Earlier quoted context omitted.
Because it’s basically applied math.
so is counting to 50 going up 5 at a time. that doesn't make it STEM. It's not a science.
3/4th of STEM isn’t science…
Who is responsible for grade inflation at Yale?
51–60 of 66 posts
Re: Who is responsible for grade inflation at Yale?
#52> grade inflation at Yale is driven by the humanities and “studies” programs — with gender studies leading the way
Now there is a shocker. Half the grade comes from showing you're woke, where merely having enrolled is considered an attestation.
Re: Who is responsible for grade inflation at Yale?
#53Earlier quoted context omitted.
Mech.E + Econ here. As I recall after Intro to Micro and Macro, it was all calculus and statistical modeling.
How does that make it STEM? If I study social science and use math does that make social science stem? Or does it mean you used a lot of modelling in a non stem subject?
Social science is STEM by definition. The S stands for science.
Re: Who is responsible for grade inflation at Yale?
#54I am so happy princeton got rid of grade deflation lol. All this grades stuff is bullshit anyways.
In practice the principal function of college grades (as with standardized test scores) seems to be to reduce the number of students applying to grad schools - easing the workload of understaffed grad admissions departments while maintaining a "high graduate admissions rate" for the college that discourages students from applying. (This is particularly important for med schools, which sharply limit the number of slots so as to restrict the supply of physicians.)
In some cases grades provide useful feedback as far as how well students are learning the material, but that doesn't seem to be the primary goal.
I'm disappointed that UC Santa Cruz adopted a more traditional grading system and (in 2010) largely abandoned the narrative evaluation system that it pioneered when it was founded.
Re: Who is responsible for grade inflation at Yale?
#55Earlier quoted context omitted.
How does that make it STEM? If I study social science and use math does that make social science stem? Or does it mean you used a lot of modelling in a non stem subject?
Social science is STEM by definition. The S stands for science.
Just because something has science in it doesn’t mean it actually is science. Political science, metaphysical science, spiritual science etc.
Re: Who is responsible for grade inflation at Yale?
#56This is missing a possible explanation: Anyone who’s not getting an “A” in Gender Studies drops it. I don’t know if this is true generally but it was the only class I personally ever dropped in college because the workload was too high. Huge final paper with a lot of required references. I didn’t need it to graduate so it wasn’t worth finishing.
If a humanities or social science course isn't directly applicable to your major/getting a job/getting into grad school and is going to put a blemish on your transcript, I could certainly imagine that you might want to drop it.
Re: Who is responsible for grade inflation at Yale?
#57It's funny to compare attitudes towards curve grading and stack ranking. If only 16% of a class is good enough for an A, shouldn't only 16% of employees be good enough for a raise?
Maybe the professors could take the bottom 6% of students and come up with a plan to improve their performance. If performance doesn't improve, the students would have to leave the university. This would help prepare students for their careers.
I think they do that already - it's called academic probation and failing out.
Re: Who is responsible for grade inflation at Yale?
#58Do college grades even matter at all? I mean maybe for your very first job or for grad school applications, but in both cases they're still going to be a minor factor unless the grades are awful.
Pretty much this - they provide student rankings for graduate and professional admissions, and practically that seems to be their primary function (rather than improving educational outcomes, which isn't served well by stack ranking/grading on a curve.)
Re: Who is responsible for grade inflation at Yale?
#59I am so happy princeton got rid of grade deflation lol. All this grades stuff is bullshit anyways.
In practice the principal function of college grades (as with standardized test scores) seems to be to reduce the number of students applying to grad schools - easing the workload of understaffed grad admissions departments while maintaining a "high graduate admissions rate" for the college that discourages students from applying. (This is particularly important for med schools, which sharply limit the number of slot…
I mostly agree with grades as a concept. I just hated the princeton grade deflation system because it was obviously harming grad school applications for us, and the administration would gaslight us. They got rid of it and basically said that the only reason was for the mental health of students.
I disagree with grades as implemented because schools have so many diverse grading policies. I think grading systems should be improved.
Re: Who is responsible for grade inflation at Yale?
#60Forced curve. Until that happens grades are meaningless.