It has now been a month since fall semester Dean's Date and several weeks since final grades were due, but we are willing to bet that many students have yet to receive all of their graded work back from their professors and preceptors. In fact, many students will probably never see their final papers and exams.
This, of course, is not a universal phenomenon; many professors return graded work at the end of the semester in a prompt, timely fashion. However, we encourage all departments and professors to ensure that all graded work is returned to students within a reasonable amount of time after the conclusion of each semester.
Such a policy would require very little additional effort from departments, professors and preceptors; after all, professors presumably need to thoroughly read each paper in order to assign it a fair grade. Once the papers have been read and grades given, all that is necessary is an email to students informing them of when and where their graded work can be retrieved.
Students, furthermore, should take the initiative in approaching their professors and preceptors and asking for their graded work to be returned. After all, students have a right to see how their professors view their work beyond the mere letter grades that are assigned and reported at the end of the semester. The return of all graded assignments to students also guarantees that grades are assigned only after careful, thorough consideration of each individual's work. This is particularly an issue in the era of grade deflation at Princeton; as the University attempts to reallocate the number of A grades it is imperative that students know exactly what constitutes excellence in their academic work, which is only possible if students receive regular feedback from their instructors on their written work.
More importantly, much can be learned from a professor's comments on written work; a paper should not be merely an exercise to obtain a grade, but an opportunity for the student to explore a topic in greater depth than is possible in the classroom. Students cannot be confident that they have fully understood the subject unless professors return all graded work at the end of each semester.
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