In response to the Our View on Monday regarding the supposed lowering of cum laude standards at Ball State University, I would like to clarify a few points.
First, let me state that it is not Student Government Association's intention in any way, shape, or form to lower the cum laude standard of a 3.6 grade point average. As the SGA academic affairs committee found out in our research and as the article stated, summa cum laude, magna cum laude, and cum laude are national standards that have been established for years. Although Ball State is known to be a trend setter in a number of different fields, by no means would redefining a national standard be something that we would work to enact.
I fully agree with Our View in saying that lowering the cum laude standard would lessen the prestige of someone graduating with that title from Ball State. This is the reason that we are no longer looking at that as an option. It was a brainstormed idea that we had, researched and decided to drop once we learned that it was not feasible.
With that said, we are still exploring other ideas to link GPA and graduating with honors. We are looking at potentially raising the standard for being on Dean's List to a 3.6 GPA. This way, it is impossible for someone who makes the Dean's List every semester not to graduate with honors from Ball State. Instead of lessening the impact of graduating cum laude, this would instead increase the distinction of being on the Dean's List.
The main point of this issue is that students that work hard during their academic career at Ball State should be recognized with an honorable distinction upon graduation. Although it is impressive to put "Dean's List" on your r+â-¬sum+â-¬, it is far better to have "cum laude" on your diploma. Though both demonstrate a student has a high proficiency in a number of different classes, it's safe to say that the latter carries a much greater distinction that the former. I am severely disappointed that students, faculty, and the Daily News would think that the academic affairs committee of SGA would be working on any type of legislation which would more or less "cheapen" the degree a student receives from this university. As a committee, we are constantly developing ideas that work towards the advancement of academic success on campus for all students.
Establishing a correlation between the Dean's List and graduating cum laude was something that was brought to our attention as a committee by a number of students. We took this concern into consideration and began brainstorming ideas regarding the best way to solve this issue. It is a subject that is still in the process of being researched in order to best serve the needs of Ball State students.
Anyone that has questions, comments, or concerns regarding this matter is encouraged to come to SGA Senate meetings at 3:15 p.m. in the Student Center every Wednesday. SGA is here to work for the advancement of students in all aspects of their college experience. We encourage any and all input from the student body in order to make SGA as effective as it can possibly be.
Write to Eric at ejmaroun@bsu.edu
Read More
Three Air Jam teams take home the win
October 12, 2012Nineteen teams shimmied, shook and flipped for a sold out John R. Emens Auditorium on Thursday night during the 25th annual Air Jam.
Bill Clinton Speaks at North Central High School
October 12, 2012Former President's Speech Could Have Effect on State Senate Race
