Harvard Caps A’s as Selective Colleges Attack Grade Inflation
The New York Times • • nation
Key Points:
- Harvard University faculty voted to cap the number of A grades awarded to undergraduates at 20 percent per course, plus up to four additional A’s, aiming to combat grade inflation.
- The policy applies only to undergraduate courses, with no limits on A-minus or lower grades, and was approved by a vote of 458 to 201.
- Currently, about two-thirds of Harvard’s undergraduate grades are A’s, up from 35 percent a decade ago, reflecting a significant rise in grade inflation.
- Harvard’s dean of undergraduate education emphasized that the new policy is intended to strengthen academic standards and inspire other institutions to address grade inflation rigorously.
- Grade inflation is seen as a nationwide issue that diminishes the value of grades as indicators of student achievement for employers and graduate programs.