What the f*#k is with the grading policy at Tufts? Like many students this semester, I was jolted out of my winter break joy when one of my grades surprised me: I had gotten a C-plus in Environmental Biology! A C-plus?! There were only three tests in that class and I know I had a test average of 90 percent. Unfortunately, there was one other factor to be taken into account: Our professor had made class participation worth 25 percent - equal to an entire test grade. Participation was based on students' performance in ten in-class discussions. I had been present at slightly less than half, and that loss of about 12 to 13 percentage points put me squarely in C-plus territory.
While my understanding of the course material was good, as reflected by my test grades, my "class participation" (read: attendance) in the approximately 150-person class was admittedly less than half. There is a problem here. The problem, as I see it, is twofold: First, the grading policies of some - not all - professors do not accurately gauge the students' understanding of the course material. Secondly, grades are often insufficient to convey an individual's capabilities and circumstances. I believe the solution to this problem is a more progressive grading policy with two key parts. First, professors should be required to clear their grading policies with academic deans beforehand to make sure they are fairly weighted. Secondly, and most importantly, for those occasions when a simple grade cannot tell the whole story, students should be able to opt for a written evaluation instead of, or in addition to, a grade.
I am hoping that this article will be taken as a serious proposal to improve the grading policy here at Tufts, and not merely dismissed as the petty airing of grievances by someone who did not like his grade. I think we can all agree that the purpose of a grade is to reflect a student's true understanding of the subject matter. Future employers and grad schools use these grades to judge the capabilities of students. That is why I was angered to get a C-plus in Environmental Biology. I believe that my knowledge and understanding of the subject warranted a grade in the range of A or A-minus.
However, this class's particular grading policy did not accurately measure the students' true understanding of the material. Instead, the grading was skewed so that a full quarter of the grade was measured in a glorified form by class attendance. The class discussion was never a source of creativity or new knowledge. The professor's 25 percent for class participation seemed to be just a life preserver for those failing. If you attended every day, you basically would recieve 100 percent on the class participation. Even if you got a zero on one of the three tests, your total would be 75 percent. You would also get 75 percent if you get 100 on every test and never attended class, as you would get a zero for class participation.
This clearly shows that this professor's grading policy does not accurately distinguish between those who have mastered the subject and those who have not. It simply rewards those who follow his system and pettily hurts those who do not follow his system.
If professors are really interested in assuring that students attend all of their classes, then how about making those classes more interesting, imparting real knowledge in lectures, and then using 20 to 25 percent of whatever is presented in class on tests and exams? This way a student who has low attendance will not be able to do well in tests and exams. Thus, the professor will not need to use the class participation (often a glorified roll call) feature in their grading. Hopefully, the proposed review of all professors' grading policies will be helpful in finding and fixing bad grading policies before they are used.
While the academic dean's review of grading policy of all classes would be an improvement on the current system, some students will still receive grades that are not a true reflection of their knowledge. Instead of being branded with a bad grade and being judged by it without opportunity to defend the grade or explain it, students should be allowed to opt for a written evaluation. In anticipation of complaints that professors are already overworked and that their precious time would be further taxed, I say this: A grade is a single letter that will stay with the student and supposedly represent his or her understanding of the course material to graduate schools and employers.
Therefore, it is not too much to expect a professor to take some time at the end of the semester in order to reflect on his or her students' work, and provide a written evaluation of each student's demonstrated understanding of the material. This written evaluation should include a written summary of the student's test/exam/paper/project performance, the class low, high, mean, and median for each test/exam/paper/project, and a few sentences about the student's individual performance.
Here, the professor could explain that one student with the brilliant, yet chronically late, papers. Written evaluations would also give teachers much more room for their individual styles of grading. I know that Brown and some other universities offer written course evaluations in lieu of letter grades, and I think that it is high time that Tufts too should break the status quo and follow the lead of these other progressive institutions.
I am hoping that the grading policy will be openly discussed between administration, professors, and students. I am sure that many people share my belief that written evaluations should be a valid option, and that professors' grading policies should be reviewed by administration in much the same way a course proposal is scrutinized.
By designing grading policies so that they actually measure knowledge, and also offering the option of written evaluations, Tufts can lead the way in developing a more progressive academic policy. I encourage students, parents, and professors who agree with my viewpoint to take the time to convey their views to the administration in order to accelerate improvements in the grading policy at Tufts.
Gregory Mehdi is a junior double-majoring in American Studies and Environmental Studies.
