Can the problem be solved by better communication?
Past experience indicates that it is unlikely that problems with grading can be changed by better communication among faculty. There was substantial discussion about grading at Carolina following the EPC report on grade inflation in February 2000. Four years later, EPC found found no change in disparities in grading following the 2000 report. It is essential that there be communication about grading, but communication will always be limited in an academic setting where faculty have very different academic training and where they typically have contact with only a small number of faculty outside their own department.
