Top failed classes at FGCU

Falling a class is a night­mare most college students would like to avoid. If stu­dents would like to graduate with a high GPA they need to watch the classes they take during their freshman and sophomore years. Recent failure rates show gener­al education classes are the ones students fail the most.

Intermediate Algebra, Col­lege Algebra, Understanding Vi­sual and Performing Arts, Com­position 1 and Statistics were the top failed courses of the fall 2009 semester, in that order. Interme­diate Algebra is the only course that is not a general education re­quirement.

The professors who teach the classes believe the high failure rate is representative of different factors, but they all agree on one thing: If you come to class, you will do well.

"I think that if more students attended lecture and lab on a reg­ular basis the course success rate would be much improved. The students who attend class regu­larly generally pass the course," said Amy Benvie, College Alge­bra instructor.

In the spring semester of 2009 the math department raised the standards in both the Intermedi­ate and College Algebra courses. Instructors of the classes now conduct quizzes in the classroom setting, rather than online, en­suring students are completing their own work. The weight of the midterm and final exam was raised to be worth 70 percent of students' final grade.

"Although these two chang­es did raise the standards in the course, the math department re­alizes that many more students may have failed the course as a result," Benvie said.

The math department is look­ing into using the computer lab in Academic Building 7 to ad­minister online quizzes.

"We are in the process of an­alyzing the data resulting from these changes (made in spring 2009), and are in discussions as a department to restructure the course for the fall semester. We hope that the changes we make for the fall semester will help a lot more students achieve suc­cess in this course," the math de­partment said.