Summary Notes of "Curbing Grade Inflation," by P. Wankat, and F. Oreovicz, ASEE Prism, October 2002, p. 38.

Summarized by J. T. P. Yao, 11/11/02

"In 1966, just over 15 percent of first-year college students carried 'A' average in high school. By 2001, the portion had jumped to 44 percent, according to an annual UCLA survey of college freshmen. … Clearly, there is grade inflation in high schools, and students entering college expect to continue getting high marks. And they do. High percentages of college graduates with honors these days. … Yet, according to the National Surveys of Student Engagement, another large study, the amount of time that college students spend hitting books outside of class doesn't coincide with their good grades. Only 21 percent of college seniors spend more than 20 hours per week preparing for class."

"We believe that students learn best when grades accurately reflect their achievement. Grade inflation con be controlled by establishing certain procedures… For 'A,' the work should be outstanding, and to receive a 'B,' it must be of professional quality. In your syllabus, define your grading scale and refer to it during the semester. …"

"We should also stop punishing students in departments that control grade inflation. Basing university honors and other awards strictly on GPA puts students in those departments at a disadvantage. Graduate and professional schools and companies that hire new engineers must allow for differences in institutional quality and grading standards when making those all-important admissions or hiring decisions."

"Grade inflation, like inflation in the economy, can be controlled. Perhaps universities need to follow the lead of the Federal Reserve, whose primary function is to keep inflation in check."

[Readers who are interested in this article are encouraged to read the original paper in its entirety. Other summary notes on faculty reward systems are available on the Internet at http://lohman.tamu.edu under the heading "Summaries of Papers ..."]