The Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy is competitive — already a selective school, its academics are rigorous. On top of it all, it uses a grading policy which “suggests” that all courses be curved to a 3.5 GPA, something which ensures a distribution that limits the number of “A” grades given in any class. The “Batten Curve,” as it is known colloquially, has drawn skepticism from Batten students who question whether it truly serves their best interest — with some advocating for its change or even removal.
Batten’s undergraduate program offers students the opportunity to earn a bachelor’s degree in Public Policy and Leadership, as well as a minor in Public Policy and Leadership or Social Entrepreneurship. Most undergraduate students apply in their second year and begin the program in the fall of their third. The school also offers graduate degrees with a Master’s and Accelerated Master’s degree program.
The Batten school grading policy, included on all Batten course syllabi, states, “The Frank Batten School has a grade normalization policy, with a suggested grading distribution. Batten courses should aim to have a mean grade that does not exceed a 3.5 grade point average with an emphasis on a well-distributed range of grades.”
This grading policy applies not only to the core classes which Batten students are required to take for their degree program, but also to special topics and electives classes offered by the Batten school.
Eileen Chou, associate dean for academic affairs and Public Policy professor at Batten, told The Cavalier Daily in an email statement that the Batten grade distribution guidance for faculty was implemented in 2017 — 10 years after the school was founded. In Spring of 2019 it became a required statement in syllabi.
Chou said that the purpose of the grade distribution guidance is “to support consistency” across classes while also maintaining rigor for Batten students.
“Balancing academic rigor with care is fundamental to our values,” Chou said. “We are dedicated to advancing academic excellence while also supporting the well-being of our community.”
Chou also said that faculty have the option not to use the “Batten Curve” in their courses if they “feel a pedagogical need to deviate from [the target of a 3.5 GPA average].”
“We routinely have conversations with faculty to ensure that their teaching methods are supported effectively and align with our shared goals for student learning,” Chou said.
While Chou described the policy as a suggestion rather than a requirement, faculty who wish to preemptively abandon the curve for their classes must first receive approval from Chou.
Not all students see the curve as beneficial to their academic experience. Wyatt Carter, Batten Undergraduate Council president and fourth-year Batten student, said he has identified several problems with the grading policy while pursuing his B.A. in Public Policy and Leadership — including that it unfairly distributes grades and makes postgraduate applications for Batten students more difficult.
Alongside being BUC president, Carter also works as a Batten Ambassador — a current Batten student who informs prospective students about the program and shares their experiences to help them determine if the school is the right fit. He is also a teaching assistant for a Bridge to Batten course — a program that supports low-income University students through advising and mentorship.
Carter said that, in both contexts, he has heard first-hand the worries of potential Batten students that a potentially lower GPA resulting from the grade normalization policy could negatively affect their career prospects compared to if they pursued a different course of study.
“In both of these positions, I hear from prospective Batten applicants and in both arenas students are overwhelmingly concerned about how the Batten Curve will affect their future outcomes,” Carter said.
As someone with plans to apply to law schools after graduation, when determining her course of study, third-year Batten student Anna Bartlett said she considered majoring in history with the less daunting College grading scale.
“[The Batten Curve] might kind of dissuade some people from doing Batten, especially if you're interested in programs like law school, where GPA is so important,” Bartlett said.
Carter mentioned that there is a section on law school applications that allows an applicant to discuss unique aspects of their undergraduate experience. Here, a Batten student could explain their potentially lower GPA as a result of the grading curve. But, Carter said that this remedy might be insufficient.
“That whole process is reliant upon another person taking the time, seeing your GPA … and trying to understand why your academic performance may appear to be at a certain level, when you actually feel like it's better than what it may seem,” Carter said.
Beyond dissuading prospective Batten students, Carter also said that the grading system is generally unfair to students within Batten — a lot of students who perform well and expect their grades to reflect that performance have issues with the grading methodology, according to Carter.
In classes offered in the College, for example, if all students perform well on their assignments and earn high marks, they can all end the semester with a high final grade. With the “Batten Curve,” however, even if a class exceeds expectations and performs well as a group, the system will still pull the average grade down to a 3.5.
Additionally, Carter said that some students perceive the “Batten Curve” to create a “lack of transparency” around academics. According to Carter, students who ask professors about their grades or the policy in general are often met with dismissive, uninformative responses.
“Those responses really leave students feeling shut out of the meaningful dialogue,” Carter said. “I think the lack of clear, accessible information about how the curve is applied, and also why, makes it really difficult for students to trust that the policy is in their best interest.”
Despite criticism from students like Carter, others, like third-year Batten student Maya Amman, say that the curving system has not negatively affected them in terms of their plans for postgraduate education.
Before entering Batten, Amman said she was worried about the school’s downward grade curving reputation because of her own plans to apply to law school. But after nearly completing her first full semester in Batten, Amman said that her concerns have been quelled, and she believes that the curving policies have been more helpful than harmful given the academic rigor of Batten classes.
According to Amman, on one of her midterm exams this semester, anyone with an 82 percent or higher had their grade on the exam curved up to an A.
“I don't see myself ending with a grade that I don't think I deserve,” Amman said. “Right now, I'm at a maybe for law school … but based on my current experience in the Batten school, [the grade curving system] is not the major factor that's deterring me [from applying].”
Further, some Batten students think the prestige that comes with a Batten degree and its appeal to postgraduate admission officers outweighs the potential downward curve of their GPA. During training to be a Batten Ambassador, Bartlett said she was reassured of the school’s prestige for her further plans.
“Law schools and other programs, when they see Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy … they know the rigor that comes with that,” Bartlett said. “So even if your GPA might be a little bit lower, you know that's not necessarily going to make or break you.”
Similar to Amman, Bartlett also does not see herself ending up with a grade she did not earn at the end of the semester.
“Will I have a perfect 4.0 GPA at the end of the semester? It is not looking like it,” Bartlett said. “But I don't think that's because of the “Batten Curve.” I think that's just the rigor of Batten in general, and I think that the grades that I will get will just reflect that.”
The Cavalier Daily reached out to 15 Batten professors for comments on their experience with the Batten grading system and why they do or do not use it in their courses. At the time of the article’s publishing, three responded saying they were unavailable for comment, and one responded saying they are involved in the conversations regarding potential changes to the policy, and as such declined to comment.
Batten students are also involved in conversations about potential policy changes, with some taking an active role in advocacy efforts. When campaigning for president of Batten Undergraduate Council last semester, one part of Carter’s platform was the elimination of the curve, and he said he is currently using his platform to achieve this goal.
Carter said he spoke with the Batten Faculty Executive Committee — who assist the dean in developing educational, instructional and research policies for the school — to express his concerns with the “Batten Curve” Sept. 11. While the policy has yet to see any changes, Carter said he still remains optimistic for future conversations on the subject.
“I really look forward to the rest of this year and in future meetings, using my platform, using BUC’s platform, to do whatever I can to foster the change that we really desperately need,” Carter said. “I think it's really clear to faculty and administration how immediate of a concern this is for the Batten community, and I hope that'll inspire change.”