University Committee Rejects Duke Grading Study

The University Committee agreed Monday (Jan. 12) not to participate in a Duke University study of alternative grading.

The committee, the executive arm of the Faculty Senate, accepted a recommendation from the Undergraduate Education Committee, which voted 7-1 on Dec. 16 against participating in the study.

The Duke proposal would have calculated adjusted grade point averages for UW–Madison students using a complex algorithm that evaluates the difficulty of courses and faculty grading styles. The adjusted GPA, or achievement index, is designed to eliminate grade inflation and the incentive for students to choose easy courses.

In their report, majority members of the Undergraduate Education Committee cited concerns over the study’s methodology, cost and overall benefit to the university. The three-year cost was estimated at $97,570.

Zoology Professor Karen Steudel, writing in the minority report, said the university would benefit from having another measure of student performance. She also said eliminating a student survey would cut the cost to $17,000.

But most University Committee members said the arguments against participating were too persuasive to ignore.

“We don’t have a lot of money, and there are a lot of other pressing needs,” said Stephen Robinson, professor of industrial engineering and computer science. “I don’t see the rationale for spending the money to participate.”

However, Physics Professor Bernice Durand said the study was worth the cost. “It may be a bad experiment, but we won’t know unless we try,” she said.

Provost John Wiley said he agreed with the majority report’s findings but added that the traditional GPA has its limitations and the university should be more “cautious” about using it to rank students.