Copyright 2001 The New York Times Company
The New York Times
December 9, 2001 Sunday
Late Edition - Final
SECTION: Section 4; Column 1; Editorial Desk; Pg. 12

LENGTH: 484 words

HEADLINE: Why Grade Inflation Is Serious

BODY:


Harvard, long a center of excellence in so many forms of study, is becoming known as a pioneer in grade inflation, too. A recent report by the dean of the faculty of arts and sciences revealed that half the grades awarded to undergraduates in recent years have been either A or A-. The school is hardly the only institution of higher learning that has been troubled by nagging doubts about whether the line between mediocrity and real achievement is being blurred. The grading systems at American universities deserve to be re-evaluated, but it is important that the work be done on the basis of real data rather than guesswork.

The distorting effects of grade inflation at Harvard were uncovered earlier this fall by a Boston Globe investigation, which disclosed that an astonishing 91 percent of Harvard graduates received honors last in June. The faculty has since begun a vigorous debate about what's going on. Some argue that the quality of students is simply better. At least one veteran professor suggests that white professors are reluctant to give bad grades to black students and go easy on everyone as a result. But evidence across the country indicates that the problem has occurred even at second- and third-tier schools and in places where the minority populations are infinitesimal.

Potential causes for grade inflation abound at the nation's colleges. More than half of all college courses are now taught by part-time teachers, and it would be interesting to see if those faculty members, who are underpaid and overworked, award more high grades to keep their jobs and keep their charges quiet and happy. While Harvard does not have to worry about attracting students, there are certainly some colleges that discourage teachers from giving low grades that might drive tuition-paying customers off campus.

Fifty years ago, students probably gnashed their teeth about C's but kept their mouths shut. Now, in addition to simply haranguing their teachers, students can exact revenge through student evaluations that play a role in whether junior faculty members are retained and given raises. The universities have encouraged students to gripe with consumer-driven appeals committees that allow them to seek changes in their transcripts.

A forthcoming book by Valen Johnson, a Duke University statistics professor, argues that lax grading is distorting the course selection process as well. Mr. Johnson contends that the expectation of high grades in humanities classes is swelling enrollment in those subjects and draining university resources from science departments. He has proposed restructuring the lopsided grading systems to remove the incentives that he says drive people out of sciences and into the soft areas. Those ideas have drawn catcalls from his colleagues. But the recent reports out of Harvard and elsewhere suggest that grade inflation is not necessarily a laughing matter.

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LOAD-DATE: December 9, 2001