Inflation in grades exists throughout the United States and including our college, Bergen Community College. Students are being graded not only by their skill level or participation, but basically by their excessive nagging to review grades that they are not satisfied with. Therefore, students want to get "their money's worth" when it comes to receiving grades, making college seem more like a business organization rather than an education system.
Grade inflation basically consists of professors who would rather not be bothered by students or administrators if occasional low grades were given out. If a low grade is given to a student, the student has the right to appeal the grade and demand that it be graded again. Usually in response to this, professors would mollify the students by not putting up much of a fight and inflate the grade just to avoid certain situations. Such as, being hounded by administrators to higher grades or receiving negative evaluations from the students that can cause demotions or can prevent a promotion. Of course this would cause numerous professors to become nervous about giving grades so they would simply grade students with ease. It seems as if these professors only care for money rather than responsibility and guidance for the students. This is why grade inflation is so common.
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Students also play a crucial role in grade inflation. Grade inflation also occurs because of students who think they deserve a better grade than what was originally earned by them. Students in college take grading policies very seriously because they are the ones paying for their education. True, this is an important matter, if I pay for my education than I should receive a grade that I know I earned. So in one way, students do have the right to criticize grades that are given and also have the right to have their paper reviewed again if necessary. But it has become very obvious that most students take advantage of this opportunity and abuse the right to appeal grades.
