UNIVERSITY NEWS Middle Tennessee, where every kid is above average and every kid gets a trophy...

[SpaceRaider]

forgive my cynical view of this... or don't, I don't care...

More than 5,500 MTSU scholars work their way onto spring 2021 dean’s list

More than 5,500 Middle Tennessee State University students are included on the latest dean’s list for their academic achievements for the spring 2021 semester. This new list, alphabetized by home c…

mtsunews.com

 

[MTLynn]

My niece made the dean's list this semester... it's commendable, but I wonder how much easier school is today vs 50 years ago.

 

[MTFNBY5]

My niece made the dean's list this semester... it's commendable, but I wonder how much easier school is today vs 50 years ago.

No doubt college in general is easier than 50 years ago. I distinctly remember being told at freshman orientation that half of us would not be back the next year and many would leave after one semester (and they seemed proud of that statistic).
I know for a fact that English 101 and 102 were freshman "weed-out" courses at MT (My high school principal was told that in the academic dean's office - Dean Beasley). I personally know of an area high school valedictorian who failed English 101 twice before passing with a C-. A roommate who was a pre-engineering student took and failed English 101 all four semesters he attended MT before transferring to UT-K where he finally passed the course on his way to an chemical engineering degree. I was extremely happy with my C and B- in the two freshman composition classes.
I never heard the term "grade inflation" until the height of the Vietnam war when professors allegedly gave higher grades to keep students in school rather than being drafted. A term which over time has became important (especially in selective private schools) is retention numbers - schools tout the high number of freshman enrollees who graduate on time.
We've gone from being proud of high academic standards to where increasing enrollment and keeping students in school are the priority. Quite possibly has something to do with $$$s. Doesn't everything?

 

[AustinLewis]

I wonder how much of it is connected to their major. It is my experience (I had so many majors I lost count), some majors are easier than others. It seems nursing and engineering are among the most challenging while my experience as an education major tells me they are among the easiest.

Every major has their own eccentricities. My short time in business classes taught me that it was more about remembering a few key principles and doing well on the course project. My time in history and religious classes showed me if you aren't a "wordy" guy, good luck. Enduring the education classes is the key to an education major.