To the editor:
I am a relative newcomer to academia, having spent the majority of my years working in the corporate sector. I am currently in my fourth semester of an associate degree program at a local institution of higher learning. As such a neophyte to the academic process, I do not pretend to have extensive knowledge of how grading systems work in colleges, but I have noticed some practices which I find to be inherently illogical and unfair. A small number of instructors seem to have a predilection towards grading written work on a scale which I find quite mystifying.
As an example, if a written assignment has a possible score of 100 points, a reasonable person could assume that 100 points was an obtainable number. In my admittedly brief delve into the academic setting, I have encountered some instructors who insist that they will not grade any such assignment at full point value, even if there is nothing marked off on the paper at all. I find this to be incomprehensible, as I would expect to have my paper handed back with corrections detailing any points deducted in order to improve my future performance. In order to learn from mistakes, one must first be told what the mistakes are.
I believe that instructors who wish to grade work in this manner should have the courtesy to detail mistakes made on an obviously less than perfect submission. I use the word obviously because if 100 points are possible, a lower score indicates that something is incorrect in the work. I believe if a 98 is awarded for a particular writing submission, a detailed account of what caused 2 points to be deducted is an absolutely reasonable expectation for the student to have, in light of the fact that classes are undertaken with the understanding that learning is inherent in the process. I also believe that a contract of sorts is implied when a student undertakes a program of study. A student is expected to produce work for the instructor which demonstrates understanding of the subject material being taught, and the instructor has the responsibility to give the student specific direction as to what they are missing.
At the very least, if an instructor holds to the policy that they will not assign a full point value for any work handed in, the point value that is stated up front needs to be adjusted to reflect the actual point value that is possible to obtain. At my school, the grading system is on software that calculates exact percentages, and I strongly object to a point value existing that I cannot obtain, no matter what I do. This type of philosophy essentially robs the student of a certain number of points from the outset of undertaking an assignment, which is demoralizing, to say the least.
My point is simple. Students and taxpayers are paying for a service when they embark upon a degree program, and should expect fair treatment during their academic journey. The same philosophy that guides imprecise grading policies would never be tolerated in the workplace. Since most students are seeking to obtain employment as a result of their studies, is there any reason why the same common sense rules shouldn’t apply in the academic arena? We all expect a fair wage for our work, should we not also expect a fair grade for academic work?
I ask you, as the public, to take a moment and think about such policies. They may not directly affect you, but they do filter into society as a whole. The same students that endure such unfair treatment end up in the workforce, and vote in elections. Society changes over time as a result of the experiences of each generation. The message that is being sent by the grading policies that are outlined above is that any person is simply not capable of achieving the possible points, which ultimately spawns a rather defeatist attitude in the student. Why try your best, if you will never be awarded accordingly.
This philosophy breeds mediocrity. Imagine if that mindset had been the prevailing sentiment in America when we sent men to the moon? Don’t you fear for our society as a whole if we continue to blindly allow such policies to exist? Your taxes are funding Pell Grants, which ultimately fund this philosophy.
Ask yourself if you would rather have the type of people who reached the seemingly impossible goal of going to the moon beside you, or would you prefer the type of people who have been taught that no matter how hard they try, they will never achieve such lofty goals? I know what my choice is, and I pray that our country is not so far gone that many of you feel the same.
I close this missive in the words of philosopher/author Ayn Rand, “Where is John Galt?”, and in my words, where has the drive for achieving greatness gone?
Jill A. Smith
Presque Isle
