Grade inflation continues to be a topic of debate both nationally and at the University as students and faculty question whether it is now easier to get high grades, and whether standards should be adopted for grade distribution.
Vice Provost for Academic Affairs Lorraine Davis said the administration is concerned about grade inflation because it has the potential to undermine the value of grading standards. But she said it is unclear whether students receiving undeserved grades is a problem on campus because the University lacks a mechanism to analyze grade distribution throughout the whole campus.
“That’s a matter of who you talk to,” she said. “It’s one of those things that we do need to pay more attention to.”
A list of University GPAs dating over the past 10 years shows a trend toward higher GPAs for all class levels, but some argue the increase isn’t due to grade inflation. Instead, they attribute it to increased student quality.
Average SAT scores and GPAs for incoming freshmen have been rising over the past few years, according to the Office of Admissions. The average GPA of this year’s freshman class is between 3.53 and 3.55, a rise from 3.47 last year and 3.39 four years ago.
Director of Admissions Martha Pitts said students are coming to campus with more experiences that have prepared them for a college education.
“There are other indications that we’re actually bringing in stronger students,” she said, adding that faculty members have also said students seem to be stronger academically.
Davis said administrators do not regulate how professors decide to distribute A’s because faculty members have the responsibility to distribute grades fairly and accurately.
“We expect that faculty will indeed be giving A grades when A grades are deserved,” she said. “This is a prerogative of the faculty but indeed, I do expect and hope that faculty take grading seriously.”
She said the idea of placing limits on the number of A’s faculty can distribute hasn’t been discussed in her department for about 10 years.
Biology Professor Emeritus Franklin Stahl said he hasn’t wandered from his grading standards throughout his nearly 45 years on campus. He said he uses a grading curve to ensure only the top 10 to 15 percent of his students receive A’s, with the majority receiving B’s or C’s. He said grades lower than a C are “really disgraceful.”
“I’ve pretty much stuck with that,” he said. “I don’t think I’ve inflated over the years.”
English Associate Professor Emeritus William Rockett said his grading standards haven’t changed over the past 38 years, either, but he tries to give an equal number of A, B and C grades.
“I don’t believe it has changed,” he said. “I do my best to weigh each paper individually.”
The Lundquist College of Business established a set of grading guidelines in fall 2002 for professors to ensure standardized grading. The guidelines call for professors to ensure overall class GPAs fall within set models, depending on the type of class.
Wendy Mitchell, the business school’s assistant dean of undergraduate programs, said the guidelines — which aren’t technically mandatory — were meant to guide new faculty members, standardize grading across multiple course sections and maintain academic standards.
“There are a lot of students who consider this important that we distinguish excellence from mediocrity,” she said. Some students have even come to her asking how to get other departments to instill the policy, she added.
Mitchell said grade inflation is a problem in all educational institutions because many teachers feel pressure for their students to succeed in an increasingly competitive world.
“It’s endemic to the system,” she said.
Davis agreed some pressure may come from students feeling the need to succeed, which could cause faculty to lower the bar.
Grade inflation has also been debated on a national scale for years, and last month officials at Princeton University proposed guidelines for faculty to follow when distributing grades, according to The Chronicle of Higher Education. One of the recommendations calls for faculty members to limit the number of A’s to no more than 35 percent of grades in undergraduate courses.
Sociology Assistant Professor Ellen Scott said she doesn’t believe in grading curves or guidelines; instead, she prefers using tough standards and high expectations to limit A’s.
“I think I am known to be a hard grader,” she said. On the other hand, if all of her students performed to the extent of being worthy of A’s, she would not hesitate to give them all the grade, she added.
But Davis said even when many students perform well, there are still ways to differentiate among them.
“Personally, I believe that there is a way to differentiate between levels of excellence,” she said.
Scott said while there is no way to nail down the grade inflation problem on campus, she does notice that many students expect to earn higher grades without much effort.
“There are those of us who resist the tendency to inflate grades, and when we do, our students seem surprised and angry,” she said.
Stahl said he has also received occasional complaints from students who say a B grade should be the new average, but for now he is sticking with the C.
“When I went to college, a C was average,” he said. “I guess I’m just old-fashioned.”