Gross said he hopes that taking this extra step will cause professors to become more aware of their grading habits.

But some professors said they do not think this new requirement is necessary.

“I’m not sending it back ... I won’t be intimidated,” said Bard Professor of History Mark A. Kishlansky.

Kishlansky said that breaking down the grades for his classes would not change his grading practices.

He said, however, that the tally may be helpful to professors teaching very large classes where the distribution might not be readily apparent.

But Engell said that increased analysis of grading practices can only be beneficial.

“[Professors] are just looking at a list of letters and names on a large single spaced sheet of paper,” he said. “Any information that the registrar can provide them is a good thing.”

And Engell said he hopes Gross will continue to show professors how their grading practices compare by releasing abridged versions of department-by-department reports that were submitted during Pedersen’s tenure.

As a member of the Education Policy Committee’s subcommittee on grade inflation, Engell read the reports last spring and said he feels their information would benefit the entire faculty.

“Grading practices should have some consistency and uniformity across the college,” he said.

Gross said his office is planning to distribute a booklet on good grading practices to the Faculty in the spring.

The Winter of Our Discontent

While the decline in GPA may seem small, it has created a ripple among both teachers and students alike.

“The TFs are on the front lines [and] they report in like mad,” Kishlansky said.

As one of three professors teaching History 10a: “Western Societies, Politics, and Cultures: From Antiquity to 1650” Kishlanksy said that he and his fellow professors met with their TFs weekly to monitor grading through common readings of papers and exams.