HARVARD SUCKS

[nyc94]

http://www.whatwouldmyharvardgrade.be/

A-?  WTF?

edit: OK, I tried it again and got an A.

[Jeff Hopkins '82]

In the mid-1970s, when I was a dean at Boston University, there were rumors that a certain professor was indiscriminately awarding a final grade of A to all his students. That was unusual back then when most professors graded on the bell curve and only a handful of the best students received an A. Some actually failed and most received grades of B or C.

But in the case of this particular professor everybody got an A. As a test, I surreptitiously enrolled a fictitious student into the roster of his next class. This "nobody" never came to class, never wrote a term paper and never took an exam. At the end of the semester the mysterious student received an A.

That led to a discussion with the professor. In a tone of righteous indignation he claimed I had overstepped my bounds to play such a trick on him. With righteous indignation I claimed that he had underperformed as a professor by acting in a reckless manner, grading his students with careless abandonment. Steam came out of both our ears. I believed his actions were a mark of failure in academic responsibility.

This sounds like the beginning of the reign of John Silber as president, or the precursor.

OK, FWIW, during my Co-op summer, I took a public speaking course.  I found out that .  Toward the end of the course we also found out the professor was leaving Cornell, and he had decided to give all of the full-time Cornell students A's, and the high-school summer students B's.

OTOH, one of my ChemE professors graded his summer session course on a conventional curve which usually wasn't done.  The co-op program was limited to the top half of the Engineering class.  Because of that, the Engineering professors usually curved to a higher average grade to compensate for the fact that the lower half of the class wasn't there to balance the mean.  It was the only B-minus I ever got in ChemE.

So I guess it averaged out.

[Dafatone]

In the mid-1970s, when I was a dean at Boston University, there were rumors that a certain professor was indiscriminately awarding a final grade of A to all his students. That was unusual back then when most professors graded on the bell curve and only a handful of the best students received an A. Some actually failed and most received grades of B or C.

But in the case of this particular professor everybody got an A. As a test, I surreptitiously enrolled a fictitious student into the roster of his next class. This "nobody" never came to class, never wrote a term paper and never took an exam. At the end of the semester the mysterious student received an A.

That led to a discussion with the professor. In a tone of righteous indignation he claimed I had overstepped my bounds to play such a trick on him. With righteous indignation I claimed that he had underperformed as a professor by acting in a reckless manner, grading his students with careless abandonment. Steam came out of both our ears. I believed his actions were a mark of failure in academic responsibility.

This sounds like the beginning of the reign of John Silber as president, or the precursor.

OK, FWIW, during my Co-op summer, I took a public speaking course.  I found out that .  Toward the end of the course we also found out the professor was leaving Cornell, and he had decided to give all of the full-time Cornell students A's, and the high-school summer students B's.

OTOH, one of my ChemE professors graded his summer session course on a conventional curve which usually wasn't done.  The co-op program was limited to the top half of the Engineering class.  Because of that, the Engineering professors usually curved to a higher average grade to compensate for the fact that the lower half of the class wasn't there to balance the mean.  It was the only B-minus I ever got in ChemE.

So I guess it averaged out.

In high school, a physics teacher would curve his tests based on how smart he thought you were.  I once got a 60 that turned into an 85, while the girl next to me got a 65 that turned into an 80.

Best part is that she was smarter than me.

[kaelistus]

In high school, a physics teacher would curve his tests based on how smart he thought you were.  I once got a 60 that turned into an 85, while the girl next to me got a 65 that turned into an 80.

Best part is that she was smarter than me.

I'm quite surprised this did not turn into a full on discrimination lawsuit.

[jtn27]

Give me an A (plus with garlands)!
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/15/opinion/sunday/leaked-harvards-grading-rubric.html?_r=0

[nyc94]

Hoax bomb threat at Harvard disrupts exams.

http://www.cnn.com/2013/12/16/us/harvard-evacuations/

[Trotsky]

Have I gone mad or aren't exams at Harvard in January?  IIRC their students were always bitching (reasonably) that being out a couple weeks prior to the end of the terms was senseless and led to cramming, additional beatings of servants, bloviations about the Burden of Privilege over Christmas dinner, etc.

[nyc94]

Have I gone mad or aren't exams at Harvard in January?  IIRC their students were always bitching (reasonably) that being out a couple weeks prior to the end of the terms was senseless and led to cramming, additional beatings of servants, bloviations about the Burden of Privilege over Christmas dinner, etc.

They changed their schedule a few years ago.
edit: 2009 according to http://www.latimes.com/nation/nationnow/la-na-nn-harvard-bomb-threat-all-clear-20131216,0,2548895.story#axzz2nfJj5dGn

[Jim Hyla]

Have I gone mad or aren't exams at Harvard in January?  IIRC their students were always bitching (reasonably) that being out a couple weeks prior to the end of the terms was senseless and led to cramming, additional beatings of servants, bloviations about the Burden of Privilege over Christmas dinner, etc.

They changed their schedule a few years ago.
edit: 2009 according to http://www.latimes.com/nation/nationnow/la-na-nn-harvard-bomb-threat-all-clear-20131216,0,2548895.story#axzz2nfJj5dGn

I guess that means you have gone mad.

[Jim Hyla]

Hoax bomb threat at Harvard disrupts exams.

http://www.cnn.com/2013/12/16/us/harvard-evacuations/

Students' instructions for what to do about missed exams, such as whether and when to retake them, appeared to vary by class. Instructors for a set of science classes told their students that they could take their exams Monday night or in February, or skip the test and accept a grade based on work done so far, the Harvard Crimson reported.

Why would anyone take the final, if they'll get an A anyway?

[Swampy]

Why would anyone take the final, if they'll get an A anyway?

To get an A with garlands of course. But then most students have their valets & lady's maids take the exams for them.

[Towerroad]

Why would anyone take the final, if they'll get an A anyway?

To get an A with garlands of course. But then most students have their valets & lady's maids take the exams for them.

A "Zero Value Add" process is a decision point where the decision maker always makes the same decision. If the decision is always the same then there is no value to the decision:

If the Grade is always an A then it follows logically:

1. There is no reason for tests, homework, or finals as they have confer no value in the grading process

2. If there is no reason for tests, homework or finals then there is really no reason to attend class.

3. If there is no reason for class then there is really no reason for Harvard to exist.

4. If there is no reason for Harvard to exist. The it and the the great void are indistinguishable.

5. Since it is clear that the Great Void represents the absence of any matter then by the transitive property, Harvard represents the absence of any matter.

6. The Absence of any matter may be considered a perfect vacuum. And as we all know, a perfect vacuum will suck in anything around it.

7. Therefore be it know that by indisputable logic, it can be shown that HARVARD SUCKS! (of course this was obvious to all of us already)

QED

[Robb]

There's clearly no reason for Harvard to exist.  There IS a reason for the Harvard admissions office to exist, however - someone still has to decide who is worthy of a Harvard diploma and goodness knows it isn't the professors.  Tear down the rest and just let them send out diplomas in lieu of admissions letters.

[Jeff Hopkins '82]

Why would anyone take the final, if they'll get an A anyway?

To get an A with garlands of course. But then most students have their valets & lady's maids take the exams for them.

A "Zero Value Add" process is a decision point where the decision maker always makes the same decision. If the decision is always the same then there is no value to the decision:

If the Grade is always an A then it follows logically:

1. There is no reason for tests, homework, or finals as they have confer no value in the grading process

2. If there is no reason for tests, homework or finals then there is really no reason to attend class.

3. If there is no reason for class then there is really no reason for Harvard to exist.

4. If there is no reason for Harvard to exist. The it and the the great void are indistinguishable.

5. Since it is clear that the Great Void represents the absence of any matter then by the transitive property, Harvard represents the absence of any matter.

6. The Absence of any matter may be considered a perfect vacuum. And as we all know, a perfect vacuum will suck in anything around it.

7. Therefore be it know that by indisputable logic, it can be shown that HARVARD SUCKS! (of course this was obvious to all of us already)

QED

+1

[Swampy]

There's clearly no reason for Harvard to exist.  There IS a reason for the Harvard admissions office to exist, however - someone still has to decide who is worthy of a Harvard diploma and goodness knows it isn't the professors.  Tear down the rest and just let them send out diplomas in lieu of admissions letters.

A Harvard of MOOCs?