More Than Half of Brown Grades are A’s
More than half the grades given to Brown students last year were A's, the university reports. The 1.1 percentage-point increase over the previous year puts the figure at 50.6 percent, which is about 15.8 percentage points higher than in the 1994-1995 school year, writes the Brown Daily Herald.
While grades are up across all disciplines, students in the humanities, social sciences, and life sciences receive the highest proportion of top grades, while 47.1 percent of grades given to students in the physical sciences were A's.
Cynics say grade inflation explains the increase, while the system's defenders point to better high school prep and higher admissions standards. "I think people should not rule out the possibility that students are just doing better," said one faculty member. "We don't have to always look for nefarious or bad reasons."
Tags: colleges | Brown University
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A Berkeley student's parent
Definite grade inflation at the Ivies. Berkeley's A's are real A's and constitute much much less than 50% of class. Many people who walk into Berkeley are not even wait-listed at Brown or others. The high percentage of A's in Brown and others are strategies to maintain their self-fulfiiling prophencies.I wonder if most grad school professors take this into account in accepting grad students??
Conspiracy?
This isn't some type of university wide conspiracy to improve reputation. Grades are calculated on a per class basis by the professor, not the administration. One major factor Influencing these high grades is the fact that all classes at Brown can be taken pass/fail. This means that the majority of people who would be getting Cs are getting 'passes' instead which are not factored in to the 'actual' grades.
Grade inflation
As a college professor for 35 years, let me say that the main reason for grade inflation is student evaluation of faculty. Think about it. Evaluations play a key part in tenure and promotion decisions. Getting a reputation as a hard ass does not enhance a professor's evaluations.
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