4A - THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
OPINION
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2002
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Law school grading policy shuts out "A" students
There's a new arrival at the School of Law but not all are welcoming it.
Effective Fall 2002, all classes at KU's School of Law are now graded on a mandatory curve.
The grading policy places all first-year classes on a class-average scale of 2.8-3.0, all required non-first year classes on a class-average scale of 2.9-3.1, and the rest of the classes on a class-average 2.8-3.4 scale.
Webb Hecker, assistant dean of the law school, explained that the policy was instituted to create a standard rubric of grading for the law school and thus ensuring more equity across classes. Before the curve, many students were picking classes based upon the grading style of a professor, not upon what they needed to take to better prepare themselves to become a lawyer.
However this new grading policy has left some stinging side effects. The school is not a community-enrichment program.
To be accepted into its doors, one must be educated, fairly smart and highly, if not manically, motivated to get good grades. A good percentage of law students do A level work, but because of the new policy, not all of them will receive a corresponding grade.
A typical second- or third-year class is filled with about 15, tenacious students who survived their first year of classes.
Under the new policy, in these
classes the difference between an A and C student may be only a few points.
Jeffrey Morris, Lawrence law student, said the mandatory curve would create an unhealthy environment.
He said the policy was sending a message that the school's focus is on stratifying students into class rank instead of learning the law and giving grades that mirror actual performance.
Many other students are of the same accord. According to several students, some professors have now resorted to differentiating between A and non-A students based on spelling errors and misplacement of titles.
The new grading policy also undervalues the discretion of the professor. Professors spend time interacting and counseling their students. They are better positioned to evaluate a student's competency and quality of work than a faceless policy.
The new law school grading policy is using a sledgehammer where a needle and thread are needed.
Instead of working with professors to improve their grading skills and counseling law students to challenge themselves upon choosing electives, the school has worked out its grading equity problems but has also hurt many hard working students along the way.
Katey Burge for the editorial board.
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(sung) Tappa, tappa, tappa kegga, oh ya know I wanna lay ya, tappa, tappa, tappa kegga. Nobody knows what a jerk I can be.
few classes we, as a society, would be better off. It was a wishful thought that maybe these classes would open up discussions on how minorities live their lives and free minority students at KU from the inquisitive stares and asinine questions.
It's 1 o'clock in the morning, and I can't sleep in McCollum tonight because someone blew up a urinal. They dropped a bomb in the bathroom and blew it up.
few classes we, as a society, would be better off. It was a wishful thought that maybe these classes would open up discussions on how minorities live their lives and free minority students at KU from the inquisitive stares and asinine questions.
I was just wondering if anybody noticed that there was a show on MTV last night that was taped in Lawrence, Kansas. Claim to fame, baby.
few classes we, as a society, would be better off. It was a wishful thought that maybe these classes would open up discussions on how minorities live their lives and free minority students at KU from the inquisitive stares and asinine questions.
When my future kids wanna know why the world's destroyed some day, I'll say well, kids, you'll have to talk to the Republicans about that one.
few classes we, as a society, would be better off. It was a wishful thought that maybe these classes would open up discussions on how minorities live their lives and free minority students at KU from the inquisitive stares and asinine questions.
I was just in the shower, and the fire alarm went off, and yess, it really sucked.
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Democrats piss me off
few classes we, as a society, would be better off. It was a wishful thought that maybe these classes would open up discussions on how minorities live their lives and free minority students at KU from the inquisitive stares and asinine questions.
You know you're a college student when you're at Target and $3.99 is out of your price range.
few classes we, as a society, would be better off. It was a wishful thought that maybe these classes would open up discussions on how minorities live their lives and free minority students at KU from the inquisitive stares and asinine questions.
On behalf of all waitresses, I'd like to say we're not your ass-monkey, we shouldn't be treated like ass-monkeys, and we shouldn't be paid like ass-monkeys. Tip your waitresses. Or else you're gonna be an ass-monkey.
I was just wondering why I see people at 7:50 in the morning when I'm on my way to class on their cell phones. Who can you possibly talk to for 20 minutes on your cell phone on your way to school? It just confuses me. It's confusing.
Bicyclists in this town need to learn the law, and that means stopping at stop lights, stopping at stop signs, and not riding on the median.
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few classes we, as a society, would be better off. It was a wishful thought that maybe these classes would open up discussions on how minorities live their lives and free minority students at KU from the inquisitive stares and asinine questions.
B
LYDAS VIEW
BY THE NUMBERS
2. 95
Grade point average of the under-graduate students at KU in the Fall 2001.
Source: Office of Institutional Research and Planning
2. 80
Grade point average of the undergraduate students at KU in the Fall 1983
2. 97 Grade point average of the undergraduate students at Kansas State University in Fall 2001
Source: Office of Institutional Research and Planning.
Source: Kansas State University Registrar's Office
2. 84
2. 79
Grade point average of the undergraduate students at the University of Missouri in Fall 2001
Grade point average of the School of Engineering at KU in Fall 2001.
PERSPECTIVES
Source: University of Missouri News Bureau
Source: Office of Institutional Research and Planning
3. 03
Grade point average of the School of Engineering at KSU in Fall 2001.
*Souce* : Kaukasa State University Registrar* s* Office
Diversity must be addressed beyond the classroom walls
On Feb. 28, Alexia Plummer, a guest columnist, suggested in "Ethnic studies illuminate diversity, present a balanced viewpoint," in The University Daily Kansan that all students attempt to learn about diversity by taking classes that deal with other cultures. I do not think this advice is sufficient to deal with the campus'inability to grasp the true nature of diversity.
One of my professors who teaches a class on diversity in the media, always reminds the class that minorities are last in the foot race we call life.
GUEST COMMENTARY
I read in the Homecoming edition about how the University had not elected a Homecoming Queen in 20 years. The Black Student Union has elected one every year for the past 20 years, but this wasn't reported in the Kansan.
The naive students on campus may think equality is alive and well but all one has to do is look around campus and see that there is a severe lack of respect or observance for other cultures.
As minorities we are constantly having to run faster and work harder to stay in the game.
Tish Merritt opinion@kansan.com
I thought about this race scenario for a while. The whole notion of being behind is not new to me. Examples like the Homecoming edition of the Kansan prove how little we've progressed.
I search the paper for stories that deal with minority issues, any of our issues, but usually they are either non-existent or misconstrued. We walk into classrooms and receive questioning looks as to why we are entering the class or even how we got there.
As a society we are taught that race, gender and sexual orientation issues are progressing. The world is supposedly a better more open place, but KU's general population proves otherwise.
If the University's environment is supposed to be a microcosm of society, what do minorities have to look forward to after they leave the "friendly" confines of these limestone-filled hills?
This is where Alexzia's suggestions began to take form but failed to take on a distinguishable shape. She believed classes alone could help students truly understand diversity.
Somehow these classes would wake up the sleeping libral in all of us and after a
Classes are only a step though in the right direction. When we truly immerse ourselves in the stories of those who have experienced the pain and suffering, we share an intimate part of their lives, which in turn become a part of us.
I recommend students to open up the dialogue of understanding by reading and listening to minorities' life stories. Accepting diversity is the only way for our society to grow.
I challenge even those who disagree to attempt the inconceivable.
It's time KU students get a clue and stop accepting mainstream mythology that minority life has evolved and is sufficient. Martin Luther King Jr. said: "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught up in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly." It is time to wake up, read up and open up.
Merritt is a Liberty, Mo., senior in journalism.
Lives of KU veterans honored by memorials, peace vigils
Richard Shannon was my classmate at Washington High School in Kansas City, Kansas. He played on the varsity football team, and he was in the Key Club and the Press Club.
Richard later graduated from KU with a degree in education, in social studies. Finally, he enlisted in the US Army.
On May 12, 1969, two months after he arrived in Vietnam, Corporal Shannon's jeep was hit by an incoming mortar round. He died of "multiple fragmentation wounds." He was 25 years old.
Richard Shannon is one of 57 names of KU students on the KU Vietnam Memorial, near the intersection of West Campus Road and Memorial Drive.
There are other memorials here to people who died in past wars.
The Kansas Memorial Student Union, built in the 1930's, and Kansas Memorial Stadium are dedicated to the 130 KU students who died in World War I.
The Memorial Campanile and Carillon are dedicated to the 276 KU faculty and students who died in World War II.
Their photos are in the Union on level four, on the wall just outside the door to the Administrative Offices.
GUEST COMMENTARY
Their names are engraved inside the tower.
As we approach another possible war involving American troops, you may want to imagine yourself or your close buddies being in action.
Frank Janzen
opinion@kansan.com
You or they may also be coming home "in a box" like more than 58,000 Americans during the Vietnam War, which was never declared a way by Congress, just as is the case now.
If you want to see a list of all those Americans who died in Vietnam, look on the Internet for "Wall on the Web."
Today, Nov. 11, there will be ceremonies for Veterans' Day.
There will also be a 24-hour ROTC vigil at the Vietnam Memorial beginning at 6 p.m.
You will be able to see high school yearbook photos of Richard Shannon there, especially for this occasion.
Events begin with a retreat at 4 p.m. at the Strong Hall flagpole and will continue with a speech and program in the Student Union in Woodruff Auditorium at 4:45 p.m.
If you want to help avoid another war, to possibly save the lives of those ROTC Cadets who will be holding vigil today at KU's Vietnam Memorial, you can join others in Lawrence who stand in vigil
You can also go to the Web Site Iraq Peace Pledge, at peacepledge.org, to join others in opposing more death and destruction.
every Saturday at noon at the Douglas County Courthouse at 11th and Massachusetts streets.
We can only imagine the conditions that Richard Shannon faced in Vietnam, but I think that he and his family would have thanked you for your assistance if you could have helped save his life.
We remember him on this Veterans' Day.
Janzen is a Lawrence non-traditional graduate student in education. He is an U.S. Army veteran.