The Faculty Senate passed a temporary grading option that allows students to decide to opt into a credit or no credit grade for the Spring 2020 quarter during the Faculty Senate Meeting on April 21. Discussions related to an alternative grading system were provoked due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The motion was mentioned but not confirmed from the previous meeting on April 7. The primary author in drafting the changes to the grading policy, Senator Beth Steffel, said, “my goal in bringing this to you is to come up with the best possible options for students in the unprecedented times we're at.” The meeting took place through Zoom where the credit/ no credit grading alternative was … [Read more...] about Faculty Senate passes alternate grading options
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Faculty senators consider temporary change in grading policy
Faculty senators discussed the possible adoption of credit/no credit grading system for all this quarter. COVID-19 has created new responsibilities for students that senators briefly parsed during the April 7 Faculty Senate Meeting. CSUSB would join other Cal State Universities such as Fullerton, Northridge, Los Angeles, and Cal Poly Pomona who have made the temporary changes. “Because of the unusual circumstances, we’re looking at technological solutions. The student on the back end would be doing some sort of indication to us in the Office of Registrar whether or not they would rather earn the course as a credit/no credit or earn the letter grade in the course,” clarified Vice … [Read more...] about Faculty senators consider temporary change in grading policy
Behind the SOTE: A Free Voice for Students
CSUSB students are all too familiar with the forms they receive every quarter asking them to rate their experience in the classroom and the quality of teaching from their professors, but just how helpful are these surveys? For Fall 2017, SOTE (Student Opinion of Teaching Effectiveness) evaluation forms were distributed to the different CSUSB colleges and departments on Nov. 1. The SOTEs will be administered to students between Nov. 9 and Dec. 4. Administered every academic quarter, SOTE surveys allow CSUSB students to give feedback on their professors anonymously. The structure of the SOTE form consists of five questions, three of which focus on the interest, attendance, and reason … [Read more...] about Behind the SOTE: A Free Voice for Students
Reduce stress with 10 minutes of meditation
By Diana Ramos |Staff Writer| Students worry about many things such as exams, homework, studying and sometimes jobs. They get to be very overwhelmed and do not know how to relieve stress in a healthy way. Meditating 10 minutes a day can help students be less overwhelmed and stressed. The Student Health and Psychological Counseling Center is offering outdoor meditation on campus Monday through Thursday. They offer two 10 minute sessions, one at 11:30 a.m. and the other at 12 p.m. on the Pfau Library’s front lawn. Zenhabits.net states that, “Meditation is the art of focusing 100 percent of your attention in one area. The practice comes with a myriad of well-publicized health … [Read more...] about Reduce stress with 10 minutes of meditation
Grades don’t always make the cut these days
By Chris Johnson |Staff Writer| CSU Fullerton reported that this year’s class of freshmen of select CSU's have the highest GPA ever. While this is good news to see students taking their education serious at an early age it isn't themost important factor in determining true success in college, their careers, and in life. The most important things are character, critical thinking, who you know, and determination. When a person becomes a college student they must raise their game to another level; especiallyif their field of study is competitive. Martin Luther King Jr. once said, “The function of education is to teach one to think intensivelyand to think … [Read more...] about Grades don’t always make the cut these days
An A+ is just an A on your GPA
By Carmen Herrera By now every student should know that the grade A+ does not exist on campus. Even reaching the highest percentage does not mean it will increase your GPA. Under the campus’ plus/minus GPA system, if a student receives a B-, it is worth 2.7 points on their GPA instead of a regular B’s 3 points. However, earning a B+ will count for 3.3 points towards their GPA. This system works the same way for grade letters B, C, and even D. Yet oddly enough, the coveted A grades do not work the same. Since an A+ is not part of the grading scales on campus, students who do a perfect job in their classes cannot achieve the same .3 point increase that the other grades … [Read more...] about An A+ is just an A on your GPA