Developing Uniform Departmental Grading Standards in a University
UNIVERSITY ADMINISTRATORS are frequently concerned with the problem of apparent differences in grading standards from department to depart ment in the various schools of a university. Stu dents may be given grades by one department dif fering considerably as a group from those given the same students during the same semester by another department. Efforts to remedy the situa tion through written instruction, faculty meetings, and other similar methods, are generally unsuc cessful. An attempt has been made by the Bureau of In stitutional Research of Saint Louis University to develop a method pointed toward solving the prob lem. In essence, the method consists of a proce dure for the analyses of data which quantifies the apparent inequities in such grading standards, and which does so in a manner understandable to the average teacher. Since the problem is a continu ing one, it is essential that the procedures be repeated annually.