USG Proposes New Grade Deflation Policy Letter

Do you know what our first, and to date only line of defense is against the fire-breathing academic dragon of grade deflation?A form letter. A piece of paper that earnestly explains why Princeton GPAs are lower than other GPAs, and encourages potential employers and graduate schools to visit the helpful online booklet Grading at Princeton: Frequently Asked Questions. The University mails out a letter with every transcript.It may not be much, but it's what we've got, and the USG hopes to propose a new draft of the letter to Dean Malkiel.So what's better in the new letter?"The new letter is much shorter," says Becca Lee, Academics Chair. Lee co-wrote the new draft with USG President Mike Yaroshefsky and 2012 Class Senator Julie Chang.Brevity! Makes sense--who's really going to read two pages about Princeton's grading policy? What else are we telling the world?"Its most important message is that grades at Princeton [are] earned differently than at other schools," says Lee. "GPA does not necessarily provide a reliably standardized point of comparison."Amen! Now let's hope someone (anyone) takes the time to read it.Wanna see what the letter looks like? Full text of the new draft after the jump!(This is the version of the letter as proposed to the USG Senate Sunday night.)

Colleagues:In 2004, Princeton University enacted new institutional grading expectations to address locally the national problem of grade inflation. This policy applies common standards to all academic departments and programs: A-range grades shall comprise no more than 35 percent of grades earned in undergraduate courses and no more than 55 percent of grades for junior and senior independent work. I hope this letter allows you to better evaluate our students’ credentials by placing the academic records of Princeton students in context.Endorsed and fully implemented by our faculty, this new grading policy reflects the commitment of the Princeton community to hold students to the highest academic standards. A-range grades at Princeton (A+, A, A-) signify a caliber of academic work that deserves special recognition. By making careful distinctions in evaluating student work, the faculty has restored educational content and meaning to the letter grades earned at Princeton.By contrast, our closest peer institutions report that grades continue to rise, with A’s often representing more than 50 percent of grades awarded. Unchecked grade inflation devalues student achievement and undermines the reliability of grade point averages as a standard comparative metric.  At its worst, it may even discourage students from doing their best possible work.The grading policy at Princeton is different. When evaluating the credentials of our students, I encourage you to consider their full course of study and other achievements. However, if your organization heavily weights GPA in its deliberations, please note that Princeton grades stand out against a national backdrop of grade inflation. For more detailed information about our grading policy, the booklet Grading At Princeton: Frequently Asked Questions can be found online at http://www.princeton.edu/odoc/faculty/grading/faq/.If you have any questions, you can reach me at the above address or by e-mail at nweiss@princeton.edu. Thank you.