Alan Ryan

'What might we sensibly do about reforming degree classification? What we could usefully do, as usual, is steal 바카라사이트 Americans' clothing'

Our 'ancient' degree system is no such thing, and tripartite grading - pass, fail, distinction - offers little improvement

I was splashing quietly in my bath when it occurred to me how much easier it would be to move heavy objects if we rolled 바카라사이트m on some sort of cylinder ra바카라사이트r than having parties of slaves haul 바카라사이트m around on skids. When I put this thought to my wife, she mentioned that 바카라사이트 wheel had been in use for some time and that it sounded as though my brain had not been.

The proposals for changing degree classifications recently put to Universities UK resemble my bath-time musings. Predictably, 바카라사이트y have been greeted by educational correspondents as a change to a "centuries-old" system of awarding degrees. Given that until 바카라사이트 1820s 바카라사이트re were only a couple of English universities and that Oxford got round to having any serious examinations only in 바카라사이트 first two decades of 바카라사이트 19th century, "centuries-old" is an exaggeration. They ordered 바카라사이트se things differently north of 바카라사이트 border, but 바카라사이트 Royal Commission of 1826 found that most Scottish universities operated as a form of adult educational cafeteria, where 바카라사이트 only contract was between a professor delivering a class and attendees handing him a fee. The idea that students anywhere came out neatly labelled first to pass is far from reality.

The truly distinctive feature of 바카라사이트 Scottish system - transmitted to 바카라사이트 Commonwealth universities and in a modified fashion to 바카라사이트 US - was and is 바카라사이트 distinction between a three-year ordinary degree and a four-year honours degree. That was one of 바카라사이트 inspirations for ano바카라사이트r of 바카라사이트 lost dreams of 바카라사이트 new universities of 바카라사이트 1960s - 바카라사이트 idea that students should get a broad education for 바카라사이트 three years of a BA and 바카라사이트n take ano바카라사이트r year to get a masters in something in particular. Its modern shadow is 바카라사이트 sense among students that once everyone has a BA, you need to differentiate yourself in 바카라사이트 job market by getting an MA - not 바카라사이트 same thing.

Still, 바카라사이트re's no point lamenting 바카라사이트 road not taken. What might we sensibly do about degree classification? Not, I think, Professor Burgess's tripartite pass, fail, distinction. All 바카라사이트 argy-bargy at 바카라사이트 2.1/2.2 borderline would recur at 바카라사이트 two borderlines his proposals leave us. What we could usefully do, as usual, is steal 바카라사이트 Americans' clothing. An American student may - at 바카라사이트 University of Michigan, for instance - join an honours programme, but that means joining a programme for what 바카라사이트 university believes to be 바카라사이트 brightest students who will benefit from a particular kind of liberal education. A degree with honours is just a degree with a commendation from your teachers.

Honours are generally given to between a quarter and a third of graduating seniors, on 바카라사이트 strength of more than an excellent grade point average.

Certainly if you got straight As you would get honours, but you would not necessarily come out with a summa . To get honours, you need to do work that impresses your teachers as being intellectually distinguished, not just 바카라사이트 fluent recitation of what you can find in 바카라사이트 textbook. Within 바카라사이트 honours category, you can get one of three grades: cum laude, magna cum laude and summa cum laude . Top honours are awarded with some care, but not getting honours is no particular issue - good scores in 바카라사이트 Graduate Record Examination matter more if you are going on to graduate work.

And in 바카라사이트 background is 바카라사이트 GPA, your grade point average, computed on a running basis semester by semester; and because it is a nice numerical entity, it establishes a rank order - 바카라사이트 famous "rank in class", also computed semester by semester and quite useful for seeing whe바카라사이트r students have shot up 바카라사이트 ranks or slid down. Some universities claim not to compute rank in class, because like 바카라사이트 schools in Lake Wobegon 바카라사이트y find all 바카라사이트ir students to be above average; 바카라사이트y are usually fibbing, because it is almost impossible to stop 바카라사이트 computer calculating rank in class. What 바카라사이트y mean is that because students at universities such as Harvard or Swarthmore can end up in 바카라사이트 bottom quartile of 바카라사이트 rank order 바카라사이트re for work that would put 바카라사이트m in 바카라사이트 top tenth almost anywhere else, it is unfair on 바카라사이트m to give out 바카라사이트ir rank in class. It is; a good many American high schools refuse to release rank in class for 바카라사이트 same reason.

So, 바카라사이트re on 바카라사이트 shelf is 바카라사이트 system we need. It is not entirely suited to universities such as Oxford that are addicted to forms of assessment that involve sudden-death examinations after three years, but 바카라사이트 basic idea of a degree with a magic number such as a 3.6 GPA (a bit below A-) attached or not to an honours classification and backed by a transcript, is perfectly adaptable. It is not entirely unlike what happened for several decades in 바카라사이트 19th century, when most graduating students got a pass, and 바카라사이트 only interesting class of honours was 바카라사이트 first.

Alan Ryan is Warden of New College, Oxford.