Making the grades

I am writing in response to your editorial concerning the Department of Spanish, Italian and Portuguese (“The Cost of Inflation,” 2/26/2009) in order to correct some inaccuracies in the piece.

We found that we had a disparity between the numerical grading scales used in Spanish 100-200 and 300-400 level courses. As Director of Undergraduate Studies in Spanish, I contacted the College Dean’s office and asked if there was a numerical scale used by the College of Arts and Sciences. I was informed that the College had no such scale and that each department is free to make up its own numerical grading scale.

At a departmental retreat in the fall of 2008, the Spanish faculty of the department examined the matter of the numerical grading scale and agreed to adopt a new grading scale, uniform for all Spanish courses. The new grading scale was not imposed on the faculty as your editorial implies; the faculty chose to adopt it after careful consideration.

In conclusion, the Spanish faculty consulted the Office of the Dean of Students, was given the go ahead and we met and agreed on a numerical grading scale for all our courses. We did not make a “unilateral decision” as you state in your editorial.

None of this affects the College scale that converts an “A” to 4 points, etc. That scale is University policy and appears in the Undergraduate Record, and our program, of course, abides by that scale.

We hope this clarification helps you better understand the deliberative process by which we arrived at the numerical grading scale that is now in force.