Brian C. Speer
Why is it that BYU caters only to 4.0 students?
At the beginning of this semester, my religion professor was discussing the grading curve for the class and said, 'But of course I know that all of you will only be getting A's and B's, because you are BYU students and are above other students who might deserve a lower grade.'
My chemistry professor was discussing his form of grading and said, 'On (my) system, between ___ and ___ percentile will earn A's, and between ___ and ___ percentile will earn B's, and some of course will fail the class. I'm sure you're all aware at this university that a C in chemistry is practically a failing grade.'
My political science professor was discussing the difficulty of the course and said, 'This class will require a lot of time and effort. For most of you, that shouldn't be a problem because you are smart; and many of you have scholarships and can afford to spend a little extra out-of-class-time studying.'
These statements appall me. It just so happens that I have seven C's on my transcript -- and I'm not the only one. Somehow the admissions department admitted me to BYU, and I don't think it's their responsibility to keep me here, but I do think that faculty members should realize that not all BYU students are 4.0 students.
This university should be a place of harmony; a place which invites the spirit of the Lord as well as the spirit of education. I see intense levels of stress in the lives of BYU students due to the worldly atmosphere of competition and pride among their peers as well as their professors. Every student at BYU has heard talk of how such-and-such department is ranked 1st, 2nd or 3rd in the nation. It's wonderful that we have such good rankings, don't get me wrong.
It's the pushing, grueling and offending faculty members that are disagreeable. This is my message to them: Faculty members, remember that your job is to teach, to help people learn, not to necessarily become the best. The best, in my eyes, is the professor who really teaches and encourages.