The editorial board at The Chronicle, Duke University’s student newspaper, ran an editorial last month examining grade inflation at the university and recommending that administrative officials take action against it.
The column was a response to an article in the Columbia Daily Spectator that recently reported that one in 12 undergraduates at Columbia earned a GPA of 4.0 or higher last semester, prompting coverage in both The Daily Pennsylvanian and The Daily Princetonian.
While the editorial board said that “students have to feel that grades have meaning” and advised increased vigilance among professors and students, the board added that strict limits, such as those set by Princeton and certain departments at Duke, undermine the effectiveness of grades.
“Setting hard and fast limits on grades is to miss part of what makes grades valuable,” the editorial board said. “Earning a grade should not be about gaming some professor’s procrustean grade distribution chart or trouncing your peers. Grade deflation can cause students to obsess over competition with their peers. This cutthroat atmosphere is a far cry from the open dialogue of true intellectual engagement.”
The average GPA for Duke students in 2007 was around 3.4, according to the editorial.
Read More
Faculty hear proposal to shave a week off winter break starting 2027
Serin Kayserilioglu and Meghana VeldhuisAt the March 2 faculty meeting, the Faculty Committee on Classrooms and Schedule presented a proposal that would shorten winter break from six weeks to five weeks starting in the 2027-28 academic year.
At the March 2 faculty meeting, the Faculty Committee on Classrooms and Schedule presented a proposal that would shorten winter break from six weeks to five weeks starting in the 2027-28 academic year.
U. to consider proctoring for all in-person exams, a departure from 133 years of precedent
Devon WilliamsUniversity faculty and administrators will consider a proposal to expand proctoring to all in-person exams. If passed, the policy could come into effect as early as next fall, according to Honor Committee members.
University faculty and administrators will consider a proposal to expand proctoring to all in-person exams. If passed, the policy could come into effect as early as next fall, according to Honor Committee members.
Princeton residents rally for congressional check on U.S. military action in Iran
Toby ChangFollowing U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran, Princeton residents gathered in Hinds Plaza on Saturday to protest the actions of the Trump administration.
Following U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran, Princeton residents gathered in Hinds Plaza on Saturday to protest the actions of the Trump administration.