During a Wednesday meeting, the Faculty Senate rejected a proposal to allow extra merit points for an A+. The Senate should be applauded for maintaining grade standards and combating grade inflation.

However, the Student Government senate proposal should have included a further resolution, which could have eliminated an A-.

Since the new grade scale was introduced, both students and faculty have been divided on their opinions of it. However, one issue that did not drop was the question of the merit points awarded for an A+.

Many students think if their work is given an A+ it must be superior to an A, which merits a 4.0. Grades B through D use the plus/minus system, but an F receives no further gradation.

Student Government responded to students? concerns by forwarding a proposal to possibly change the A+ merit points.

The proposal had three resolutions, one that would affect all students and a second that would affect undergraduate students only. The Faculty Senate chose the third proposal, which was to leave the scale alone.

However, the grading scale should be changed, not in an effort to inflate grades, but in an effort to reach a fair compromise. As F is left without a plus/minus scale, A should be treated the same. It is difficult enough to earn an A, and it is unfair to penalize students who receive an A- by awarding him or her 3.67 points instead of 4.0.

The option should have been given to eliminate both A+ and A- from the grading scale. Most professors worry about grade inflation, thus the rejection of the extra merit points was the right decision. However, grades should not be cheapened either, and until the A- is removed, students may feel cheated out of a higher and deserved GPA.