Gillian Pierce, associate dean for undergraduate education at Harvard University and former assistant provost for academic assessment at Boston University, will speak about grade inflation as a systemic problem in higher education — both historically and in the present moment — and the steps universities, including Harvard, are taking to mitigate its effects.
In 2023, Gillian spearheaded a report on grading trends at Harvard that was mentioned in the New York Times and is leading the efforts on campus to implement its recommendations. In her talk, she will give faculty, staff, and advanced graduate students tools for thinking about the importance of keeping specific, meaningful feedback to students at the center of any grading practice and for reflecting on the part they can play in reducing or avoiding the unintended consequences of grade inflation on campus.
Suggested pre-readings:
- Evaluation and the Academy: Are We Doing the Right Thing? [PDF, 158k]
- The Dangerous Myth of Grade Inflation [PDF, 86k]
Public lecture begins at 4 p.m., with a reception to follow at 5:30 p.m.
Originally published at al.nd.edu.