Proposal to curb grade inflation

Following a review of grading practices in spring 2003, the University released a set of proposals Wednesday to reduce grade inflation in undergraduate courses and departments.

The proposals, distributed to department chairs by Dean of the College Nancy Weiss Malkiel on behalf of the Faculty Committee on Examinations and Standing, could be voted on as early as the April 26 faculty meeting.

If approved, the proposals would limit the number of A-range grades to 35 percent of the grades in undergraduate courses, and 55 percent of the grades for independent work.

"In recent years at Princeton and at our peer institutions grades have been given within a very compressed frame so it's been hard for students to know work is really superb," Malkiel said at a meeting with undergraduates yesterday.

"The new policy would take us back to the way we were grading at Princeton in the early nineties and would push students to grow as scholars."

Grade inflation has been a contentious issue at universities around the country.

Set apart

If approved, the University's proposals would set Princeton apart from other higher education institutions and perhaps put some pressure upon them to follow its lead.

"The last half dozen years has seen serious discussion among our peer institutions about this issue and our actions have seem to have impressed them," she said.

"If we succeed in this endeavor it would make it harder for others to throw up their hands and say they can't do it."

The policy would be implemented by individual departments, though they would be able to adopt different models tailored to their unique sizes and other factors, Malkiel said.

The proposal would not set a limit on the number of As given in individual classes, but would set a ceiling on the number of As departments could award. Most likely this policy would affect large, introductory classes more than small, upper-level seminars, Malkiel said.

Malkiel added that there would be some flexibility within the policy and that "faculty should grade students according to the quality of their work. We're just trying to make the grades more accurately reflect this."

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The proposals have prompted concern among students who fear that they will be penalized for taking small classes or enrolling in smaller departments.

Malkiel said that this was unlikely to occur.

"In smaller classes where one works closer with students it seems natural that overall grades would be better than in larger classes where students don't get as much personal attention, but I know the administration is considering this," Marie-Helene Huet, chair of the French and Italian department, said. "I don't think professors will end up grading on a blind scale and penalizing students for being in small classes."

In the weeks before the faculty meeting, departments will discuss the proposals, and Malkiel will hold a series of question-and-answer session in the residential colleges and potentially some eating clubs to address student concerns.

"I think it's great that Princeton is proactive and is trying to be a leader in this issue," USG president Matt Margolin '05 said, adding that the USG will facilitate discussions with students about the proposals.

In the Class of 2002, 65 percent of students had grade point averages of B+ or better, 30 percent averaged between B+ and Band fewer than 5 percent had below B-, Malkiel said in an email to the student body Wednesday.Malkiel said.