Walter E. Williams: Believe it or not
This is a link to a column by Walter Williams about Benedict College in Columbia, S.C.
In a student's freshman year, 60% of the final grade in any course is give for EFFORT, 40% for subject mastery. So, if you try really hard, but fail algebra, you can still get a C!
For sophomore year, the percentage changes to 50%/50%, and in junior and senior years, effort is not graded at all.
The professors are generally a'gin it--and good for them. (I didn't expect that.) But the thought that the president of the college could have ever thought it was a good idea? Remarkably dumb.
Look, I have a good friend who is a college professor. She says effort is what you use to give a hard-working student a bump from 89.3 to an A at the end of the semester. I can see that. But 60% of the grade? Not a chance.
