Greetings,
   I refer you to

http://www.aaup.org/AAUP/pubsres/academe/2010/JA/feat/gord.htm

which concerns the rigor in undergraduate education that prepares the 
student for participation in an international economy.  While LIS 
education effort focuses on graduate education, the treatment of 
undergraduates is not outside of the LIS purview, and the comments apply 
both to graduate as well as undergraduate education.
     This particular article concerns grades assigned, but not the volume 
of work assigned nor the level and nature of work assigned.
     It is well worth your attention.  A few salient quotes:

"For a variety of reasons, including fear of poor student evaluations of 
their teaching and unwillingness to budget time for instruction at the 
expense of research, many faculty members have relaxed their standards 
with respect to both course substance and the evaluation of student work."

"The immediate consequence of assigning tough grades is having to spend 
time explaining the rationale and methods used for assessment to students 
who, owing to a pandemic sense of entitlement, are outraged by grades 
lower than Bs."

"The lesson is clear: teachers should not cater to perceived student 
preferences for gain (high grades) without pain (the investment of time 
and intellect required to master substantive course material)."

Please read and comment on the article, not only for the students whose 
lower expectations have been met - they can get a degree and pass a 
course.  But also for the students who wanted to be challenged and wanted 
to learn what they could do if they were challenged.  These latter 
students may well be the least served.
   --gw

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Gretchen Whitney, PhD, Retired
School of Information Sciences
University of Tennessee, Knoxville TN 37996 USA           [log in to unmask]
http://web.utk.edu/~gwhitney/
jESSE:http://web.utk.edu/~gwhitney/jesse.html
SIGMETRICS:http://web.utk.edu/~gwhitney/sigmetrics.html
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