Free Spirit

WRIT 102

Dr. Koster

February 22, 2001 

University Grade Policy

The decision to go to college is an investment in one's own future. We invest our money in the college or university of our choice, and the institution, in turn, provides us with the education necessary to properly prepare us for our career field. In choosing Winthrop  University, you are investing your money in them so that they may provide you with the instruction and knowledge that you will need for a successful life and career. The University will then award you a degree, which is their way of guaranteeing that you were properly educated and trained in your field of choice. The University cannot, in good conscience, guarantee the abilities and knowledge of a student that has performed at a below average level in the courses essential to their major (below average being a grade under a C-). That is why many majors require you to maintain at least a C average in the courses in your major. This requirement should be extended to all majors at Winthrop University.

Those departments which have instituted the policy of not accepting grades below a C- in major field courses have confidence in knowing that their students will at least have an average understanding of the material necessary for their major. The courses presented in a major usually follow in a sequence. If a student does not understand the material for one class, they typically will have difficulty in the classes that follow. This is why so many departments have implemented this grade standard.

The University's grading standard also includes the courses WRIT 101 and WRIT 102. Good English skills form the basis of almost all education. These basic tools are used in virtually all majors and it is reasonable to ask every Winthrop student to develop at least average writing skills, which is what a C grade means. In any business or liberal arts field, the writing skills taught in these English classes are essential to success not only in college, but in your career as well. And for any science field, English is important for the writing skills needed to properly present scientific information. I also agree with the University that elective courses should not be included in the grading standard.

While I understand the argument by my opponents, stating that they are investing their money and should be able to receive a below average grade since they are the ones paying for the education, I still believe that the University should retain the right to impose grading standards. Suppose there were no grading standards at all? The University would be awarding degrees to unqualified students. These students would enter the workforce unprepared, and they would ultimately fail. As employers began noticing that students from the University were lacking proper training in their field, a degree from Winthrop University would become useless. No one wants to hire someone from a school with a reputation of producing graduates that are not properly trained.

These classes do not guarantee success in one's field; they are intended only to provide a general education and to make the students more well-rounded. It is not necessary for business or engineering students, for example, to have an above average knowledge of the history of Rome. This is why I agree that University should not include elective courses in its grading standard. I think it is clear why the University must maintain its standards and reputation by imposing a grading standard in major courses and in the core English courses. By doing this, the University is guaranteeing that its students will have at least sufficient knowledge in their field of choice. Without these standards a degree from Winthrop University would be worth nothing.

Note: This argument is adapted from a sample argument written at the University of Pittsburgh and posted on the web at http://www.pitt.edu/~atteberr/comp/0200/samplepap/argument/grading.html. No author is identified for that paper.