The school faces significant allegations of grade inflation, with recent internal reports indicating that over 60% of undergraduate grades are now A’s, a substantial increase from just 25% two decades ago.
This trend has been described as damaging the academic culture of the College, with Dean of Undergraduate Education Amanda Claybaugh stating that the current grading system is failing to perform its primary functions and undermining the academic mission.
Matt Lamb of The College Fix says the problem likely began with the faculty, who issue the grades, because they want to avoid criticism from students and parents.
"Now it's certainly possible that individual deans may have pressured professors to give better grades because they didn't want to get complaints from students or their parents. But it's a good sign that the administration is asking faculty to deal with this."
Claybaugh suggests several steps to correct the issues.
The report:
-- urges instructors to clearly define what level of work merits each grade and to reintroduce in-person, sit-down exams, arguing they are vital in the age of AI.
-- calls for more consistent grading across different sections of the same course, noting that students are often frustrated by disparities among teaching fellows.
Lamb says grade inflation also harms students because it doesn't challenge them if they only have to put in a minimal effort to get a B or an A.
"If a few professors to start inflating grades, then it puts pressure on the other professors to start inflating grades so no professor wants to be the one Grinch, that actually has high standards and then gets the worst reviews compared to their peers.”
