Anoushka D’Souza, second-year criminal justice

“I feel like with (a GPA of 1.67) you can get away with a lot more slack. Regardless if other schools are at a 60 per cent, the motivation to work a little harder should still be there.”

Kiersten Zacchigna, second-year criminal justice

“I just think that the standards are so high and some people don’t know how to deal with it, so (a GPA of 1.67) gives you room just in case you mess up a little bit … A lot of people don’t know how to handle the workload when they first get here.”

Bijan Hezarkhani, first-year business management

“If anything, the standards should have been raised to motivate students, because at the end of the day lowering the standards now is going to make the transition from school into the professional world that much harder.”

Celina Dhanjal, first-year politics and governance

“I think (lowering the GPA) is a good idea because the way that (Ryerson) grades is a lot tougher in ... that they expect more from such little instructions. When you’re given such little instruction it’s hard to achieve what they’re looking for.”

Gowtham Ratnaraj, fourth-year business technology management

“I feel like it reduces Ryerson’s integrity and value of programs and the school’s reputation. (Lowering the GPA) means a lot more students can achieve the same degree as those who work harder. Instead of meeting a minimum requirement.”

This story was first published in The Ryersonian, a weekly newspaper produced by the Ryerson School of Journalism, on March 13, 2013.