The end of the degree as we know it?

Michael Gove dubbed GCSEs “unfit for purpose”’ and ‘A’-Levels “flawed”, but it appears that degree classifications could be next for reform.

Warwick – amongst other leading universities such as UCL, LSE, Nottingham and York – is in the early stage of discussions seeking to replace the current degree classifications with a Grade Point Average (GPA) system, as used in North America.

Under the new system, set percentage boundaries would be done away with. Instead, modules would be marked through ‘descriptors’ – categories such as ‘good’ or ‘average’. At the end of your degree, the ‘descriptors’ would be converted to a final score between zero and four. A student’s final mark would therefore be a number –a 3.7 proving the equivalent of a first.

The cry for reform comes after recent research published by the Association of Graduate Recruiters revealed that 76 percent of graduate employers routinely refuse applicants who fail to achieve a 2:1 but over a third of 2012’s graduates did not meet this standard.

Supporters of GPA believe that the system would distinguish candidates more fairly; a 3.6 GPA (the equivalent of a high 2:1) is clearly better than a 3.3 GPA (the equivalent of a low 2:1) whereas 70 percent (a first) is hardly superior to 69 percent (a 2:1). They feel that current classifications are misleading and are the cause of so many graduates failing to secure employment.

In light of this research, Warwick is “exploring their options”, according to education officer James Entwistle, but at present the University has yet to progress past evaluative stages.
Minutes from University Senate meetings confirm that the University have agreed to investigate adopting a GPA system. The minutes state “work will commence in due course” but when exactly this will be is unclear.

Warwick seems wary of launching a full-scale investigation, according to Mr Entwistle. He said: “The feeling I get is that there is no real time-frame to it, and quite possibly nobody wants to lead.

“With this mainly being a Russell Group project, it could produce a two tier marking system in the UK universities sector, further exacerbating the segregated system that fee changes and the AAB benefit has produced.

“However, there could be sizeable benefits for graduates in the global job market”, he admitted.
Supporters argue that the switch would force students to work more consistently throughout their degree as each piece of work has a bigger impact on the final grade, and it could also help to standardise marking across departments.

“I study English” said second-year student Rhianne Poole, “but unlike my flatmate who studies Engineering, I could never achieve 100% in an exam, it just wouldn’t happen.”

‘Descriptors’ instead of percentages would change this. It would enable markers to acknowledge that whilst a humanities essay might not be perfect in the same way that an equation may be, it is still of a high standard and deserves recognition.

KPMG LLP, this year’s graduate employer of the year at the National Graduate Recruitment Awards, said they would “welcome” the system.

“Seeing a breakdown of a student’s progress across the course of their degree would be very helpful,” said head of graduate recruitment Sara Redding.

“We employ the majority of our graduates before their final results are announced. A GPA system would give us a more rounded impression of an individual.”

Nevertheless, Mr Entwistle expresses distress over graduates’ employment prospects, should the switch occur. He said: “A change such as this could have a detrimental impact on graduate employability if UK employers are slow at recognising the new system.

Undergraduate Abbey Lewis echoed these concerns, calling the proposal “dangerous”.

She said: “Applying to university with the IB instead of A Levels made me realise that not all organisations – even the most official – understand international qualifications. Having our degrees marked in the American way could put Warwick graduates at a disadvantage.”