Word: magnas
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Last year, History of Science awarded six summas, one magna plus, and 11 magnas to a graduating class of 28. Similarly, in 1972 Social Studies awarded six summas, no magna pluses, and 18 magnas to a class of 44. The same year, History and Literature awarded one summa, no magna pluses, and 19 magnas to a class...
John M. Bullitt, senior tutor in English, says, however, that only a high magna-low cum discrepancy occurred this year. Bullitt may be technically correct after a fashion. But sources said that in two cases, submitted grades were changed before the final thesis grade was calculated...
Usually, when grades differ by more than one distinction--summa to magna, magna to cum, or summa to cum--a third reader is called in to render another opinion. In most departments, the third grade is averaged with the other two, but in the English Department this year, the three readers held a meeting with Alan E. Heimert '49, chairman of the Department, to determine the final grade...
...another English Department case, a thesis received a magna plus from one reader and a cum from the other. After the two readers met with the third reader and Heimert, the sources said, the magna plus was lowered to a cum plus, and then a final grade was hammered out. In other departments, the three grades are usually averaged, but Bullitt says that numerical averages are too arbitrary, so the English Department decided to hold meetings instead...
Departments refuse to admit that a set number of degrees in each classification--summa, magna, and cum--are granted each year, and that this number is arbitrarily imposed. In the Government Department last year, however, of approximately 100 honors candidates, about 36 received magnas or higher. This year, only 78 people stood for honors, and the Department discussed the significant drop at their degree meeting...