The new Editor in Chief of the Red and Black, Lauren Morgan, had an excellent editorial in yesterday’s Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The editorial is about her personal experience with the new plus/minus grading system. She also addresses who the system penalizes, and why it was put into place:
When the administration chose to adopt the plus/minus system it cited the fact that 80 percent of Carnegie research universities use the plus/minus grading. However, PMG isn’t the answer to improving UGA’s reputation. UGA needs to figure out what individual students need and want to increase their academic standing instead of relying on statistical data from other schools.
By implementing plus-minus grading, UGA is penalizing honors students, students trying to get accepted to graduate school and those trying to get other scholarships in addition to the HOPE.
Instead of adopting a system that penalizes hard-working students, the university needs to reprimand the bottom-of-the-barrel students who spend more time bar hopping around downtown Athens instead of going to class.
By giving more funding to research programs and hiring more professors who aren’t there for tenure but to help students learn, UGA will actually be promoting academic rigor.
These things cost money, whereas a plus/minus grading system does not.
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Yeah…I also find it interesting that Lauren Morgan’s sister is running for SGA on Bowers’s ticket. Wonder who the paper will endorse.
I think it’s interesting that Lauren Morgan’s sister is running for senate on Katy Bowers’s ticket…and Morgan likes to dine with Jamie Peper. Hmm…wonder who the paper will endorse come election time.
It seems that this just might be true. Any more info, Insider?
I’m an insider of a different sort. The paper hates SGA almost as much as you do. They will, in all likelihood, not be supporting Bowers’ party. Whichever candidate that isn’t that party who has the best chance of winning will probably earn the R&B endorsement, much like last year. This is my educated prediction. The incoming editorial board (who makes such decision) is what matters and they are at least as biased against the previous administration as last year’s editorial board. Bill Richards & your buddy Josh Weiss are probably on it, if that gives you any indication. Last but not least, any inclination of Morgan’s to dine with Peper is completely at the request of Peper. Keep in mind you’re talking about the former Opinion’s Editor and the person most obsessed with their self image in the entire University.
If you check Jamie Peper’s Facebook wall, it appears that Lauren wanted to dine with Jamie.
The paper might endorse someone else, if there is anyone else running against Bower’s party.
And, Josh Weiss isn’t on the Editorial Board.
Insider,
I am most definitely not on the Editorial Board. Editorial Board members are not allowed to contribute editorial (non-opinion) content to the paper, and I value my position as a staff photographer much higher than trying to subversively sway the board’s opinion.
My personal feelings towards SGA are not to lie about what they’ve done to see it go. I feel their record speaks best against the current set up of SGA. SGA’s biggest enemy isn’t me, its themselves. I’m just trying to let people know they have an option to get rid of it.
Sincerly,
Josh D. Weiss
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