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Section: December 1997
| DialogueQuestion: A recurring criticism of higher education is that standards are too low and faculty too easy on their students. The Advocate put this criticism to two NEA higher education members: Is grade inflation really a serious problem? | |
Yes, Grade inflation is a
corruption of academic excellence.
by John Pekich *
Grade inflation is an insidious practice that has disastrous effects on
the quality of student education, the integrity and reputation of the academic
institution, and the professions in which the students are ultimately employed.Such an unethical
practice serves several destructive ends. Students with inflated grades get a
false sense of their academic abilities. Ultimately, they may reach a point
where the grade inflation will stop academic progress because they can't do the
required work. This can lead students to repeat courses, fail, or even drop out
of college. A student who is given inflated grades is also being subtly
encouraged to participate in a fraud. The problem of grade
inflation continues to follow those students who do manage to graduate. With
their incomplete academic preparation, they won't have the skills and knowledge
they need in their profession--and they won't succeed.Perhaps most insidious
of all: Grade inflation compromises the integrity of the institution. Standards
are cheapened, and an institution's reputation for academic excellence
tarnished.
When all has been
said, debated, and evaluated about the merits of grade inflation, a single fact
cannot be denied: Academic excellence has always been the single guiding
standard by which a college or university has been judged. The practice of grade
inflation degrades that standard, leading to ethical mediocrity and academic
compromise.
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 No,
Grade inflation is not really a problem for the future.by Jean I. Evens* Grade inflation in higher education was a problem from the mid-1960s well into the 1980s. Two forces, one internal to institutions, one external, drove this phenomenon. The internal force
pervading public institutions was the move to fund colleges and universities on
a per student basis. When faced with reward for greater student numbers and
financial punishment for decreasing enrollments, faculty were pressured,
sometimes not so subtly, to retain students at all costs. Faculty positions and
programs were at risk to the vagaries of student grades and enrollments. This
incentive to grade inflation still exists, but new strategies for student
retention are available.The external force was the
exposure to the military draft faced by young men during the conflict in
Vietnam. Some faculty felt compelled to protect these young men from the draft
by helping them keep their student deferments. This powerful incentive to grade
inflation is no longer at play.The former incentive
will be counteracted in part as we increasingly assess specific skills,
outcomes, and competencies. If the initial establishment of grade standards for
the course is rigorous (and I believe that has not changed), the evaluation of
these identifiable components should influence overall evaluation to be less
subject to inflationary pressures. Grade inflation will
continue to diminish rapidly if faculty are watchful and responsible.
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* John Pekich is an arts and humanities professor at Atlantic Community College in Mays Landing, New Jersey. |
* Jean I. Evens is a sociology and geography instructor at Rainy River Community College in International Falls, Minnesota. |
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