Minutes for the Academic Affairs Board Meeting
1-20-05
Present: Todd Steen, John Hanson, James Boelkins, Elizabeth Sanford, Darin Stephenson, Debra Swanson, Kelley Hutchins, Steven Iannacone and Jessica Johnson
Not Present: Nicolas Vidoni, Chelsea Kramer, Steven Bouma-Prediger and Heather Sellers DeZwaan
I. A motion was made by Todd Steen to amend the agenda to include an update on the Cultural Heritage Review. The motion was seconded by Debra Swanson. The motion was moved.
II. The minutes of the 12-7-04 AcAB meeting were approved as written. (Motion: Todd Steen; Seconded: Darin Stephenson, Motion Approved)
III. John Hanson informed the Board that the departments involved in the Cultural Heritage review are still meeting and discussing the options for a response to the review. The AcAB will wait for this process to come to completion before taking any further steps regarding the review.
IV. In an update on Latin Honors and Dean's List designation, Elizabeth Sanford reported the following: There is currently no data available to see what indexing grades would do to GPA's because the average grade in individual classes is not recorded. A whole new way of recording grades would have to be instituted to be able to index grades. There would have to be overwhelming support for indexing to make such a change. Previous discussion in the AcAB does not indicate that there is a strong desire to index grades. Therefore, the use of indexing to deal with Latin Honors designation is not called for at this time. The recommended changes to the cuts for Latin Honors distributed by the AcAB last spring in the memo entitled "Beginning a Conversation about Grade Inflation and Honors" [Summa Cum Laude 3.90; Magna Cum Laude 3.7; Cum Laude 3.5] are a more practical approach.
V. Guideline for Departmental Grade Inflation Discussion. John Hanson presented an outline to shape departmental discussion about grading practices that was directed in the AcAB memo entitled "Beginning a Conversation about Grade Inflation and Honors". The AcAB suggested changes in the document that 1. made the wording more sensitive, 2. linked grading to student competency, 3. addressed consistency between sections of a course and 4. asked the chairs to report their discussions to the AcAB. John will make these changes and circulate the document. During this discussion, Todd Steen asked if any of the effort on grading practices was really worth the effort and whether grade inflation is really a problem. He personally does not believe it is. The history of the issue with AcAB was reviewed. The AcAB was asked to address Latin Honors and Dean's List designations and began to do so. Grade inflation was determined to be significant enough that these designations needed to be redefined to have any meaning. As part of that a general discussion, the data gathered by the AcAB about grading practices at Hope was given to departments with the directive to start discussing it. Where this discussion will lead within departments is not know at this time. When reports come back to the AcAB from departments, the AcAB can decide if any further work needs to be done.
VI. New Business. Elizabeth Sanford reported that Jon Huisken will attend the February 3rd meeting to discuss academic probation and dismissal guidelines.
VII. The meeting was adjourned.
SUBMITTED BY:
Elizabeth Sanford
secretary
