CUE Discusses Grade Inflation

At their first meeting of the year yesterday, members of the Committee on Undergraduate Education (CUE) discussed two proposals for dealing with grade inflation.

CUE members failed to reach a clear consensus on either proposal, despite an effort to elicit advice from the departments last year.

The first proposal is an addition of the A/B grade that would correspond to the unused 13 on the 15-point grade scale. The second is adding class size and average grade to student transcripts.

These are the only two concrete proposals which are under "serious consideration" because of faculty responses to the problem, according to Lawrence Buell, dean of under graduate education.

"The Faculty came back and said yes, there's a problem," said Baird Professor of Science Gary J. Feldman, who chairs the physics department. "But for every solution offered, [they said,] 'That's not appropriate."

Feldman said he is personally in favor of using every number on the 15 point scale or abolishing the scale altogether. He also said he opposes transcript reform.

"I think [transcript reform] goes against the philosophy that we're trying to encourage cooperative learning," he said.

Feldman's sentiments were echoed by student members of the CUE.

"I find transcript reform unpalatable," said Elizabeth A. Haynes '98, "I really do like the idea of an A/B equivalent.... It doesn't penalize students who learn from each other."

Carl B. Agee, associate professor of experimental petrology, called the current grade point system "silly" and said that it should be amended to make the scale linear.

Several CUE members said they feared adding an A/B grade could increase the problem of grade inflation, saying problem of grade inflation, saying professors might not give B-pluses anymore.

Members of the CUE focused more on the problem of different mean grades in the natural sciences, social sciences and humanities than with the general rise of grades.

Humanities tend to give the highest grades, followed by social sciences. Natural sciences tend to give the lowest mean grades.

"Whether or not there's a drift isn't a big problem," Agee said. "What's serious is the dispersion between the natural sciences and the humanities."

"The only thing that worries me about grade inflation is its differentiation," said Dean of the College Harry R. Lewis '68, a guest of the CUE.

Lewis outlined a possible problem of the current system: Students trying to decide on a concentration might take their higher grades in humanities courses as a sign of greater aptitude rather than a mark of different standards.

CUE members differed on how to fix the problem.

Assistant Dean for Undergraduate Education Jeffrey Wolcowitz said he felt the proposed transcript change would rectify the problem. But other members disagreed.

"I feel the professors really have to take it in hand [on] a case-by-case basis," said Associate Professor of History Ellen Fitzpatrick. "I'm not sure it can be fixed by broad policy."

Next month, the CUE will probably send a proposal to the Faculty Council, which would have to approve any proposal before the full Faculty could vote to make a change.

In other business, the CUE met with a committee of the Undergraduate are Council dedicated to reviewing the Core curriculum and discussed the expansion of the CUE Guide.

"The only thing that worries me about grade inflation is its differentiation," said Dean of the College Harry R. Lewis '68, a guest of the CUE.

Lewis outlined a possible problem of the current system: Students trying to decide on a concentration might take their higher grades in humanities courses as a sign of greater aptitude rather than a mark of different standards.

CUE members differed on how to fix the problem.

Assistant Dean for Undergraduate Education Jeffrey Wolcowitz said he felt the proposed transcript change would rectify the problem. But other members disagreed.

"I feel the professors really have to take it in hand [on] a case-by-case basis," said Associate Professor of History Ellen Fitzpatrick. "I'm not sure it can be fixed by broad policy."

Next month, the CUE will probably send a proposal to the Faculty Council, which would have to approve any proposal before the full Faculty could vote to make a change.

In other business, the CUE met with a committee of the Undergraduate are Council dedicated to reviewing the Core curriculum and discussed the expansion of the CUE Guide.