LETTER: Which “A” is better?

Editor,

The “A” is the most sought-after letter in the academic world. Graduate schools love to see numerous A’s on a student’s transcript. I wouldn’t mind it too much either if there were more A’s on my transcript. Maybe I’m a little slow, but during my five years at USU, I’ve noticed something. If we are all going to be compared by our GPAs, shouldn’t we also compare the courses from which those grades are received?

Spring semester 2002, I completed a course that, for a lack of better words, kicked my “A.” I knew I was in for it when on the first day of class, the professor said, “We will read and study EVERY chapter in the text.” She wasn’t kidding. We were tested on all 16 chapters, and each test had 75 questions. It felt like I had a final every other week.

My friend, on the other hand, didn’t have it so tough. He took the same course, but from a different professor. His class was tested on half as many chapters. The tests were half as long and half as meticulous. There were opportunities for extra credit and simple assignments for those who needed a little boost for their grade. My friend received a much better grade than I.

His transcript has a better grade than mine for the same course. And to the college administrator deciding on which student to accept in to a graduate program, it says my friend is smarter and more qualified than I am. Whether or not I am smarter than my friend is irrelevant. But who knows what grade would be on my transcript if I were in the same class as my friend, or if our courses were more closely comparable?

Professors of the same department teaching the same courses have the responsibility to come to some sort of an agreement on how difficult the courses they teach will be and plan a similar curriculum.

I like diversity in the classroom. I like different styles of teaching that can better reach a variety of students. But what is required of the student should not vary so much. Hopefully, someday we can all have the same “A.”

Ryan Noel