Note: This proposal is subject to change due to the forthcoming Oracle PeopleSoft system upgrade from version 8.0 to 8.9.
Today, the colleges at Cornell have the option to use either of two types of GPA
(Grade Point Averages) calculations for undergraduate students in the student
information system. The first is a “cumulative” GPA, which uses all class work taken for
a letter grade to calculate the GPA throughout a student’s academic career. The second is
a “degree” GPA. The formula for calculating a degree GPA is the same one that is used
to calculate a cumulative GPA. The difference is that the degree GPA uses exclusionary
rules that prevent some course work from influencing the GPA. Each undergraduate
college employs different exclusionary rules, and in some cases, colleges do not use
exclusionary rules at all. The effect is that two students from two different colleges
taking the exact same course work and receiving the same grades could have very
different degree GPAs. In programs without strictly defined college boundaries, the
degree GPA fails to provide an equal measure of work for students matriculated in
different colleges. It is not surprising that the degree GPA calculation confuses many
undergraduate students.
Having two types of GPAs also raises questions concerning reporting. Cornell
has chosen not to include the GPA on a student’s official transcript, which results in
many inquiries to the colleges. Many professional and graduate school applications
require a reported GPA. Many employers, honor societies, and professional
organizations wish to know a student’s GPA. Currently, such requests for a student’s
GPA must be fulfilled via written notification from the student’s college. In these cases,
some colleges report the cumulative GPA, while others report the degree GPA. In some
circumstances, the higher of the two values is the GPA that is reported.
The new student information system, as delivered, is designed to calculate a
cumulative GPA in the same manner that it is calculated in today’s system. We propose
that colleges across the University report the cumulative GPA only for all students. We
also propose that the cumulative GPA be defined as the “GPA of record” for all students.
This requires the undergraduate colleges to agree on using the cumulative GPA as a
standard. The colleges also need to agree on which courses will be used to determine the
cumulative GPA. Other GPA derivations can continue to be calculated by the colleges as
needed using the data available to them.
The question of whether or not to report the GPA on student transcripts can be
addressed in later discussions that focus specifically on transcript-related issues.