The essay, “Grade Inflation: It’s Time to Face the Facts,” Professor Harvey C. Mansfield explains the pitfalls of grade inflation in Harvard and any other university. Grade inflation is the act of giving a higher grade to students whether or not the student deserves it. According to Mansfield, about half of the students in a class are guaranteed an A in the course to “conform with Harvard’s inflated distribution” (59). Mansfield says that the grades given at elite American colleges are unfair and, to an extent, scandalous. Mansfield also believes that inflating grades is just a way to flatter students, reveals the downward trend of faculty spirit, and the loss of the idea of the average student.
Mansfield had many detailed explanations that helped clarify some of the ideas he spoke of. One of my favorite examples he used was the comparison of prospective students to new car models. Another good thing that Mansfield did was acknowledging the opposing view and telling the reader why universities wanted to have grade inflation. One more good point that Mansfield had in his argumentative essay was asserting his credibility. At the end of the essay, there is a line that says that Mansfield works as a professor of government at Harvard which means that Mansfield at least has his Masters Degree, but most likely has his Doctorates Degree. Another way he asserts his credibility is by saying that The Boston Globe interviewed him about his “two-grade policy” (61). The Boston Globe sounds like it is a credible source and to be interviewed by it makes anyone sound very important.
Reading this essay was quite shocking since I did not expect universities to practice grade inflation. In fact, before reading this article, I had no idea what grade inflation was! Grade inflation is a confusing matter, and I agree with Mansfield. It should not be practiced at all. Professors need to remember why they wanted to teach so they can gain their moral back. The idea of an average student needs to be reiterated into universities nationwide. Professors and universities also need to remember that grades should not be a way to flatter a student. Grades should reflect how a student is doing in the class and nothing else. It should reflect how much effort a student has put into a course.
All in all, Harvey Mansfield wrote a very interesting essay and though it was confusing at times, people should take note of what he is saying and try to change the universities into giving true and fair grades to all of their students.
This was a very strong reader response Belinda. You tied all of your ideas together smoothly which made an enjoyable reading experience. I agreed with your idea that the author asserted his credibility. He included different evidence throughout his article that proves he is a creditable speaker and you caught all of them. The credibility of an author is one of the main things that are needed to critically analyze any type of article. I also enjoyed reading about your personal response because I too did not know what grade inflation was before reading this article. You make a very strong stance that grade inflation is bad and it directly relates to the students attitude. Overall, your response was very strong and enjoyable to read.
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