Faculty Minutes May 22, 2001

 

Announcements:

1.      Faculty Council committee assignments are in the process of being made.  An effort is being made to adapt Dr. Boarman’s Task Forces with standing pre-existing Faculty Council committees to mitigate duplicate service by faculty.  Next year’s Task Forces will include (but are not limited to) Standards and Curriculum, Strategic Planning, and Governance.  There will also be slots available on the Admissions Committee, whose service will entail the requisite three-day reading of applicant files plus additional admissions work next year.

2.      Tuesdays will continue to be the meeting day of choice for faculty during the 2001-2002 academic year.

3.      Faculty volunteers are needed to participate in a service learning seminar on Thursday, June 7.  Faculty will be trained as facilitators and assist the training of SLIs in holding conversations concerning NCSSM students’ service learning graduation component.  Please contact Dr. Warshaw if you are interested.

4.      Faculty are also invited to participate in a discussion about the proposed NCSSM summer reading (A Practical Guide to Ethics and Study is Hard Work) that will be held on May 30th at 4:00 p.m.  Location TBA.  A second discussion regarding these books and their application to our community will be held on June 7.  Stay tuned.

 

Discussion

 

Faculty Evaluation Procedures: The Faculty Evaluation Committee has been working industriously to revise evaluation procedures for discipline reports.  Of particular concern is the evaluation of those persons, such as the librarian and counselors, who are faculty, but do not teach regular, academic classes.  In an effort to accommodate their evaluation, the committee tries to change the language of the procedural guidelines to enable faculty to write the requisite reports.  The faculty asked the committee to revisit the guidelines and devise/revise a process that would capture these folks’ performance.  The recommended changes will be placed in faculty mailboxes soon, and a vote will be taken.  A final version of procedures is due to Dr. Warshaw by June 1, 2001.

 

Grade Task Force/NCSSM College Acceptance Rates:  Dot distributed graduation information she and others gathered from the materials provided by the counseling department.  Observations that were drawn from the data include the following:

1.      NCSSM students are accepted at a higher rate to top universities than the national rate of acceptance.

2.      More students across the U.S. are applying to elite public and private institutions than ever before.  (Thus, even though we are getting a high percentage of students into top-flight schools, there are, because of the sheer increase in applicants, a corresponding rise in rejections and hurt feelings exists.  This makes the problem seem worse than it is because more students are affected.)

3.      The data does not indicate that NCSSM has a problem in getting top kids into top universities.

 

Questions and comments voiced by the faculty include :

1.      Are curricular changes necessary in response to a perceived problem that, in fact, based on the data seems not to exist? 

2.      Many top high schools do not weight their grades with quality points.  What is our motivation in adopting quality points?

3.      Do we really have a decision to make?  Previous recommendations arising from Task Forces and committees have been rejected.

4.      Concern was expressed that we will create second class citizens at NCSSM who, because of their educational background, will never be able to take courses with weightings of 6 points.

5.      Preference was expressed for initiating transcript changes and course numbering changes to indicate the level of difficulty without inserting quality points next year.  In other words, make changes gradually.

6.      Have parents, the Director, and counseling been given the data that Dot shared?  (The data was shared with the members of the grade task force.)

 

Certainly, all faculty want students to have the very best opportunities after graduation, but the issue of quality points proved especially disconcerting and unclear as to its impact on both the quality of student life and the recruitment of future Science and Math students.  This was of significant concern to the faculty members present at the meeting.

 

Materials and data shared in the meeting is found below.

 

GPA and extra QP’s at some schools  (NC Public high schools generally not included since they all do the same - honors = +1 and AP = + 2)

 

Alabama - no class rank, no GPA, does honors and AP, ???

 

Asheville - add 1 to honors and AP, median weighted = 3.4

 

Bancroft (Worcester MA) - 4.0 unweighted, no rank

 

Hackensack Academy - unweighted, A+ = 4.33, no rank, only A, B, C

 

California Academy - unweighted GPA, no rank

 

Carolina Day (Asheville) - A+ = 4.33, unweighted

 

Center for Adv. Technology (St. Petersburg, FL.) - weight A = 5, honors (and AP?), no class rank; A, B, C, D, F; course names, some have “honors after an AP”

 

Charter School of Wilmington (Delaware) - a math and science school, does rank; does weighted grades but not clear how

 

Durham Academy - no weights (4pt.), 4.3 = A+; no rank; no class rank

 

Gaston Day School - only A, B, C grades, GPA: + 0.5 Honors, +1 AP

 

Governors School for Govt. and Intl. Study in Richmond - Honor don’t get extra qp’s, AP gets +1, no class rank

 

Greensboro Day - bar chart of jr. grades looks normally distributed with avg. B/B+ [GPA = 4, but add 5 pts. to grade if A+ and 10 pts. if AP; no class rank; provide both weighted and unweighted GPA)

 

Groton - no class rank, honors and AP not weighted, provides a grade distribution chart: median grade seems to be about mid 80s » 84, looks like 60 is passing; sample transcript marked one of last year’s best had grades ranging from mid 80s to mid 90s about evenly split.

 

Hayesville High School

 

High Tech. High School (NJ) - no class rank

 

Illinois Math and Science Academy - don’t seem to have an honors designation on transcript; no rank; no GPA; profile shows grade distrubtion by % and broad course groups

 

Indiana Academy - sample transcript;  does not show honors, GPA, or number of p’s.

 

J. H. Rose High School  (NC)

 

Jefferson Science/Technical High School - sample transcript; shows GPA; AP = +1?

 

Leesville Rd. High School  (NC)

 

Louisiana School for Math, Science, and the Arts - GPA based on grades, earned at the Louisana school; 4.0 unweighted, also show transfer based on 4.0

 

Landon School - no class rank; GPA & +1 for both honors and AP

 

Macomb Math Science Technical Center

 

Maine School of Science and Math - no class rank; no GPA; transcript says all courses honors level or above

 

Maret School

 

Marine Academy of Science and Technology (Voc.) - does GPA- weighted-by how much

 

Maritime and Science Technical High School (Miami-Dade Public Schools)

 

Massachusetts Academy of Math and Science - no GPA or classrank

 

Math/Science/Technical Center (Big Rapids, MD)- profile shows class average GPA out of 4.0

 

Mathematics and Science High School at Clover Hill (Chesterfield County) -weighted GPA, +1 for honors and AP.

 

Mercersburg Academy - unweighted GPA

 

Midlothian High School (Chesterfield Co.) - weighted GPA, +1 for honors and AP.

 

Mississippi School for Math and Science - no GPA

 

Montgomery Blair - no class rank, weighted and unweighted GPA

 

Myers Park - Advanced, AG, Pre-IB get 1 QP; IB and AP get 2 QP

 

Notre Dame Academy - does not weight grades, courses are designated Honors/AP

 

Orlando School of Science and Math - no class rank, no GPA, all courses are designated Honors

 

PEA- no weighted grades, Honors/AP indicated on transcript with stars

 

Ravenscroft - GPA based on Ravenscroft’s grades, AP/Honors add +1 QP, A+ = 4.33

 

Roanoke Valley Governor’s School for Science and Technology - half-day school so no class ranks or GPA

 

Thomas Jefferson - no class rank, no Honors, no enriched

 

 

Brown

Applied

Accepted

% Accepted

Enrolled

1991

12

6

50.00

2

1992

5

3

60.00

0

1993

6

2

33.33

1

1994

8

4

50.00

1

1995

15

3

20.00

2

 

Avg. Acceptance

39

 

 

 

 

 

 

Carnegie Mellon

Applied

Accepted

% Accepted

Enrolled

1991

6

6

100.00

1

1992

6

6

100.00

2

1993

3

2

66.67

0

1994

10

10

100.00

5

1995

8

7

87.50

2

 

Avg. Acceptance

94

 

 

 

 

 

 

Columbia

Applied

Accepted

% Accepted

Enrolled

1991

2

0

0.00

0

1992

2

2

100.00

1

1993

1

1

100.00

1

1994

5

4

80.00

1

1995

3

3

100.00

0

 

Avg. Acceptance

77

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dartmouth

Applied

Accepted

% Accepted

Enrolled

1991

5

2

40.00

0

1992

2

0

0.00

0

1993

1

1

100.00

0

1994

4

2

50.00

0

1995

2

0

0.00

0

 

Avg. Acceptance

36

 

 

 

 

 

 

Duke

Applied

Accepted

% Accepted

Enrolled

1991

94

39

41.49

12

1992

45

31

68.89

10

1993

55

40

72.73

15

1994

78

53

67.95

24

1995

103

60

58.25

29

 

Avg. Acceptance

59

 

 

 

 

 

 

Emory

Applied

Accepted

% Accepted

Enrolled

1991

7

7

100.00

1

1992

7

6

85.71

1

1993

11

9

81.82

1

1994

16

13

81.25

0

1995

9

9

100.00

1

 

Avg. Acceptance

88

 

 

 

 

 

 

Georgetown

Applied

Accepted

% Accepted

Enrolled

1991

5

2

40.00

0

1992

6

3

50.00

0

1993

4

2

50.00

0

1994

7

2

28.57

0

1995

6

2

33.33

2

 

Avg. Acceptance

39

 

 

 

 

 

 

Harvard

Applied

Accepted

% Accepted

Enrolled

1991

8

1

12.50

1

1992

11

4

36.36

1

1993

12

6

50.00

2

1994

17

6

35.29

3

1995

29

2

6.90

1

 

Avg. Acceptance

25

 

 

 

 

 

 

Haverford

Applied

Accepted

% Accepted

Enrolled

1991

3

3

100.00

1

1992

2

2

100.00

0

1993

2

2

100.00

1

1994

5

4

80.00

1

1995

1

0

0.00

0

 

Avg. Acceptance

85

 

 

 

 

 

 

Johns Hopkins

Applied

Accepted

% Accepted

Enrolled

1991

14

4

28.57

0

1992

17

12

70.59

1

1993

16

7

43.75

0

1994

12

5

41.67

2

1995

16

8

50.00

0

 

Avg. Acceptance

48

 

 

 

 

 

 

MIT

Applied

Accepted

% Accepted

Enrolled

1991

13

5

38.46

0

1992

11

4

36.36

3

1993

14

8

57.14

3

1994

12

4

33.33

1

1995

24

7

29.17

3

 

Avg. Acceptance

38

 

 

 

 

 

 

Princeton

Applied

Accepted

% Accepted

Enrolled

1991

9

0

0.00

0

1992

9

3

33.33

2

1993

9

7

77.78

7

1994

11

3

27.27

0

1995

22

5

22.73

3

 

Avg. Acceptance

30

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stanford

Applied

Accepted

% Accepted

Enrolled

1991

7

0

0.00

0

1992

1

1

100.00

0

1993

4

3

75.00

1

1994

4

0

0.00

0

1995

7

2

28.57

1

 

Avg. Acceptance

26

 

 

 

 

 

 

U.Chicago

Applied

Accepted

% Accepted

Enrolled

1991

6

5

83.33

1

1992

3

2

66.67

0

1993

2

2

100.00

0

1994

4

4

100.00

0

1995

5

3

60.00

1

 

Avg. Acceptance

80

 

 

 

 

 

 

UPenn

Applied

Accepted

% Accepted

Enrolled

1991

11

7

63.64

0

1992

4

3

75.00

0

1993

5

5

100.00

0

1994

4

3

75.00

1

1995

4

3

75.00

1

 

Avg. Acceptance

75

 

 

 

 

 

 

UVA

Applied

Accepted

% Accepted

Enrolled

1991

13

7

53.85

2

1992

6

4

66.67

1

1993

17

7

41.18

0

1994

9

3

33.33

1

1995

18

13

72.22

4

 

Avg. Acceptance

54

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yale

Applied

Accepted

% Accepted

Enrolled

1991

5

1

20.00

1

1992

1

1

100.00

0

1993

8

3

37.50

2

1994

9

3

33.33

1

1995

12

2

16.67

1

 

Avg. Acceptance

29

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Brown

Applied

Accepted

% Accepted

Enrolled

1996

15

4

26.67

1

1997

21

8

38.10

2

1998

10

1

10.00

1

1999

17

1

5.88

0

2000

4

1

25.00

1

 

Avg. Acceptance

22

 

 

 

 

 

 

Carnegie Mellon

Applied

Accepted

% Accepted

Enrolled

1996

13

12

92.31

2

1997

8

7

87.50

0

1998

6

6

100.00

1

1999

8

7

87.50

3

2000

10

5

50.00

4

 

Avg. Acceptance

82

 

 

 

 

 

 

Columbia

Applied

Accepted

% Accepted

Enrolled

1996

5

4

80.00

0

1997

7

3

42.86

0

1998

7

4

57.14

0

1999

11

2

18.18

0

2000

6

2

33.33

0

 

Avg. Acceptance

42

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dartmouth

Applied

Accepted

% Accepted

Enrolled

1996

6

1

16.67

1

1997

4

3

75.00

1

1998

5

2

40.00

1

1999

7

2

28.57

1

2000

3

1

33.33

1

 

Avg. Acceptance

36

 

 

 

 

 

 

Duke

Applied

Accepted

% Accepted

Enrolled

1996

85

63

74.12

23

1997

85

59

69.41

26

1998

73

52

71.23

18

1999

117

57

48.72

29

2000

80

54

67.50

26

 

Avg. Acceptance

65

65
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Emory

Applied

Accepted

% Accepted

Enrolled

1996

14

10

71.43

4

1997

17

14

82.35

0

1998

18

16

88.89

1

1999

16

11

68.75

2

2000

11

4

36.36

0

 

Avg. Acceptance

72

 

 

 

 

 

 

Georgetown

Applied

Accepted

% Accepted

Enrolled

1996

3

1

33.33

1

1997

9

3

33.33

1

1998

5

1

20.00

0

1999

17

5

29.41

2

2000

10

1

10.00

0

 

Avg. Acceptance

25

 

 

 

 

 

 

Harvard

Applied

Accepted

% Accepted

Enrolled

1996

26

5

19.23

3

1997

25

3

12.00

1

1998

20

2

10.00

1

1999

26

3

11.54

1

2000

16

2

12.50

1

 

Avg. Acceptance

13

 

 

 

 

 

 

Haverford

Applied

Accepted

% Accepted

Enrolled

1996

----------

-----------

--------------

-----------

1997

3

2

66.67

0

1998

2

2

100.00

1

1999

4

2

50.00

0

2000

4

2

50.00

1

 

Avg. Acceptance

62

 

 

 

 

 

 

Johns Hopkins

Applied

Accepted

% Accepted

Enrolled

1996

8

5

62.50

1

1997

13

6

46.15

2

1998

16

12

75.00

1

1999

28

14

50.00

1

2000

14

4

28.57

1

 

Avg. Acceptance

52

 

 

 

 

 

 

MIT

Applied

Accepted

% Accepted

Enrolled

1996

15

6

40.00

2

1997

21

10

47.62

3

1998

16

9

56.25

2

1999

22

6

27.27

3

2000

23

3

13.04

2

 

Avg. Acceptance

35

 

 

 

 

 

 

Princeton

Applied

Accepted

% Accepted

Enrolled

1996

13

4

30.77

2

1997

15

4

26.67

4

1998

15

4

26.67

1

1999

28

4

14.29

4

2000

11

0

0.00

0

 

Avg. Acceptance

20

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stanford

Applied

Accepted

% Accepted

Enrolled

1996

8

4

50.00

1

1997

10

4

40.00

0

1998

2

0

0.00

0

1999

7

3

42.86

3

2000

10

0

0.00

0

 

Avg. Acceptance

30

 

 

 

 

 

 

U.Chicago

Applied

Accepted

% Accepted

Enrolled

1996

6

4

66.67

1

1997

2

1

50.00

0

1998

2

2

100.00

0

1999

4

3

75.00

1

2000

7

3

42.86

1

 

Avg. Acceptance

62

 

 

 

 

 

 

UPenn

Applied

Accepted

% Accepted

Enrolled

1996

6

2

33.33

0

1997

4

3

75.00

1

1998

4

3

75.00

2

1999

14

4

28.57

2

2000

8

2

25.00

1

 

Avg. Acceptance

39

 

 

 

 

 

 

UVA

Applied

Accepted

% Accepted

Enrolled

1996

34

22

64.71

5

1997

15

7

46.67

0

1998

12

3

25.00

1

1999

13

4

30.77

1

2000

11

2

18.18

0

 

Avg. Acceptance

45

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yale

Applied

Accepted

% Accepted

Enrolled

1996

14

1

7.14

0

1997

8

2

25.00

1

1998

8

2

25.00

2

1999

25

6

24.00

2

2000

8

3

37.50

3

 

Avg. Acceptance

22

 

           

 

 

 

Brown

Average Acceptance Percentage

1991-1995

39

1996-2000

22

 

 

Carnegie Mellon

 

1991-1995

94

1996-2000

82

 

 

Columbia

 

1991-1995

77

1996-2000

42

 

 

Dartmout

 

1991-1995

36

1996-2000

36

 

 

Duke

 

1991-1995

59

1996-2000

65

 

 

Emory

 

1991-1995

88

1996-2000

72

 

 

Georgetown

 

1991-1995

39

1996-2000

25

 

 

Harvard

 

1991-1995

25

1996-2000

13

 

 

Haverford

 

1991-1995

85

1996-2000

62

 

 

Johns Hopkins

 

1991-1995

48

1996-2000

52

 

 

MIT

 

1991-1995

38

1996-2000

35

 

 

Princeton

 

1991-1995

30

1996-2000

20

 

 

Stanford

 

1991-1995

26

1996-2000

30

 

 

U. Chicago

 

1991-1995

80

1996-2000

62

 

 

U Penn

 

1991-1995

75

1996-2000

39

 

 

UVA

 

1991-1995

54

1996-2000

45

 

 

Yale

 

1991-1995

29

1996-2000

23.73

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

school         acc. rate 1991-95  acc. rate 1996-2000

                        From U.S. News and World Report

 

brown                23.6                  18.4

carnegie-mellon 60.6                  44.8

columbia           28.4                  18.0

dartmouth          25.0                  21.4

duke                 29.0                  29.2

emory               56.6                  46.2

georgetown        27.0                  22.6

harvard              16.4                  11.8

haverford           40.5                  35.0

johns hopkins    47.0                  39.6

mit                    31.2                  23.4

princeton           15.8                  12.6

stanford 20.4                  15.6

u. chicago         46.6                  60.0

u. penn             41.6                  29.8

u. virginia           35.0                  35.8

yale                  20.6                  18.0

 

 

Ratios:  (our avg acceptance rate)/(nat’l avg acceptance rate)

 

School

Ratio ‘91-95

Ratio ‘96-00

Brown

1.65

1.20

CMU

1.55

1.83

Columbia

2.71

2.33

Dartmouth

1.44

1.68

Duke

2.03

2.23

Emory

1.55

1.56

Georgetown

1.44

1.11

Harvard

1.52

1.10

Haverford

2.10

1.77

Johns Hopkins

1.02

1.31

MIT

1.22

1.5

Princeton

1.90

1.59

Stanford

1.27

1.92

U. Chicago

1.33

1.03

U. Penn

1.80

1.31

UVA

1.54

1.26

Yale

1.41

1.22