There will not be a plus/minus grading system at the University of Central Arkansas. Not in the foreseeable future anyway.
The Faculty Senate voted unanimously Tuesday to keep the university’s grading system as it currently stands. A consensus of comments expressed during the discussion was that plus-minus systems have brought an increased number of complaints at other institutions where the policy had been implemented.
In other items discussed, it was announced the Faculty Affairs II Committee is gathering information on maternity and paternity leaves from other institutions to be compared with UCA’s policy.
The committee is asking for input from persons who want to share their experiences with the local policy. All data will be compiled and brought back to the senate at an upcoming meeting. It was noted that UCA’s policy fares very well when compared with those at other institutions.
A number of committee appointments were made including the following: Wolfgang Oeste and Ken Barnes to the Honorary Doctorate Committee; John Passe-Smith, Mark McMurtrey, Cameron Dorey, Dee Lance, Francie Bolter, and Stephanie Huffman to the new University Computing and Information
Technology Committee; and Brooke Lippy to the Public Appearances Committee.
A suggestion to the senate that faculty parking should be moved closer to the center of the campus was directed to the Parking and Traffic Committee.
Also discussed was the availability of on-line library materials. The senate is compiling a report of what other institutions in the state have available, and it was also noted that library director Art Lichenstein has volunteered to address the senate on that topic.
-Tommy Jackson
