In this article I review and comment on a recently published study about patterns of grades assigned by professors. the study reports that currently, 43% of the grades assigned in college are As (in private schools, 49% of all grades are As). The trends reported provide evidence in support of a theory of grade inflation.
Should this issue matter to accountants that read The Summa? Yes. College grades and GPA permeate the profession. A collegiate education, with a degree in accounting, is a fundamental requirement for becoming an accountant. The largest accounting firms (please note that I did not say the best, or top, accounting firms) require a minimum GPA for the opportunity to interview. Traditionally, this GPA has been 3.50, but anecdotal evidence suggests that this threshold is rising. Accounting professors categorize students by GPA and only give scholarships and recommendations to the students with the best grades. Moreover, memories of academic adversity and its overcoming (or not) die hard. Decades later, I remember the grades I received in every accounting course. I also remember the scores received on many tests and papers.
The Summa 