EPPC Motion Hurts Disadvantaged

To the Editors:

The College’s EPPC has a motion that will substantially hurt less advantaged students while only helping moderately advantaged students.
The motion seeks to impose Fs on students’ permanent transcripts. This is a very bad return to our grading policies before the ’60s, when there were very few minority students enrolled at Oberlin College.
The current progressive policy places the emphasis on students’ successes, not on their failures. It will not matter much what policy is in effect for students who have enjoyed all their lives the best advantages of education. But for some black, first-generation and other minority students who have not, as well as for many other students, the College should not impose any additional disadvantages upon them should they regrettably get an F in a class by placing that F on their permanent transcripts.
a) because of the pervasiveness of racism in America, because blacks tend not to be as academically strong as their white counterparts when they first enter Oberlin, the percentage of black students likely to receive Fs is greater than it is for white students
b) some students (black, white, others) might get an F or two in their first or second year but go on to do quite well later, BUT the F will forever follow them.
c) “F” grades will lower students’ GPAs quite a bit, making it all the more difficult for students to get into graduate school, obtain scholarships, get a job, etc.
d) this grading scheme could have an adverse effect upon the admission of black students, the retention of black students, and the graduation rate of blacks.

–Booker Peek
Professor of African American Studies