Harvard Undergraduate Dean Issues Report, Warns Faculty
"Grade Inflation Must Stop?Too Many Students Receive Top Marks"
"Undermining Academic Atmosphere"... Proposal for New 'A+' Grade Emerges
Harvard University in the United States has recently become embroiled in an unexpected controversy over 'grade inflation.' According to Yonhap News on October 27 (local time), citing Bloomberg, "Harvard has warned that grade inflation-professors giving excessively high average grades-is undermining the academic atmosphere and has introduced measures to curb the trend."
According to Yonhap News, Amanda Claybaugh, Dean of Undergraduate Education at Harvard, urged faculty in a recent report to "end the practice of awarding the highest grade of A to a majority of students." Specifically, the report recommended that professors publish the median grade for each course and review grade distributions over time.
The report states that since the 2016-2017 academic year, the median grade for Harvard students has consistently been an A. Twenty years ago, the proportion of A grades was less than 25%, but ten years ago it rose to around 40%, and recently it has reached about 60%. The Harvard Crimson, the university's student newspaper, pointed out that "this year, 82% of graduates had an average GPA of at least 3.7 (equivalent to an A-), and even the proportion of graduates with a perfect 4.0 GPA (rounded up) was as high as 21%." The most common GPA among graduates was 3.9, and more than half (53%) of graduates had a GPA of 3.9 or higher.
Dean Claybaugh noted, "In the most recently completed academic year, the number of first-year students who received straight As in all courses decreased by 12% compared to the previous year, indicating some improvement in the practice of grade inflation." However, she also emphasized that "(the practice of grade inflation) not only undermines the essential function of grading, but also broadly damages the university's academic environment."
However, it was reported that not only Harvard but also many other Ivy League schools are facing serious grade inflation. Bloomberg explained, "One reason for this phenomenon is that professors known for being 'tough graders' or courses known for being 'hard to get good grades in' see a decline in enrollment." In addition, the pressure on professors to "make allowances" for students who are struggling due to 'impostor syndrome' or difficult personal circumstances, as well as students' demands for higher grades, are contributing factors. 'Impostor syndrome' refers to a psychological state in which individuals attribute their success and achievements to luck or external factors rather than their own abilities, leading to feelings of anxiety.
Meanwhile, a special committee at Harvard has reportedly proposed the introduction of an A+ grade, which would be awarded only in exceptional cases above the current highest grade of A. Bloomberg reported that "the intention is to provide more information through university grades by distinguishing the most outstanding students."
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