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Harvard students erupted in outrage over a proposal to cap the number of A grades, after a report warned that the university’s generous grading system was undermining its academic integrity. A report from the prestigious university's office of undergraduate education expressed concern that the university was 'failing to perform the key functions of grading.' The potential change in grading could see Harvard offering a select number of A+ grades, a tick higher than the university's current maximum of an A–grade. The idea quickly raised eyebrows within the student body, with undergraduates blasting what they perceived as an already strict academic culture at Harvard. Students claimed grading at the Ivy League college already left them 'anxious' or 'scared.' One freshman told The Harvard Crimson that the university's learning environment had left her bedridden and emotional. 'The whole entire day, I was crying,' student Sophie Chumburidze told the outlet. 'I skipped classes on Monday, and I was just sobbing in bed because I felt like I try so hard in my classes, and my grades aren't even the best.' A senior said Harvard students already felt the urge to keep up with their grades and did not need more pressure from the university. Necati Unsal, a social sciences student, said: 'There is a reason we're in this situation in the first place, and the fact that you're so scared of your GPA dropping 0.1 or 0.2 [points] shows that there is a real crisis going on.' More than 60 percent of grades awarded at the prestigious school to undergraduate students are currently As, which university bosses said was 'too compressed and too inflated.' Students pushed back on that notion and derided Harvard's 'harsh' expectations. Zahra Rohaninejad, a freshman who studies political science and government, said: 'I can't reach my maximum level of enjoyment just learning the material because I'm so anxious about the midterm, so anxious about the papers, and because I know it's so harshly graded. 'If that standard is raised even more, it's unrealistic to assume that people will enjoy their classes.' Harvard's report found that students were 'working as hard as they ever have – if not more' on their academics, compared to previous generations. The average time spent on homework was 5.5 to 6.5 hours per day. Rohaninejad said the school's libraries were typically packed, adding that 'people care about their work.' 'People sacrifice sleep. People sacrifice friend activities. People sacrifice so much for their grades already,' she added. Hudson McCarthy, a freshman who is on the university's men's lacrosse team, said Harvard's report set unrealistic expectations for its undergraduates. He said: 'It's doing students a disservice because it's not really accounting for what we have to do on a day to day basis, and how many hours we're putting into our team, our bodies and then also school.' Others said the university's proposals and renewed focus on academics could make the school less appealing. Peyton White, a freshman, said: 'What makes a Harvard student a Harvard student is their engagement in extracurriculars. 'Now, we have to throw that all away and pursue just academics. I believe that attacks the very notion of what Harvard is.' Another freshman expressed regrets about her decision to commit to Harvard. Kayta Aronson, a first–year neuroscience student, said: 'It makes me rethink my decision to come to the school. 'I killed myself all throughout high school to try and get into this school. I was looking forward to being fulfilled by my studies now, rather than being killed by them.' Since the 2016–17 school year, the median grade at the prestigious Cambridge, Massachusetts, institution has been an A. The number of As awarded to students is up from 40 percent a decade ago, which Harvard officials attributed to its faculty. 'For the past decade or so, the College has been exhorting faculty to remember that some students arrive less prepared for college than others,' wrote Amanda Claybaugh, Harvard's dean of undergraduate education. 'Unsure how best to support their students, many have simply become more lenient.' Claybaugh added that professors could worry that lower grades will lead to negative reviews in students, which could result in subsequent negative consequences. Students had also exerted 'increasingly litigious' pressure on faculty to boost grades, she claimed. Moving to a limited amount of A+ grades could curb this. 'Permitting faculty to award a limited number of A+s in each course would increase the information our grades provide by distinguishing the very best students,' she said. Stephen Behun, a sophomore, was unsure about the emphasis on high grades. 'I just worry that we're putting the cart before the horse when it comes to fixing this without fully understanding how it's going to impact students professionally, even if it academically helps them master subjects,' he said. University officials are also exploring adding a median grade to students' transcripts. The Daily Mail reached out to Harvard's office of undergraduate education for further comment.
