In fantsyland, all the students are above average...

Rampant grade inflation is just the hangnail on the rotten corpse of higher education I will NOT quote extensively from this article. I will NOT... because if I did, I'd probably just give in to temptation and re-print the whole thing. Nevertheless, a taste: John Watson, who teaches journalism ethics and communications law at American, has noticed another phenomenon: Many students, he says, believe that simply working hard -- though not necessarily doing excellent work -- entitles them to an A. "I can't tell you how many times I've heard a student dispute a grade, not on the basis of in-class performance," says Watson, "but on the basis of how hard they tried. I appreciate the effort, and it always produces positive results, but not always the exact results the student wants. We all have different levels of talent." It's a concept that many students (and their parents) have a hard time grasping. Working hard, especially the night before a test or a paper due date, does not necessarily produce good grades. Just go read it. Now. Please. :-) h/t Roland Dobbins posting via Jerry Pournelle's Current Mail. Of course.