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Date: |
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From: |
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To: |
"hebun struggle"
<hebunstruggle@yahoo.com> |
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Re: resending message |
I took calculus(1) in the year
1996-1997.
60% failed the test. There was a factor of +5 points, which
changed
that
to 50%.
The next year, the test was so
easy, that more than 50 people got a
100. I
don't remember any protest from
that time.
You are studying at a time when a
reform in the grade system is made.
The
university will take it into
account for the purpose of being accepted
to
advanced degrees. The same will happen in the job market. The
knowledge
of the change to the averages
will eventually reach the people doing
the
hiring.
A GPA of 85 should definitely be
considered a good achievement, and
should
not be attainable by someone who
isn't dedicating himself to that end.
As for the claim regarding the
declining quality of students: it's
simply
true, but not in regards the the
very recent years. Some 30 years ago,
the government decided that more
people should get degrees. That meant
the requirements were
reduced. All this started in the
humanities but
this lax spirit has finally found
its way into natural sciences. The
fact
is that the Israeli student is a
lazy one (compared with 30 years ago).
This doesn't happen in a
vacuum. Some professors in Mt. Scopus
reflect
this attitude. I am happy to say that this is not a
widespread
phenomenon
in Givat Ram (generally
speaking). The way to combat the
mediocrity
that follows is to enforce
standards. Doing that is important at a
time
the universities are fighting for
their livelihood (the budget issues).
Every year it seems that the
student are better organized at making
demands from the powers that
be. How about making half that effort in
organizing better support for the
slower students (the help of the
stronger peers)? As for making demands, your initiative should
focus
on
enforcing a stadard of
lecturing. This is something you have
every
right
demand to make.
regards,
M