new, relaxed grading policy at uc hastings

[justin gosling]

Fantastic news for UC Hastings students. Word just trickled out from Dean Harry Prince that our notoriously harsh grading policy just got a little more relaxed for 2008-2009 (and forward) thanks to recent decisions made by the faculty.

The step to normalize the grade distribution is a positive step because the prior grading scheme was harsh and out of step with other law schools.

The email itself is rather long, so I've carved out the important nuggets of information.  The new policy will:

• Increase the number of A- and above grades that instructors must give from 10% - 20% (the current requirement) to 15% - 25%
• Decrease the number of grades below B- that instructors must give from 20% -35% (the current requirement) to 12% - 17%
• Abolish the normalization restrictions for all classes with fewer than 30 students, except to require that such classes shall have a range of grades
• Increase the grade point value of the grade of A+ from 4.0 to 4.3.

Additionally, the faculty voted to shake up graduation honors by making the distinctions more inclusive (effective immediately):

• Summa: top 1% or GPA of 3.75 or higher (rather than top student)
• Magna cum laude: top 10% or GPA of 3.5 or higher (rather than top 5%)
• Cum laude: top 30% or GPA of 3.25 or higher (rather than top 15%)

As a student I am very, very, very happy about these changes. The harsh grading system of yesteryear was simply not necessary, and I'm glad Hastings has made these changes.

The email came out this morning at 12:11am, so I haven't had time to talk with any fellow students, but my guess is that they will be thrilled with the change. It's unfortunate that the current outgoing 1L class had to suffer through the last year of harsh grades, but the positive news is that the next two years will be a little better. With all this excitement how can I possibly study for my crim exam at 1:30? Oh yeah, the old grading system will determine my grade...

There is my motivation.

Full email from Dean Prince after the jump.

May 4, 2008

TO: All Students

FROM: H. G. Prince, Associate Academic Dean

RE: Changes in Graduation Honors and Grade Normalization Guidelines (Grading Curve)

I am happy to report two recent decisions made by the faculty that will increase recognition of the academic achievements of Hastings students. As explained below, the faculty has significantly expanded the academic honors to be granted upon graduation, effective with the Class of 2008, and the faculty also voted to change the grade normalization guidelines (or grading curve) to increase the grades of A- and above and to decrease the number of grades below B-, effective beginning the 2008-2009 academic year.

1. Graduation Honors

Previously, the Law School granted the following Latin honors at graduation:

The summa cum laude award was granted to the student with the highest cumulative GPA (grade point average) after six semesters of academic work at Hastings.

The magna cum laude award was granted to those students whose GPA placed them in the top 5% of the graduating class after six semesters of academic work at Hastings or approved transfer credit, excluding the summa cum laude award winner.

The cum laude award was granted to those students whose GPA placed them in the top 15% of the graduating class after six semesters of academic work at Hastings or approved transfer credit, excluding the summa cum laude and magna cum laude award winners.

After reviewing practices of other law schools and considering the academic achievements of Hastings students, the faculty decided to adopt the following standards for the award of graduation honors at Hastings

Summa cum laude will be granted to those students who place in the top 1% of the graduating class after completion of all six semesters of academic work at Hastings and who also attain a GPA of 3.75 or higher.

Magna cum laude will be granted to those students who place in the top 10% of the graduating class after six semesters of academic work at Hastings or approved transfer credit and who also attain a GPA of 3.5 or higher (excluding summa recipients)

Cum Laude will be granted to those students who place in the top 30% of the graduating class after six semesters of academic work at Hastings or approved transfer credit and who also attain a GPA of 3.25 or higher (excluding summa and magna recipients).

Assuming a graduating class of about 400 students, the effect of these changes will be to increase summa cum laude awards from one person to four, assuming they all meet the minimum GPA requirement. The number of graduating students receiving the magna cum laude honor will be increased from about twenty to thirty-six persons. There will be about sixty graduates who will receive the cum laude award who did not previously receive an honor at graduation. Again, these changes are effective with the current graduating class.

Also note that other academic honors at graduation will remain unchanged. The valedictorian award will continue to be granted to the student in the graduating class with the highest cumulative GPA after the fifth semester of academic work at Hastings. Order of the Coif will continue to be granted to those students whose cumulative GPA places them in the top 10% of the graduating class, and who have completed at least 75% of their units at Hastings in graded courses.

2. Revision of Grade Normalization Standards

Over the past school year, the Hastings Academic Standards Committee conducted a detailed study of how the Hastings grade normalization standards (or grading curve) compared with those at peer schools. The Committee concluded that the Hastings standards were more restrictive than most other schools and that most other schools did not apply their grading standards to classes with relatively small enrollment. The Committee also found that in recent years more than 40% of upper-division course grades at Hastings have deviated from the guidelines by giving more grades of A- or higher and by giving fewer grades below B- than called for by the Hastings normalization standards, based on waivers granted by the Academic Dean's Office. (Deviations are not allowed for first-year classes.)

For the above reasons, the Committee recommended and the faculty recently voted to adopt several changes to the College's grade normalization guidelines. Briefly summarized, the changes have the following effect:

Increase the number of A- and above grades that instructors must give from 10% - 20% (the current requirement) to 15% - 25%;

Decrease the number of grades below B- that instructors must give from 20% -35% (the current requirement) to 12% - 17%;

Abolish the normalization restrictions for all classes with fewer than 30 students, except to require that such classes shall have a range of grades;

Limit the discretion of the Academic Dean to grant waivers to the normalization regulations with respect to upper-division classes to certain enumerated circumstances; and

Increase the grade point value of the grade of A+ from 4.0 to 4.3.

Please note that deviations from the grading guidelines will still not be allowed in first-year classes and that the changes to the grade normalization guidelines will go into effect beginning with the 2008-2009 academic year.

Harry G. Prince
Associate Academic Dean
Hastings College of the Law
200 McAllister Street - Room 352
San Francisco, CA 94102
415-565-4682
415-565-4854 (FAX)

Comments

[Sam Smith]

That is a joke that top 30% graduate cum laude.

[Suzy]

No, it's not a joke. A lot of Top 25 schools have honors for top 1/3 and even top 40%.

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[Ivan]

All I can say is..."Wow!...pimp-move!" That's smart on UCH's part. Looks like they're ready to compete for a Top-20 spot again. This will allow UCH to recruit the strong students who were turned off by the venomous culture that has existed there.

This should also translate to better employment prospects for all of their students. Expect the "selectivity rating" to improve almost immediately...and the employment prospect to get better not long after. UCH will be back in the upper-echelon, knocking on Top-20+ in no time.

In a few years, UCH will have cemented its place as #5 in Cali, instead of fighting with UC-Davis and, in a few rankings, San Diego for that coveted fifth spot.

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The email came out this morning at 12:11am, so I haven't had time to talk with any fellow students, but my guess is that they will be thrilled with the change. It's unfortunate that the current outgoing 1L class had to suffer through the last year of harsh grades, but the positive news is that the next two years will be a little better. With all this excitement how can I possibly study for my crim exam at 1:30? Oh yeah, the old grading system will determine my grade...

There is my motivation.

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