This is information provided by Ron Severson to the UO Senate 10 May 2006. Refer to RS11May06.html for further contextualization
GENERAL FEEDBACK RECEIVED,
TO DATE
1. General agreement that grade inflation is an important
issue for the UO to consider
2. Belief that departments can help by:
·
gathering departmentally
specific data
·
discussing what
different grade levels mean
·
developing guidelines
for grading
·
publishing grade
distributions among dept. members
3. Belief that expectations and guidelines need to be
communicated clearly to students, to faculty (including new faculty,
GTF’s and NTTF) and, perhaps, to end users of transcripts
4. Belief that looking at internal and external best
practices helps
5. Belief that the frequency of the A+ should be looked
at closely and that the C should not be interpreted as failing
6. General belief that effective approaches to grading
enhances the reputation of a University
7. General belief that the causes for grade inflation may
be departmentally specific
QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION?
1. Is grade inflation a problem?
2. If it is, what should be done about it?