Analysis of Sojourner Truth
“In some cases, campuswide averages have crept up from a C just 10 years to B-plus today” (411). In Brent Staples essay “Why Colleges Shower Their Students with A’s” he makes many issues and arguments on the subject. Many college level institutions are faced with demanding consumers and competition from other universities over grade issues. The colleges have simply started just handing out more and more A’s to their students to better their satisfaction. This action taken by the colleges is having many repercussions on grade inflation and making the value of degrees meaningless worldwide. With this alarming statistic about the campus wide averages and the universities resorting to giving the consumers what they want is creating a terrible storm about to bring in serious problems. In Staple’s essay, he points out many valid reasons why several college level intuitions are just handing out A’s to their students left and right. Although he makes good arguments for his reasons, I have to question that not all his reasons are truly valid. I believe that colleges are giving into the demanding students and parents because they want to save their reputation and status in society. Colleges are more willing to give out better grades to students when their jobs are on the line. Staples explains that “professors at every level inflate to escape negative evaluations by students whose opinions now figure in tenure and promotion decisions” (411). Professors have to remember that every grade they give to a student may be questioned and have serious consequences concerning better job opportunities. Students want to get the grade they think they deserve and they will go as far as to complain and place the blame on a certain professor. I think that it is ridiculous those students figure in part in a professor’s promotion decisions. I also strongly believe that whatever grade a student receives on any paper is their final grade and they should have no room to question the