A new project aims to help students with poor grades get the help they need.
A memo was sent out to faculty members on Aug. 22, the Friday before the semester started, to invite faculty members teaching general education courses to assign midterm grades to first year students earning a C+ or lower.
As part of the effort to raise retention rates, the Main Campus Faculty Senate accepted the recommendation for faculty members to participate in this project.
"This can only be positive, because the students will know how they are doing," said Jen Rockwood, director of First Year Experience.
According to a memo from both the Main Campus and the Health Science Campus provosts, college advisers and staff in the Learning Enhancement Center will be notified of those students' grades and will provide "advising, intervention, supplementary instruction and other forms of academic support to these students."
"This will alert the advisers, and those students will get a little more intrusive advising and will provide help in terms of support and assistance," Rockwood said.
"At other colleges and universities where they instituted the midterm grading, student retention increased," said Bernie Bopp, director of the Center for Teaching and Learning.
Some professors agreed this will help students with their grades.
However, David Davis, a political science professor and former Arts and Sciences Council chair, expressed some of his apprehension.
"My concern was this was not well planned. We can't change the syllabi the day before class start," he said, in reference the memo sent by the provosts the weekend before the semester started.
"We didn't institute this earlier because it was not feasible to get the grades in the system, but now, it's possible with the Banner system," Bopp said.
"There are times when students are too optimistic, but sometimes they are optimistic to a fault," he said, adding students should be reminded if they are not performing up to standards in class.
"For first year students, a lot of times they think they have extra credit opportunities even when it's too late to help pull their grades up," Rockwood said, adding that the new midterm grade would help eliminate this false sense of security.
"Studies have proven that this works, and it can't hurt them in any way. This allows them a chance to let them know where they stand."
"If you're keeping up to date with your grades, you'll know how you're doing in class. When I was a freshman, I never kept up with my grades," said Greg Seifert, a senior majoring in history and Student Government president, explaining part of the reason why his grades were low then.
"People who need help usually don't seek help on their own, so I think it's a good thing in the long run," said Brandi Brodine, a freshman majoring in biology and pre-med. However, she added it may be embarrassing to have her adviser know she's not doing well and the fact that she has been singled out by her professor.
"I wouldn't mind it. It will be nice to have advisers know about our grades, but I wouldn't want them to force us to get help," said Aydah Jaber, a freshman majoring in pharmacy.
Another student was also worried the help offered would be a requirement.
"I think it's a good idea, but then again I don't think I want my college adviser to know that my grades are that low, and I don't want that to be a requirement," said Kimirah Vincent, a freshman majoring in nursing. "Then again, I won't be slacking."
"It is really all about helping students better succeed. It is up to them to choose whether or not they go to the meetings," said Penny Poplin Gosetti, interim vice provost for academic innovation.
Studies have proven that students' grades do improve with such a system, especially with first year students, Rockwood said.
"The more information that students have about his or her grades, the better things are.
It also allows students and faculty to take action to improve on things," Bopp said.
The results from posting the midterm grades will outweigh the few minutes professors would have to put in, Bopp said.
"It shouldn't be any more of a hassle. The professors should be keeping track of our grades anyways," said Kristina Karbula, a senior majoring in political science and public administration and SG vice president.
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