Stuart Rojstaczer's Where All Grades Are Above Average

Back in 1969 getting a C on a test or homework was an acceptable grade. However, as the days go by, it seems that getting a C is like having the “mark of Cain.” Why is that? A professor from Duke University and a visiting scholar at Stanford University, Stuart Rojstaczer, asked that same question. After doing his own research, he wrote the article “Where All Grades Are Above Average” which analyzes the phenomena that is commonly known as grade inflation in several universities and colleges. Rojstaczer explains, “the previous signs of academic disaster, the grades D and F, went by the wayside in the Vietnam era, when flunking out meant becoming eligible for the draft.” Many parts of the United States disagreed with the country’s involvement

Being a professor himself, Rojstaczer admits that he is also guilty of grade inflation. Rojstaczer describes, “If I sprinkle my classroom with the C’s some students deserve, my class will suffer from declining enrollment in future years. Low enrollment is taken as a sign of poor-quality instruction.” The author describes the challenge that he has as a professor to students and dealing with the grade inflation. According to Rojstaczer, Grade inflation is everywhere and most everyone has experienced or had done it themselves. Even though Rojstaczer is guilty of committing grade inflation, he correspondingly realizes the problems that the system and the students will have in the

Where I think that Rojstaczer loses his credibility is when he is going on and on about how bad grade inflation is affecting the colleges and Universities then proceeds to say that he commits grade inflation himself. This tells the audience that sure, it is wrong and certainly, it’s bad for everyone in the long term, but if “I” as a professor do not do it then I will be looked down on as a bad professor. As a college student, myself I don’t not want to see a C or especially anything lower on any of my grades it does upset me and may say that it’s because I have a teacher that grades to hard or some other justification of why it's not my fault. However, no matter how long it takes me, I always am the one that must change or my grade won’t. Instead of teaching students that lesson, the dishonesty grading that is in the classrooms, is teaching them that if they were an A student before then it is the teacher's fault if you’re not an A student now. Which I can’t imagine how difficult it can be from a professor in a college to grade honestly. I say that grade inflation has sadly become part of the status quo from elementary through college. Trying to change the present circumstances can be difficult, but it’s not impossible. I still believe that there are honest professors and teachers that grade fairly, yet frank. Nevertheless, after doing all his research Rojstaczer