A presentation and discussion by Lee Cuba, Professor of Sociology at Wellesley College, on Wednesday, October 11, at 4:30 pm, in Axinn 219. No registration is required.
In the fall of 2014, Wellesley College launched a shadow grading pilot in which first-year, first-semester grades are not included on students’ official transcripts or in the calculation of their college GPAs. Professor Cuba, whose research on college students informed the decision to adopt this policy, will discuss the rationale for instituting shadow grading, the process for implementing shadow grading, and Wellesley’s assessment of how this new policy has affected students’ transition to college, course enrollments and grades.
Wellesley is not the only college to implement “shadow” grading for first-semester, first-year students— Swarthmore and MIT have similar policies, as did Johns Hopkins until this fall. While some elements of these policies vary by institution, common goals include emphasizing intellectual growth, academic exploration, and community engagement, while de-emphasizing the role of grades as a measure of student success. In addition, shadow grading can help orient first-year students to their new college environment and expected levels of academic rigor, and at the same time encourage risk-taking and exploration of the curriculum.
For more information about Wellesley’s pilot program, visit their FAQ page. We hope you can join the conversation!