Discuss “Professors should give accurate feedback”

In a culture teeming with concern about political correctness, it’s amazing that separating students by letters as a mark of achievement is still allowed. Five of the first six letters of the alphabet have long remained an indication of intelligence and a source of stress for students, especially those at a university like Carnegie Mellon.

At mid-semester, a daylong break and a letter-grade assessment often substitute for an actual progress report. At Carnegie Mellon, most professors are good at actually providing a mid-semester grade, but we have found a few misleading grading habits, including giving everyone the same grade, refusing to give an A, and not explaining the grading criteria for mid-semester grades. Giving everyone the same...