We require a "C" grade in all required lower division courses (general and
developmental). Haven't heard any complaints. It also reduces that amount
of people coming to psych because they've "nowhere else to go." It also
makes logical sense i.e. if you can't pull off a "C" in these courses, you
can't expect to pass the tougher, upper division courses needed to
graduate.
Jerry Henkel-Johnson
The College of St.Scholastica
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>>> "Dr. Kristina Lewis" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> 03/30 1:27 PM >>>
Tipsters,
Our department is trying to address a "problem" that may be facing some of
you....we are a department of 7 full-time faculty (6 tenure-line and a one
2-year visiting position) and 320 majors at last count. This is a college
that prides itself on small classes and individual attention.....I think
you
see the problem....we're dying here! We have 50 advisees each, our
classes
are bursting at the seams, we can't offer upper-level seminar classes
because we have to offer so many sections of lower level classes to meet
demand, we can't require upper-level seminars because we can't offer them.
The administration's response so far has been adjuncts; currently we have
11-13 adjunct sections per year.
We have been tossing around ways to a) get the administration to take us
more seriously; b) make our situation more workable. One alternative is
to
limit the number of majors by imposing minimum criteria to be met to be a
major. The criteria we have come up with are C in general psych and C in
research methods and/or overall GPA of 2.5.
My question (finally).....do any of you have such criteria in place? How
well do they work? Any other suggestions? How have you dealt with the
influx of majors?
If you respond to me I will compile the responses and post them to the
list.
But if this is an issue of wide interest, I would love to see some
discussion....
Thanks,
Kris Lewis
Saint Michael's College
Colchester VT
