Faculty Senate approves grade substitution policy for fall 2005

The Academic Senate voted Tuesday to approve a grade substitution policy for Tech students, effective beginning fall semester 2005.

The policy, in its approved form, will allow students that fail classes during their first semester to retake up to two of those classes in a subsequent semester.

Grade substitution will only apply to incoming freshmen this fall and will not be retroactive. The policy will not apply to incoming fall 2005 transfer students.

Overall, the faculty and staff members who have drafted the policy are pleased with the final version.

"I am quite happy with what the Rules and Regulations Committee came up with. it doesn't offer as many opportunities for grade substitution, but it broadens the scope of the policy for what it does allow for courses at any level, and I think that is a great benefit," said Kent Barefield, chairman of the Student Regulations Committee.

One goal of the newly implemented policy is to increase freshmen retention rates.

"The committee understood that this was one way to address the problem of students who need some help in making the adjustment to Georgia Tech," said committee member Richard Barke, associate dean of the Ivan Allen College.

"A lot of people are not fully prepared to be Tech students, so if we give them a bit of flexibility, we aren't being overly generous, but it is a way to give people deserving of help," he added.

The measure passed the Academic Senate with little opposition.

"Members of the Senate were quite favorably disposed-there was some discussion about some points, but I would say that they were not at all critical, and in fact, supportive," Barefield said.

During the discussion of the policy, much of the criticism was heard from students instead of faculty members. "I think that everybody has opinions, and I have heard from time to time some other vigorous discussion among students..but those were mostly last year, and I think that everybody's either resigned to it, or happy with the outcome," Barefield said.

Overall, the policy encountered few amendments throughout its approval and confirmation process.

"We had essentially formulated the policy as it currently reads at the end of spring term last year," Barefield said.

Barefield feels that the newly implemented policy will also increase sophomore retention rates, since students would have an opportunity to retake courses in their sophomore year. "It could turn out that the greatest impact could be on people in their sophomore year," he said.

Yet, incoming freshmen should not count on the grade substitution policy to redeem poor academic effort.

"This policy will not 'save' students who do not take care of business and who fail to get academic help when they need it," said Bob McMath, vice provost. "I'd like to think that this policy, plus several other current initiatives centered on core courses and the good work of students themselves, will improve our retention and graduation rates."

Nonetheless, John Stein, director of Student Success Programs, has begun preparations to inform incoming freshmen of the new policy.

"Through FASET, students should be introduced to this policy," he said. "Our freshman seminar instructor would know the policy and know it well enough that if a question comes up in freshman seminar, they are giving students accurate information," Stein said.