Reasons Why WKU Should Adopt a Plus/Minus Grading System:
1. The academic literature suggests a plus/minus grading system more
accurately captures student performance and is a better grading tool than
a straight A,B,C,D,F scale. See "the Educational Process and Student
Achievement Given Uncertainty in Measurement" by William Becker, Jr.
The American Economic Review, Volume 72, Issue 1 (Mar., 1982), 229-236.
2. A plus/minus grading system gives professors more flexibility in
assigning grades. In economics, an 88% student has more in common with a
91% student than with an 81% student and their grades should reflect that.
3. Top schools nationwide use a plus/minus grading system.
19 out of the top 20 National Universities Use a Plus/Minus Grading System
US News National Grading Grading Rank University System Scale
1 Princeton plus/minus A = 4.0, A- = 3.7, B+ = 3.3, B = 3, B- = 2.7, C+ = 2.3, C = 2, C- =1.7, D = 1, F = 0 2 Harvard plus/minus A = 4.0, A- = 3.67, B+ = 3.33, B = 3, B- = 2.67, C+ = 2.33, C = 2, C- =1.67, D = 1, F = 0 3 CIT plus/minus 4 Duke plus/minus A = 4.0, A- = 3.8, B+ = 3.5, B = 3, B- = 2.8, C+ = 2.5, C = 2, C- =1.8, D = 1, F = 0 5 Yale plus/minus A = 4.0, A- = 3.67, B+ = 3.33, B = 3, B- = 2.67, C+ = 2.33, C = 2, C- =1.67, D = 1, F = 0 6 MIT plus/minus A+ = 4.0 A = 4.0, A- = 4.0 B+ = 3 B = 3, B- = 3 C+ = 2.0, C = 2 C- = 2 D = 1.0, F = 0 7 Stanford plus/minus A = 4.0, A- = 3.7, B+ = 3.3, B = 3, B- = 2.7, C+ = 2.3, C = 2, C- =1.7, D = 1, F = 0 8 Pennsylvania plus/minus A = 4.0, A- = 3.7, B+ = 3.3, B = 3, B- = 2.7, C+ = 2.3, C = 2, C- =1.7, D = 1, F = 0 9 Dartmouth plus/minus 10 Columbia plus/minus A = 4.0, A- = 3.7, B+ = 3.3, B = 3, B- = 2.7, C+ = 2.3, C = 2, C- =1.7, D = 1, F = 0 11 Northwestern plus/minus A = 4.0, A- = 3.7, B+ = 3.3, B = 3, B- = 2.7, C+ = 2.3, C = 2, C- =1.7, D = 1, F = 0 12 U of Chicago plus/minus A = 4.0, A- = 3.7, B+ = 3.3, B = 3, B- = 2.7, C+ = 2.3, C = 2, C- =1.7, D = 1, F = 0 13 WashingtonStLou plus/minus 14 Cornell plus/minus 15 Johns Hopkins plus/minus A = 4.0, A- = 3.7, B+ = 3.3, B = 3, B- = 2.7, C+ = 2.3, C = 2, C- =1.7, D = 1, F = 0 16 Rice plus/minus A = 4.0, A- = 3.7, B+ = 3.3, B = 3, B- = 2.7, C+ = 2.3, C = 2, C- =1.7, D = 1, F = 0 17 Brown A,B,C,D,F A = 4.0, B = 3.0, C = 2.0, D = 1.0, F = 0 18 Emory plus/minus A = 4.0, A- = 3.7, B+ = 3.3, B = 3, B- = 2.7, C+ = 2.3, C = 2, C- =1.7, D = 1, F = 0 19 Notre Dame plus/minus A = 4.0, A- = 3.67, B+ = 3.33, B = 3, B- = 2.67, C+ = 2.33, C = 2, C- =1.67, D = 1, F = 0 20 UC Berkeley plus/minus A = 4.0, A- = 3.7, B+ = 3.3, B = 3, B- = 2.7, C+ = 2.3, C = 2, C- =1.7, D = 1, F = 0
Eight of the benchmark institutions used by Academic Affairs have a Plus/Minus Grading System
These include:
Appalachian State University
Ball State University
Eastern Michigan University
Indiana State University
Northern Michigan University
University of Northern Iowa
West Chester University of Pennsylvania
Western Carolina University
Other Universities of note who use a Plus/Minus grading system include:
Centre College
University of Akron
University of Toledo
Kent State
James Madison University
Miami University of Ohio
4. Yes Banner can handle it!