The ‘A’ game: Professors, students stress over STEM grades

Fifty-five percent of undergraduate grades given out at Chapman in 2016-17 were As and A-minuses, according to Kenneth Murphy, associate provost of academic administration. Photo illustration by Bonnie Cash

Every week, Vidal Arroyo, a junior biochemistry and molecular biology major, spends an average of 25 hours on homework and lab work.

“I feel like I don’t even have weekends,” Arroyo said. “There are certain times when I never know if I’ll be able to fully enjoy some parts of my life because of the coursework.”

The amount of studying Arroyo does for each class might not always translate into equivalent grades. Each course is graded differently, instructors don’t have a uniform grading policy in place, and some grades for classes, like organic chemistry, are curved, he said.

The lack of grade standardization is a common topic among staff members, said Marco Bisoffi, a biochemistry and molecular biology professor.

Because of this, the chemistry and biochemistry faculty members will attend a meeting during finals week to discuss solutions to the issue.

“These students are going out there and competing for graduate school and medical school,” he said. “I do have some sleepless nights sometimes thinking about this situation. Are we doing the correct thing?”

In sections of the same class, there can be a substantial difference in the distribution of As and Bs in sections from different professors, Bisoffi said.

“What that means is that it’s probably not the students, it’s probably us who grade differently, and we should not do that,” Bisoffi said.

Fifty-five percent of the grades given university-wide for undergraduates in 2016-17 were As and A-minuses, said. Kenneth Murphy, associate provost of academic administration.

Those studying in Schmid College of Science and Technology often have to complete more credits to graduate than students in other majors. A degree in biochemistry and molecular biology requires 70-74 credits, whereas public relations and advertising requires 48.

STEM students have more pressure to perform well academically than students who pursue other subjects, because most science students plan to attend graduate or medical school, said Arianna Burtis, a sophomore health sciences major. At Harvard Medical School, the average undergraduate GPA for accepted students is a 3.9, according to the school’s website.

“Our advisers have told us since the beginning that there is not a lot we can do with just our bachelor’s degree,” Burtis said. “We are required to do more schooling to have a fulfilling career. Most of us are going into a very competitive field that requires more education and professional experience.”

Since his undergraduate academics determine a large part of his future, Arroyo feels required to keep his GPA high.

“I don’t want my GPA to limit me from going somewhere that I want to go,” he said. “We hold ourselves to a higher standard in just being good academically because that’s how we are evaluated.”

Because of the inconsistent grading system, some students choose classes based on how easy the professors grade, said junior chemistry major Daniel Chang.

“I don’t think (that) is a good approach,” Chang said. “That choice should really be based on who you think will fit your learning style the best.”

Bisoffi said that most of his students, especially in upper division courses, are deserving of As, and those who get below that are usually just in the wrong field.

Correction: An earlier version of this story attributed a quote to Arianna Burtis. The quote was actually said by Vidal Arroyo.