ABSTRACT
Many students and professors believe that the more effort a student puts forth in a class, the better grade that student will earn. This chapter describes the Success Equals Effort (SEE) policy, at Benedict College. It discusses the assumptions that are necessary for the policy to be successful. This policy was implemented to increase the preparedness of Benedict College’s students by emphasizing the importance of effort. By focusing on effort, Benedict College hopes to increase learning, retention and graduation rates, and the value of the degree its students receive. For the SEE policy to increase learning, retention and graduation rates, and the value of the degree its students receive, some assumptions must hold. The policy emerged out of dissatisfaction with learning outcomes due in part to a lack of preparedness of students for the rigors of college. The unique aspect of this policy is that for freshman- and sophomore-level courses effort is an explicit part of a student’s grade.
