Make Palij wrote: "The reason for this appeared to be that students could drop a course without consequence up to the 12th or so week in the semester. So, students who saw that they were failing going in the final weeks could drop the course with their G.P.A. unaffected." ---------------------------------------
If this were true, and was the reason for grade inflation at that institution, then we should have nothing to worry about. The students were still receiving accurate grades and credit for courses in which competent work had been completed. However, I doubt that the grade inflation disappeared after that loophole was closed. It sounds like a rationalization invented to explain the source of the inflation as something other than a reduction of standards. When I presented clear evidence of grade inflation to my institution, the response was "students are better now than they were then, therefore deserving of higher grades". I had to point out that the SAT scores had declined somewhat over the time period involved. Bill Scott --- To make changes to your subscription contact: Bill Southerly (bsouthe...@frostburg.edu)
