GRADES

The the Editors of the CRIMSON:

Thanks to the Harvard CRIMSON and the New York Times, it is now widely known that the staff of Social Sciences 125 ("The American Economy: Conflict and Power") has petitioned, through normal University channels, for the removal for the grading requirement in our course. In view of the tantalizing but not always faithful reports as to its contents, we have decided to submit the full petition for publication.

We are aware of a significant amount of support in this endeavor, and would urge other Faculty members who would like grades abolished in their courses to join us in this petition. Those interested in more information should contact Arthur MacEwan, extension 4560. Also, we would like to point out that some aspects of the generally favorably CRIMSON editorial on the subject (March 5) significantly misrepresented both the nature of our course and our position on grading.

Firstly, the basic issue dealt with in our course is that of the distribution of income, wealth, and power within the United States, and between the U.S. and the Third Would. In dealing with income distribution, we emphasize the importance of educational institutions and their economic function in affecting income inequality. The editorial's suggestion that the issue of grading forms a particularly large part of the course in incorrect, although it is fair to say that our position on grading arose from discussion concerning the particular course lecture in which grading received some analytical attention.

Secondly, it is correct, as the editorial states, that we do object to grading because of the particular socio-economic implications, of the grading system. However, and in addition, our objections derive more directly from a concern for the quality of educational activity fostered by grading.

Lastly, we disagree with the CRIMSON editorial that our petition be accepted on grounds of academic freedom. We have petitioned on the basis of substantive arguments as to the deleterious effects of grading, and wish our petition to be weighed on the merits on this argument. To support our position on general libertarian grounds seems to use a particularly weak means of avoiding coming to terms with the political issues involved. Herb Gintis, for the Staff of   Social Sciences 125

[The text of the Social Science 125 petition on grading appears on Page 5 of today's Crimson. --Ed.]