College grades have been rising for decades, as administrators and faculty members have decided that it’s more important for students to feel good than to worry about academic standards. Can anything be done about it?

In today’s Martin Center article, Duke University professor John Staddon has some thoughts.

He writes:

When I first came to this country from Britain, I was surprised to find that students were graded by the individual who taught them. This obviously introduces a conflict of interest, especially for teachers of elective courses. Harsh grades mean a drop in enrollment. A drop in enrollment means a loss of salary for the tenured, or of a job for adjunct faculty. Given the incentives, I am surprised that grade inflation has taken so long to become a problem.

Read the whole thing.