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Editorial: Harvard inflates grades, deflates reputation

The Editorial Board, Boston Herald on

Published in Op Eds

“My kid’s getting A’s at Harvard” isn’t much of a flex anymore, thanks to a report from the erstwhile Ivy League institution admitting that roughly 60% of grades given to undergraduates were A’s, up from 40% a decade ago and less than a quarter 20 years ago.

“Current practices are not only failing to perform the key functions of grading; they are also damaging the academic culture of the college more generally,” said Dean of Undergraduate Education and report author Amanda Claybaugh.

Grade inflation isn’t restricted to Harvard, as reports in recent years have cited the practice at other Ivy League luminaries. Where a diploma from Harvard or Yale could once signify a bright job candidate shaped by academic rigor, it now points more to lenient professors and a propensity for whining.

According to the report, Harvard students challenge professors and push for higher marks.

The participation trophy approach to higher education mirrors the gentle parenting trend of recent years. It’s all about emotional validation and offering options. Among the reasons for the spike in A’s cited by Claybaugh’s report: faculty fears of appearing too harsh compared with fellow professors and concerns that stricter grading could drive students away from certain courses.

Isn’t college supposed to prepare students for the real world and equip them with the knowledge and skills to produce results?

As the New York Post and Bloomberg reported, administrators have also told professors to consider students who struggle with “imposter syndrome” or personal hardships when evaluating performance.

Remember when hardships were things to be overcome, and doing so illustrated maturity and a strong character? Such thinking, at least in academic circles, has gone the way of rotary phones.

And the work ethic? Why buckle down when you can grumble? Some instructors, particularly in the humanities, told Claybaugh they’ve been forced to shorten reading lists and assign lighter material in response to student complaints.

 

These students are the workforce of tomorrow.

And in a stunning “just who is in charge” revelation, many teachers blamed Harvard’s course evaluation system, which they said ties student satisfaction to generous grading. Poor evaluations can jeopardize promotions and hiring prospects.

If professors give a good grade, students will return the favor.

This explains the indignation of those carrying college debt who demanded Joe Biden make their loans go away. Responsibility is hard, therefore, dispensable.

The ivory tower is losing luster by the second, after campuses around the country proved to be hotbeds of antisemitism, grade inflation has spiked rather than dissipated, and outrageous tuitions fund outlandish administrative salaries.

Reports such as this should spark serious conversations between high school students and their parents. Forking over $90,000 for A grades and easier coursework does not build a solid foundation for the future.

_____


©2025 MediaNews Group, Inc. Visit at bostonherald.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

 

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