Spring Break
Princeton by the Numbers
The Importance of Data-Driven Approaches to Campus Issues
James Coan '09
Issue date: 9/30/09 Section: Opinion
Thus, a plausible but ironic argument is that the Anscombe Society unintentionally promotes free sex by repeatedly claiming it is the dominant culture, even when the dominant practice is more likely one of restraint. But I will let people currently at Princeton decide whether they want to use this line of reasoning against the frequently criticized group.
007: New Intelligence on the Grading Policy
Available data also shed light on the widely discussed issue of grading at Princeton, demonstrating that it has gone beyond the scope of affecting A-range grades and also significantly affects the grades of B and B- that are given. I came to campus a year after the grading policy (often known as grade deflation) came into effect. Many students opposed the policy; 67% of students considered it a negative addition to the campus in a summer 2006 survey. The USG president in 2006, Alex Lenahan '07, handily won his crowded election against six others when he distinguished himself as "the only candidate urging students to consider . . . whether there should be a [grading] policy at all," according to a Prince article from December 2005.
Despite this antipathy, I never saw an analysis of how much of an impact the policy has on GPAs, important information for determining whether the policy is devastating, annoying, or possibly even beneficial if employers and graduate admissions officers overestimate its effect. I also have not seen analysis on how the proportion of grades awarded should change. Luckily, the university has already directly or indirectly released these data, although in formats quite difficult to read or interpret.
The administration's "Grading: Frequently Asked Questions" booklet shows a mean GPA reduction between the 2001-2004 and 2005-2008 periods of about 0.07 points, a drop from about 3.34 to 3.27. I think this 0.07 point GPA change is relatively modest, the equivalent of an impact in about five to seven classes over a Princeton career.
007: New Intelligence on the Grading Policy
Available data also shed light on the widely discussed issue of grading at Princeton, demonstrating that it has gone beyond the scope of affecting A-range grades and also significantly affects the grades of B and B- that are given. I came to campus a year after the grading policy (often known as grade deflation) came into effect. Many students opposed the policy; 67% of students considered it a negative addition to the campus in a summer 2006 survey. The USG president in 2006, Alex Lenahan '07, handily won his crowded election against six others when he distinguished himself as "the only candidate urging students to consider . . . whether there should be a [grading] policy at all," according to a Prince article from December 2005.
Despite this antipathy, I never saw an analysis of how much of an impact the policy has on GPAs, important information for determining whether the policy is devastating, annoying, or possibly even beneficial if employers and graduate admissions officers overestimate its effect. I also have not seen analysis on how the proportion of grades awarded should change. Luckily, the university has already directly or indirectly released these data, although in formats quite difficult to read or interpret.
The administration's "Grading: Frequently Asked Questions" booklet shows a mean GPA reduction between the 2001-2004 and 2005-2008 periods of about 0.07 points, a drop from about 3.34 to 3.27. I think this 0.07 point GPA change is relatively modest, the equivalent of an impact in about five to seven classes over a Princeton career.
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posted 12/15/09 @ 8:43 AM EST
To be sure, data must be used well, and it is wise to follow the aphorism that there are "lies, damn lies, and statistics."
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posted 4/04/10 @ 7:54 AM EST
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