Erin McNemar
Managing Executive Editor
When I think about graduating in May, I’m filled with both feelings of excitement and terror. While I can’t wait to move on with my life and have a job in a field that I love, I’m also scared of the possibility that I might not be able to find a job.
Some of my fears are more rational than others, but I think my most irrational one is the fear of potential employers looking at my transcript and thinking, “What the heck is an AB?”
When I first came to Keene State College back in 2017, I had no idea that we had a different grading system from the typical one I grew up with.
Many of us switched from the traditional A, A-, B system to Keene State’s A, AB, B system when we began college here.
Last year, students were informed the grading system would be updated to the classic scale, which would go into effect in the fall of 2019.
However, according to a previous Equinox article, the transition to this new system has been delayed for another two years and will not be going into effect until fall of 2021.
During my first year, I didn’t really think much about the difference between the two grading scales. However, during my sophomore year when I heard the college was looking into changing the system, I learned just how much Keene State’s current scale can affect students’ GPAs.
The current Keene State scale is A (4.0) to AB (3.5) to B (3.0). By switching to the more commonly used scale, the system would be A (4.0) to A- (3.67) to B+ (3.33), and B (3.0).
Changing the grading scale would have a positive impact on students who would have earned, for example, an A- in a class but instead earned an AB.
Personally, I’m frustrated by the two year delay in the change of the grading scale.
The only students who will be able to reap the benefits of this switch are current first-years, sophomores and future classes.
While this change would have only affected me for one year, it would have given me the opportunity to improve my GPA before graduating and applying for jobs.
I also believe the current grading system does not accurately portray how hard students work. A student could work extremely hard in a class and earn a 90 percent at the end of the semester.
While typically that would be seen as an A-, at Keene State a 90 percent will get you an AB. Even though the student earned an A, they have to have the B tacked onto their transcript.
While I’m disappointed that I will not be able to see the benefits of this new grading system, I’m glad that future students will have the opportunity.
Keene State students work hard every day and definitely deserve accurate GPAs to reflect that.
I just hope the installation of the A, A-, B system will not be delayed again.
Erin McNemar can be contacted at
emcnemar@kscequinox.com
