Last week, the Office of the Registrar released its new class retake policy. Whereas under the old policy the original grade from a retaken course was replaced with an "R," the new policy includes the "R" and the original letter grade side by side on transcripts. A student will still be allowed to retake a course if he receives a C+ or below. The policy adjustment is troubling not because of what it changes, but because of what it does not address. The University still refuses to allow students to retake classes in which they have received above a C+. It is time to allow students to retake any class they would like so long as they receive a signature from the professor allowing them to do so.
A student who is concerned about her GPA might reasonably decide to retake a class in which she earned a B- or a B. Though these are perfectly respectable grades, they equate to 2.7 and 3.0 GPA points respectively, and, as a consequence, can substantially weigh down one's GPA.
This is especially worrisome if the student is applying to graduate schools. Sometimes a student has a difficult semester and is unable to maximize his potential — though he might get a B, he still might not have truly learned the material. In this case a retake adds to one's understanding of a subject, thereby increasing one's likelihood of success in the post-graduate world.
Additionally, a student's grade in a particular course can substantially affect his chances of earning a job after graduation. After all, the job market is incredibly competitive, and a person who has not earned a top grade in econometrics, statics or organic chemistry may not be able to demonstrate to employers that he is proficient in those subject areas.
For many students, grades in certain courses are the only way of demonstrating proficiency to an employer. Under these circumstances, a student should be allowed to retake the class even if he receives a grade in the B range. As a university, Hopkins' goal is to prepare students for the real world. With the current policy, the University impairs students' entry into it.
Assistant Dean of Academic Advising James Fry told The News-Letter that the policy was changed because, "Advisors in various offices were concerned that students were repeating too many courses, losing credits and inflating their GPAs with minimal benefit."
This newspaper is not taking issue with this specific change in policy. That being said, though, Fry's explanation of the change sites concerns that would be more easily remedied by decreasing rather than increasing the rigor of the policy.
First of all, the claim that students are repeating "too many" courses is unjustified. A student pays for his education, and he should be allowed to retake courses if he feels that it is in his best interest to do so. The University has not demonstrated that its paternalism is justified in this case. There is no reason to expect a university policy to understand the needs of an individual student more than the individual student does.
Secondly, a student who loses credits will have to pay for his loss in his graduate school applications or job search. If he is willing to internalize those costs, then the University has no business preventing him from doing so.
Third, the notion that students are inflating their GPAs is absurd. Grade inflation has never been a problem at Hopkins, and there is no reason to suspect that it will be in the future.
Of course, all of this assumes that students do not retake a huge number of classes as a result of this policy change. There is good reason to believe that they will not. Generally, students do not want to have to retake a class. It is difficult to endure a class that one struggles in once, let alone twice. Moreover, students will still work hard in a class even if they plan to retake it because their first grade will still show up on their transcripts. In fact, with this newspaper's proposed rule change, students are more likely to work hard in a class they plan to retake. In the past, a student who was on the line between a B- or C+ would actively try to get the lower grade so as to be able to retake the course. With the proposed change, a student will work hard to earn the higher grade even if he plans on a retake. This process itself might lead to a decrease in the number of people who repeat courses.
Classes will not be overfilled as a result of a more lax retake policy. Many classes are graded on a bell curve; this means that low, middle and high grades are equal in proportion in any given class regardless of size. Since only people with low and middle grades would retake a class, there is no reason to suspect that they will overburden any given class since there are people who earn these grades in every class. Even in the extremely unlikely case where this does not happen, there will be fewer students in other classes, and the University will be able to divert resources to "overcrowded classes."
Furthermore, no student wants to spend an extra semester or year and the tuition costs associated with it to frivolously retake classes. She will redo a course only if it makes sense for her individually. Even with the proposed policy, the most desirable outcome is a top grade on one's first attempt at a class. Thus, it is unlikely that Hopkins will develop a culture of not taking classes seriously the first time around.
The University's fears about retaking classes are unjustified. Its current policy is too restrictive and it hurts the opportunities students have upon graduation. The only way to remedy this problem is to allow students to retake classes whatever their original grades. Doing so is in the best interest of students and, by extension, the University.
