University of Virginia Library

Average Overemphasized

Council Urges Grade Revisions

By Barry Levine
Cavalier Daily Staff Writer

A motion by Councilman Steve Hayes
de-emphasizing the importance of grades
as a measure of academic ability was
unanimously passed last night by the
Student Council.

The proposal urges the faculty of the
College "to reconsider its decision to give
plus and minus grades different weights in
computing grade point averages," and
requested a meeting with faculty committees
to discuss the matter.

Misplaced Priority

Several Council members voiced concern
on the priority given to grades over
learning. Consequently, an amendment to
encourage "the further extension of the
pass-fail system" was added to and approved
with the Hayes motion.

Councilman Tom Breslin ook the matter
one step further. He proposed that first- and
second-year students in the College receive only
pass-fail grades for their courses, and that more
exacting grades be given only in the work in the
major during the last two years.

Liberal Education

"If there is anything to a liberal education."
Mr. Breslin noted, "the first two years serve
only in shopping around for a major, and such
exploration should be encouraged."

The motion will be considered next week.

Citing the "indifference" of Board of
Visitors members to student proposals. Council
President James Roebuck voiced his "dismay
and disappointment" with the Board's reaction
this past weekend.

Student Concerns

Mr. Roebuck and Vice-President Kevin
Mannix attended the meeting on Friday for a
brief discussion of student concerns. The issues
raised included requests for student representation
on the Board, active recruitment of black
students, and the implementation of coeducation.

Mr. Roebuck complained that several Board
members felt that students "lacked the
maturity to sit in on Board meetings or were
not capable of maintaining confidence on
important issues. As I remember, there were no
direct answers to the questions raised."

Mr Mannix noted that "the only real
dialogue was on the matter of communications
itself. We almost had a real exchange of ideas
on that issue when we said that half an hour
every few months is not real communication."

On the possibility of having a student to sit
as a nonvoting member of the Board without
reporting all the business of the closed meeting,
the Council agreed that some representation
was better than none.

Not Press Representation

Councilman Dan Walker said: "having a
person there, just to express our view is more
important than reporting. We could simply ask
for press representation we only wanted a
report of what was said."

Mr. Breslin noted that "closed m are
callous in a state institution, but as long as
it's there, the Board should at least know how
the students feel"

Investigation of the methods of Pennsylvania
and Ma in student
representatives on the gov boards of then
universities, and by Council members to
persuade Governor I H. of the
of the situation undertaken
before further proposals

In the weekly progress on the case
involving Council of of the
Students for a De President
Roebuck indicated that the pla would
possibly be to accept the nding t the
money me sources other than the
Comprehensive ee.