76 CHAPTER 3 | FRom IdEnTIFyIng ClAIms To AnAlyzIng ARgumEnTs910111at Princeton and academic rigor is making a comeback. A similar suc-
cessful effort has taken place at Wellesley College in Massachusetts.
And through a concerted effort on the part of faculty and leadership,
grades at Reed College in Oregon have stayed essentially constant for
20 years.
Princeton, Wellesley, and Reed provide evidence that the effort to
keep grade inflation in check is not impossible. This effort takes two
major steps. First, school officials must admit that there is a problem.
Then they must implement policies or guidelines that truly restore
excellence.
I asked Dean Nancy Malkiel at Princeton why so few schools seem to
be following Princeton’s lead. “Because it’s hard work,” she answered.
“Because you have to persuade the faculty that it’s important to do
the work.”
Making a switch will take hard work, but the effort is worthwhile.
The alternative is a student body that barely studies and drinks out of
boredom. That’s not acceptable. Colleges and universities must roll up
their sleeves, bring down inflated grades, and encourage real learn-
ing. It’s not an impossible task. There are successful examples that can
be followed. I’m looking forward to the day when we can return to
being proud of the education that our nation’s colleges and universi-
ties provide.doesn’t anybody Get a C anymore?
Phil Primack is a journalist, editor, and policy analyst who teaches journal-
ism at Tufts University, where he is a senior fellow at the Jonathan M. Tisch
College of Citizenship and Public Service. His articles have appeared in
many regional and national publications, including the New York Times,
the Boston Globe, and Columbia Journalism Review. The following piece
appeared in the Boston Globe on October 5, 2008.pHiL priMaCk■ ■ ■T
he student deserved a B-minus. Maybe even a C-plus, I had decided.
One paper was especially weak; another was late. But then I began
to rationalize. The student had been generally prepared and contrib-
uted to class discussion, so I relented and gave what I thought was a
very generous B. At least I wouldn’t get a complaint about this grade, I
figured. Then came the e-mail.03_GRE_5344_Ch3_055_079.indd 76 11/19/14 11:06 AM