The San Mateo Community College District Academic Senate has voted to approve the motion for a district wide implementation of a plus/minus grading policy to go into effect as early as fall 2013.

A recommendation will be submitted to the district’s board of trustees for approval later this month. Approval by the board of trustees may be the final obstacle for the new grading policy to take place.

The shift in grading policy has been in discussion since 2007 but has met resistance from The Associated Students of Skyline College (ASSC) since first being proposed. Student body president Jose Luis Sanchez Sosa believes that although the new policy may be implemented for the upcoming academic year, revisions must be made.

“I don’t think it’s ready to be implemented,” Sanchez said. “I understand that this policy has been in the works for a long time now, but there are still areas that we (ASSC) do not agree with.”

Student governments at all three of the district colleges have submitted their endorsements for the change, but are split as to whether to have modifications to every letter grade. ASSC has proposed a system where “A” grades would not be eligible to receive modification nor any letter grade below a “C.”

ASSC has argued that the proposed change would discourage students from participating in extracurricular activities and community involvement. According to ASSC, Skyline students have a higher percentage of students who are active beyond academics.

The San Mateo County Community College District is among a short list of two-year colleges that currently does not practice plus/minus grading.

Skyline Physics professor, Nick Langhoff, believes that the change in policy would provide long-term benefits for students who plan to transfer.

“As someone who has to hand out grade evaluations, adding a plus or a minus would be a better representation of a student’s performance,” Langhoff said. “It adds precision and more resolution to a final grade.”

In addition to adding accuracy, plus/minus grading would also put Skyline College’s policy in line with that of the UC and CSU systems. It has been argued by the Academic Senate that the change may in fact ease the transition to a four-year university.

Sophomore Jin Yang believes that many students may be affected negatively in the short-term, but may be a source of motivation to do well academically.

“It definitely won’t demotivate anyone,” Yang said. “I can see students taking more initiative in their studies.”