Grade inflation is a serious issue if it really exists. It could jeopardize the value of GPAs and transcripts, and any changes seeking to rectify the error face more than a few obstacles. From my experience, this inflation does exist to a certain extent.
In some courses, if a student shows up to class and does the work, even if he does a subpar job, chances are that he will receive a B, when he may deserve a C or below. This is especially the case with introductory courses, though I have seen a few upper-level courses with the same standards. I have been in a few classes in which I have received an A for work on which I could have done much better.
The clear problem with grade inflation is that unlike currency, grades have an upper limit. There are usually no A+ grades, especially not in college, so once I have hit the upper limit of an A, it becomes difficult to motivate myself to do the best I can.
Of course, if I am intrinsically motivated by the course material, which is often the case, I need not worry about any upper limit on grades, because my focus changes to the course material rather than the scores I receive. Yet when it comes to courses in which I am not wholly interested, grades are my primary motivation.
Personally, I am very conflicted on the subject. GPA is yet another part of that singular document of achievement known as a resumé, which can be the key to a career or a way to close doors before you have the chance to enter them, leaving you hopelessly searching for windows and smaller doors.
Granted, GPA does not have an enormous effect on everything, but many opportunities, especially fellowships and graduate schools, still pay attention to the GPA, with the mindset that the better it is, the better the person behind it is. There are several fellowships that look fascinating to me, but are entirely unavailable due to a GPA threshold that I have not reached.
Herein lies the conflict: in an ideal world, if Professor Z gives me a C because I did work that was good but clearly not top-notch, I would take the challenge and put much more effort into the course. If that same professor still gives me a C for the course, I would be even more motivated to step up my academic effort in future courses. This is not an ideal world, however; this leaves me unwilling to receive low grades due to my fear of the negative effect it may have on my chances in the world.
In an ideal world, I would be intrinsically motivated for all of my courses, and any potential employers or graduate schools would simply know how well I had done, and how much I had benefited from it.
Grades may not even exist in such a world.
In this world of grades and very small sheets of paper representing entire lives, however, this student will continue working with both extrinsic and intrinsic motivation, trying to benefit from courses while also trying to achieve the highest grades possible.
So the current situation isn’t ideal.
What is the solution? I am not sure, though I shall definitely continue to consider the subject. If you have any idea, dear reader, I would be very appreciative if you would write a response and submit it to The College Voice in order to further the discussion.
As for now, however, I find myself agreeing with my friend’s high school teacher, who once said, “‘A’s are like crack. Once you get them, you want to keep getting them, even if they aren’t doing anything for you.”
