THIS school year, the Faculty of Pharmacy will return to its old grading system.
The usual three grading period system, followed in the Faculty for the past years, which consists of the monthly (20 %), preliminary (40 %), and final (40 %) periods, will be re-implemented.
A slight modification, however, was made in the percentage distribution of the grading system. The monthly grading period will be 30 percent of the final grade while the preliminary and final periods will each constitute 35 percent.
According to Pharmacy Dean Dr. Rosalinda Solevilla, the changes were made because she noticed that most of the students got low grades in the two grading periods last year. Most of the students, she added, got a grade of 3.00 especially in their major subjects.
“Ayoko na 3.00 lang ang makukuhang grade ng mga estudyante. As much as possible, I want them to get higher grades,” Solevilla said.
She added that the number of failing students will be lessened and students will obtain higher grades.
Although, the revised grading system will not be favorable to the professors since they have to make quizzes and examinations, Pharmacy Department Head Prof. Divinagracia Coronado still believes that it will be for the advantage of the students.
“Mas mahirap sa amin because it requires more time in computing the grades. But still our concern are the students,” she added.
However, the students’ reactions are divided over the revised grading system.
“Mas maganda ‘yung two grading periods lang kasi two major exams lang. Unlike ngayon, three times na ako magre-review for the exams,” said senior Pharmacy student Amabel Lynn Catabay.
On the other handm, Biochemical Society internal vice president James Luz and Pharmacy Student Council president Karlorico Feliciano agreed that reviving the old grading system would be beneficial for the students.
Luz said students would have more chance to get higher grades with the old system.
“It will facilitate learning since topics will now be equally divided in three grading periods,” Feliciano added. Girard R. Carbonell
