MELP Grading Policy

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MELP Grading Policy
University of Minnesota is one of the best universities in the US. One of the reasons is the strong grading policies in the colleges. For example, Minnesota English Language program is an institute that teaching international students English as a second language in the UMN. This institute has a strong grading policy. MELP is following the S/N system, which is mean Satisfy or Non-Satisfy. Some people think that MELP has a strict grading policy, which is S/N system. Whereas I think that MELP should not change their grading policy to "no-fail" system policy.
The first reason, "no-fail" standards for grading system will affect some students' learning quality. That means student may not focus on their study if they know that there is no fail. In addition, the current high standards encourage students to do their best in MELP. The result of the high standards could make the students more careful about their classes. These students are going to enter to the academic environment in the future and some academic classes are usually more challenging. As Cramer says, the students have better to be accustomed with high criteria to get ready for the academic area (cited in Farhang). If the students prepare well academically, they could have more ability to study in the college. It is possible that the high grading standards in MELP make students with better performance.
Secondly, "No-Fail" grading system does not demonstrate the real students' level, because with this system, there is no differentiation between students. Students should be evaluated truly according to their assignments and exams in a specific subject. That means some students should not get an evaluation that they do not deserve. If that happened, admis...

... middle of paper ...

...the future, MELP should not change their policies. Lack of skills, harder work for admission offices, stock with bad values like irresponsibility, and grading system manipulation are some possible results for "No-Fail grading system which I think MELP shouldn't follow.

Work Cited
Miller, Joshua. Are 'No-Fail' Grading Systems Hurting or Helping Students?. Purdue U, 27
April. 2009. Web. 18 April 2014.
Downey, Maureen. No zeros in school any longer. But aren’t there well deserved zeros ?.
Purdue U, 3 Feb. 2012. Web. 18 April 2014.
Sherry, Merry. "In Praise of the F Word." Ten Steps to Improving College Reading Skills.
6thed. John Langan. West Berlin: Town Send Press Book Center, 2014. 381-383. Print.
Miles, Elliot. "Let's Put the Excellance Back in the A." Refining Composition Skills.
6thed. L.smalley, Mark K.Ruetten, Joann Kozyrev. 2014. 259-261. Print.

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