Nine Potential Solutions to Abate Grade Inflation at Regionally Accredited Online U.S. Universities: An Intrinsic Case Study

Grade inflation must be abated. The effect of grade inflation weakens academic standards to the point where accurately assessing levels of competency and student knowledge is difficult to determine. Using intrinsic case study design, I contacted 411 online instructors in the United States exploring potential solutions to abate grade inflation. Of 411 faculty members contacted via personal e-mail, 27 instructors at three regionally accredited online universities in the United States agreed to be interviewed by the use of an interview protocol and recorded via Skype. The research question guiding the study was " What are potential solutions to abate grade inflation? " The research addressed a gap in research related to potential solutions to abate grade inflation at online universities located in the United States. Concepts developed from data analysis were (a) use rubrics, (b) revising student evaluations (c) re-evaluating academic policies, (d) instituting objective exams, (e) instructor training program, (f) take instructors out of grading, (g) pass/fail grading, (h) ranking rather than GPA, and (i) best practices. Keywords: Grade Inflation Solutions, Revising Student Evaluations, Intrinsic Case Study, Academic Policies, Best Practices Grade inflation is a problem at online universities in the United States (Caruth & Caruth, 2013; Castillo, Wakefield, & LeMaster, 2010; Gray, 2008; Kohn, 2002; Love & Kotchen, 2010; Nikolakakos, Reeves, & Shuch, 2012; Rojstaczer, 2015). Grade inflation is an objective increase in grades and grade point averages (GPA) over time from alterations made in grading standards and practices independent of student ability and actual performance (Hu, 2005; O'Halloran & Gordon, 2014). Grade inflation has been most prevalent at public universities and liberal arts colleges in the southern United States (Caruth & Caruth, 2013). However, Rojstaczer and Hartley (2012) noted grade inflation tends to be more widespread at private universities. One reason for grade inflation at U.S. universities as postulated by Caruth and Caruth (2013) Donaldson and Gray (2012) Hu (2005), and O'Halloran and Gordon (2014) is a dysfunctional reversed customer-based model based on student evaluations of instructors. The basis of this dysfunction is faculty members act as employees of the students and students' act as customers of the university (Caruth & Caruth, 2013; Donaldson & Gray, 2012; Hu, 2005; O'Halloran & Gordon, 2014). Students get "paid" by faculty via unearned grades ensuring the student receives satisfaction for payment (Hu, 2005). Grade inflation appears to weaken standards of excellence required of students within educational institutions to the point where accurately assessing levels of competency and student knowledge is often difficult to determine (Tucker & Courts, 2010). Grade inflation is manifested in academia, among students, in society, and for employers potentially affecting online universities worldwide. In academia, grade inflation degrades institutional reputation (Chan, Hao, & Suen, 2007; Ehlers & Schwager, 2016). Once the university engages in grade inflation, the value of a 4.0 GPA, even from a traditional reputable school, might no longer carry the same weight as it once did therefore lowering institutional reputation (Marquis, 2013). Grade inflation at less reputable schools and many online universities could earn the school the classification as a degree mill, essentially making the degree earned worthless (Haynie, 2013; Marquis, 2013). Grade inflation lessens academic rigor and lowers the overall quality of the education received (Marquis, 2013). As student grades rise, the education received becomes less effective and meaningful (Marquis, 2013). The degree earned is not valued as robust by society and is often not much more than a mere piece of paper for the student (Tucker & Courts, 2010). Grade inflation deprives students feedback required to assess strength and weaknesses and devalues the performance of better students relative to that of average classmates (O'Halloran & Gordon, 2014). …