASKING THE ASU ACADEMIC SENATE TO RECONSIDER THE PASSAGE OF THE PLUS/MINUS GRADING SYSTEM

The ASU Senate

WHEREAS the ASU Academic Senate passed a plus/minus grading system on Monday, February 24, 2003;

WHEREAS the passage of said system came as a surprise to members of the ASU student body and the ASASU Senate;

WHEREAS the ASU Academic Senate passed such a system with insufficient student input;

WHEREAS the ASASU Senate feels the Academic Senate decision, renders the ASU student body at a disadvantage in comparison to students at Arizona university system counterparts;

WHEREAS the ASASU Senate still feels as though serious questions remain and have yet to be addressed with the new plus/minus grading system with regards to professors that use curves, the exclusion of 4.33 points for the grade of A+, the subjective breakdown of what constitutes a plus or minus denotation for a grade, and the negative impact of this system on ASU students applying to graduate schools, and retaining scholarships;

BE IT RESOLVED that the ASASU Senate respectfully requests that the ASU Academic Senate reconsider its adoption of a plus/minus system;

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the ASASU Senate strongly implores President Michael Crow to reject the new grading policy and send it back to the ASU Academic Senate for further review;

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the ASASU Senate create a student panel to be present at possible future debates over the plus/minus system, and that this panel present its recommendations to the Academic Senate during the March 24^th session.