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Shameful Standards for Success
Brian Korte | Executive Director

Graphic By: Kimber Meletzke The home stretch is here--Only a few more months until graduation. Like many seniors, I am now ready to aggressively compete with those who would suggest that an education from Radford University is worthless or irrelevant. I've been ready for this moment since I started here at Radford, and I think I've done enough in my college career to distinguish myself from the rest of the students on campus. Or have I? Truth is, the rest of the students may have prepared in the same way. Involvement in extra curricular activities is the key to success at any university. Everyone else may have gone the same route and been very involved at RU. After all, it doesn't take much.

And that's the problem. The standards that RU applies to its applicants (at least with respect to extra-curricular activities) is far too low.

For those of you not familiar with the grading scale, RU works on a 4-point system. 4 is an "A," 3 is a "B," 2 is a "C," 1 is a "D," and an F gets you no points.

Student Media at RU requires a 2.5 GPA for leadership positions. This job, as with other full-time jobs, requires around-the-clock dedication and strong leadership in a highly stressful, low-paying occupation. The leaders of ROC, Whim, Exit 109, the Tartan, and the Beehive devote a great deal of time to their respective media. But, hey, we're here at RU to learn. A 2.5 GPA for a student leader? That is not asking a whole lot. And still, each year, Media (like every other group on campus) struggles to find qualified applicants! What is going on here?!

Each year, the office of Residential Life advertises Resident Assistant (RA) jobs for the following school year. The information packet reads: "The Resident Assistant should have demonstrated strength in academic pursuits. Therefore, this position should be viewed as an educational opportunity... " Yet to become a residential assistant, that is, to regulate, counsel, protect, defend, and be a friend to some 30-50 students in your hall, you need a 2.2 GPA. That's a shade higher than a D average.

Requiring such a low standard from RA's is not only dangerous but irresponsible as well. Anyone in the position of a residential assistant needs to be responsible to him/herself and the members of his/her "residential community." How is one supposed to be responsible for 30-50 residents when he/she can't even be responsible for attaining half-way decent grades for him/herself?

Student Media and Residential Life are just two examples of the low standards at Radford. Look deeper (as I did) and you'll discover even more:

  • Quest Assistant: 2.3 GPA
  • Student Government: 2.2 (but once you're in, you only need to maintain a 2.0)
  • Campus Activities Board Exec Member: 2.25 GPA
    The list goes on and on.

    The student Handbook reads, "A student will be on Academic probation at the conclusion of any semester or summer session, regardless of the total number of credit hours attempted, in which the student has a cumulative GPA below a 2.0." For goodness' sake, RU, why have you lowered the bar to just above academic suspension!? This is ridiculous.

    If standards were raised around here, I truly believe that students would rise to the challenge and take on these positions. As things are now, however, all we have to do is slip though by the skin of our teeth and do the bare minimum, and we, too, can become student leaders.

    Responses:
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    Comments:
    I strongly disagree with this article. The organizations you have described are supposed to be reflections of real world sociology. As we all know leaders are not chosen because of thier grades in the real world. I suggest that the author of this aticle look into working for a university. This way you can be always judged by your grades and degrees rather than your performance. I applaud the organizations mentioned in this article for keeping oppertunitys availible to students that demonstrate more than just book smarts. As long as a student is in good standing and has paid tution they should be equal to all other students. if an overacheiver tries to tell you otherwise, tell them to get down off thier cross and stop paying homage to themself.

    Name: Leigh Ann Nelson
    Year: Senior
    Major: Biology
    Comments:
    Hi. When I first started reading this article I thought that it would be about more than just grades. Although grades are important, they are't an accurate estmation of everyone's intelligence or potential. Just because someone's G.P.A. isn't the greatest does not mean that they would not do an excellent job at any of the fields mentioned earlier. Some poeple just aren't good students. Shouldn't standarrds be set on important things like communication skills, experience, and eagerness to learn and help others. Placing so much emphasis on grades has already held a lot of great people back from their dreams.

    Comments:
    Here's one for you! Outstanding Student Award goes to 13 students. GPA? 3.2

    Name: Chef
    Major: women
    Comments:
    Shaun, don't even get me started on the athletic program! We dump thousands upon thousands of dollars into the athletic depatment so they can turn around and formally educate people who put balls into nets for a living. It is ridiculous. I see no way to turn this ship around, Shaun. I'd love to see it, but I don't think it'll ever happen. Too bad you're a senior. If you weren't, I would suggest running for SGA president...just so long as you haven't pulled any fire alarms in your past. That's about the only thing they look for, it seems.

    Name: shaun
    Year: SR
    Major: psyc/reln
    Comments:
    Brian, I couldn't agree more. The problem here at RU mirrors problems in education around the country, from elementary schools to institutions of higher education. Mediocrity seems to be the word of the new millenium as educators encourage students to just get by. It's sickening. RU, along with the rest of the nation, needs to turn this ship around. Humm, if only the amount of encouragement and support given to athletic programs was present in academia...

    Name: Kim
    Year: senior
    Major: German and History
    Comments:
    I am a firm believer that the standards here at Radford should be raised. They really are too low! Some professors here are too easy on their students too. For example: a test I just got back had a 22 point curve! Why? I wish I hadn't failed out of school four years ago. My GPA suffered big time (I was taking 20 hours the semester I failed out) and even though I make excellent grades now, my GPA will never reach a 3.0. That's besides the point though. If Radford wants to lose the party image, 'school you go to when you don't get into any other school' and slack image, then RU needs to raise their standards.

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