While undergraduate students are adjusting to a new plus-minus grading system in some classes at Longwood, students in the College of Graduate & Professional Studies are not dealing with the change adopted by some faculty members. In fact, the college is not changing their grading system at all.
Assistant Dean for Graduate Studies, Kathy Charleston, explained the College of Graduate & Professional Studies has a completely different grading policy when compared to the undergraduate system.
For starters, the graduate system has a different definition that distinguishes passing grades. A minimum cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.00, based on a 4-point scale, is needed for students to remain in the graduate program. Only "A," "B," and "C" are considered passing grades, and "D" is not even considered a grade at graduate level. Charleston said while a "D" is barely passing in undergraduate level, a "C" is barely passing when it comes to graduate work.
Graduate students earn an "A" with four quality points if work is cited as excellent. A "B" is given when work is good, earning students three quality points. To earn a passing two quality points, students must earn a "C." Charleston said, "That may be passing, but someone can't stay in graduate school with passing." Similar to undergraduate work, an "F" is failure and does not come with any points. Charleston said this is a bit different in undergraduate work, where an "A" is viewed as superior, and a "C" is defined as average work.
While the pluses and minuses are given at the graduate level, they do not calculate into the final GPA for the course. Much like the previous undergraduate system, pluses and minuses tacked onto letter grades may only help if future employers consider the addition.
Each semester, some 700 students become familiar with the graduate school's grading policy. Some are teachers who need teaching license recertification every five years. Others include degree seekers who are on the road to obtaining a Master's Degree.
The school offers five graduate majors with 24 degree programs, four professional endorsement programs, and three certification programs. They include Master of Arts in English, Master of Business Administration in business administration, Master of Science in communication sciences and disorders, Master of Science in education, the largest of the programs, and Master of Science in sociology. The newest programs—English and business administration—both started in 2005. The college has been at Longwood since 1954.
Quality point averages may be calculated by dividing the number of quality points the student has earned by the total number of credits assigned to each enrolled course, according to the 2011-2012 Graduate Catalog. At the end of each semester, all students with a GPA below the 3.0 minimum requirement will be identified (after a total of six credit hours have been completed). These students will receive a notification that they have been placed on academic warning and have until the completion of the next term to reach a 3.0 or higher GPA. Failure to do so may result in dismissal from the graduate program.
Charleston said the goal of the college is to both convey advanced knowledge to graduate students and enhance professional development and competence in the disciplines Longwood offers.
She said the program has a large number of students who completed their Bachelors of Art degree at Longwood and decided to come back to pursue a Master's Degree. However, they equally have a number of people who are new to Longwood for the first time. "Traditionally we served people who drove here in the region," Charleston said. "In the last 10 years, we have developed programs in nine different school divisions in the Commonwealth." She said this includes a sociology program in Lynchburg and other programs as far away as Winchester.
For more information on the Longwood College of Graduate and Professional Studies, visit their webpage at http://www.longwood.edu/graduatestudies/graduatestudies.htm.
