A syllabus posted online for the Terry School of Business ignited a firestorm when it said students could decide their own grades as part of a 'stress reduction' policy.
11Alive News spoke to the University of Georgia, who said that while the professor did give that directive, he has since taken it down.
The syllabus heard around the world
Terry School of Business Professor Dr. Richard Watson posted his coursework outline that included a "stress reduction" section.
Captured by the website CampusReform.org, the syllabus says that if a student feels unduly stressed by the grade they earned, they can email the professor to change the grade to what they think is appropriate and it will be changed, no explanation required.
The syllabus goes on to say that only positive comments about presentations will be given in class. Any negative feedback will come online.
11Alive News contacted UGA, who verified that yes, indeed, this was true. They went on to say that Watson's directive does not meet their academic standards and that he has since taken it down.
Statement from Terry College dean in response to concerns about Prof. Watson’s syllabus pic.twitter.com/osiKTFgw3C
— UGA (@universityofga) August 8, 2017
A new copy of the course syllabus posted online removes the "stress reduction" section entirely.
Online rankings indicate the Terry program is a rigorous one, ranked 45th in the nation for academic success. The average grade point average is 3.4, and the school's acceptance rate is only 33 percent, so that criticism is false.
SOURCES:
'Stress Reduction' policy cited by CampusReform.org, 'Prof lets students choose own grades for 'stress reduction,' Aug. 7, 2017
Course outline, University of Georgia, Terry College of Business, MIST 4550/6550 Energy Informatics, Revised, August 8, 2017
