Editing Princeton University (section)

=== Undergraduate ===
[[File:McCosh 50 Renovated.jpg|thumb|McCosh 50, the largest lecture hall on campus|upright=1.2]]
Princeton follows a [[Liberal arts education|liberal arts]] curriculum,{{Sfn|Fiske|Lecuyer|2019|p=564}} and offers two bachelor's degrees to students: a [[Bachelor of Arts]] (A.B.) and a [[Bachelor of Science in Engineering]] (B.S.E.).<ref name="Princeton-AcadLife" /> Typically, A.B. students choose a major (called a concentration) at the end of sophomore year, while B.S.E. students declare at the end of their freshman year.<ref>{{cite web|date=May 6, 2021|title=When and how do I choose a major?|url=https://path.princeton.edu/content/when-and-how-do-i-choose-major#:~:text=The%20first%20thing%20to%20bear,end%20of%20their%20first%20year%20.|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210719004441/https://path.princeton.edu/content/when-and-how-do-i-choose-major|archive-date=July 19, 2021|access-date=July 18, 2021|website=Your Path to Princeton|publisher=Princeton University}}</ref> Students must complete distribution requirements, departmental requirements, and independent work to graduate with either degree.{{Sfn|Fiske|Lecuyer|2019|p=564}}<ref name="Princeton-AcadLife" /> A.B. students must complete distribution requirements in literature and the arts, science and engineering, social analysis, cultural difference, [[epistemology]] and cognition, ethical thought and moral values, historical analysis, and quantitative and computational reasoning; they must also have satisfactory ability in a foreign language.<ref name="Princeton-AcadLife" /> Additionally, they must complete two papers of independent work during their junior year—known as the junior papers—and craft a senior thesis to graduate;<ref name="Gullickson-2014">{{cite web|last=Gullickson|first=Cricket|date=January 4, 2014|title=The Junior Paper|url=https://admission.princeton.edu/blogs/junior-paper|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210719004441/https://admission.princeton.edu/blogs/junior-paper|archive-date=July 19, 2021|access-date=July 19, 2021|website=Undergraduate Admission|publisher=Princeton University|language=en}}</ref>{{Sfn|Fiske|Lecuyer|2019|p=565}} both revolve around the concentration they are pursuing.<ref name="Princeton-IndResearch">{{cite web|title=Independent Work|url=https://undergraduateresearch.princeton.edu/independent-work|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210719005917/https://undergraduateresearch.princeton.edu/independent-work|archive-date=July 19, 2021|access-date=July 19, 2021|website=Office of Undergraduate Research|publisher=Princeton University}}</ref> B.S.E. majors complete fewer courses in the humanities and social sciences and instead fulfill requirements in mathematics, physics, chemistry, and computer programming.<ref name="Princeton-AcadLife" /> They likewise must complete independent work, which typically involves a design project or senior thesis, but not the junior papers.<ref name="Gullickson-2014" /><ref name="Princeton-IndResearch" /> A.B. majors must complete 31 courses, whereas B.S.E. majors must complete 36 courses.<ref>{{cite web|last=Bogucki|first=Peter|title=Princeton Degrees Explained|url=https://path.princeton.edu/princeton-degrees-explained|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150517035050/http://path.princeton.edu:80/princeton-degrees-explained|archive-date=May 17, 2015|access-date=July 19, 2021|website=Your Path to Princeton|publisher=Princeton University}}</ref>

Students can choose from either 36 concentrations or create their own. They can also participate in 55 interdisciplinary certificate programs;<ref name="Princeton-AcadLife" /> since Princeton does not offer an [[academic minor]], the certificates effectively serve as one.<ref>{{cite web|date=September 15, 2016|title=Certificate Programs|url=https://admission.princeton.edu/academics/certificate-programs|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210715110454/https://admission.princeton.edu/academics/certificate-programs|archive-date=July 15, 2021|access-date=July 19, 2021|website=Undergraduate Admission|publisher=Princeton University|language=en}}</ref> Course structure is determined by the instructor and department. Classes vary in their format, ranging from small seminars to medium-sized lecture courses to large lecture courses.<ref name="Lestition-2021">{{cite web|last=Lestition|first=Steven|title=How do classes at Princeton work?|url=https://path.princeton.edu/node/28|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210719004452/https://path.princeton.edu/node/28|archive-date=July 19, 2021|access-date=July 19, 2021|website=Your Path to Princeton|publisher=Princeton University}}</ref> The latter two typically have [[Precept#Higher education|precepts]], which are extra weekly discussion sessions that are led by either the professor or a graduate student.<ref name="Lestition-2021" /><ref name="Princeton-Precept">{{cite web|date=October 12, 2016|title=The Precept System|url=https://admission.princeton.edu/academics/precept-system|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210717191004/https://admission.princeton.edu/academics/precept-system|archive-date=July 17, 2021|access-date=July 19, 2021|website=Undergraduate Admission|publisher=Princeton University|language=en}}</ref> The average class meeting time is 3–4 hours a week, although this can vary depending on the course.<ref name="Lestition-2021" /> The student to faculty ratio is 5 to 1,<ref name="Princeton-Precept" /> and a majority of classes have fewer than 20 students.{{Sfn|Fiske|Lecuyer|2019|p=565}} In the ''[[Fiske Guide to Colleges]]'', academic culture is considered as "tight-knit, extremely hardworking, highly cooperative, and supportive."{{Sfn|Fiske|Lecuyer|p=566|2019}}

Undergraduates agree to adhere to an academic integrity policy called the Honor Code. Under the Honor Code, faculty do not proctor examinations; instead, the students proctor one another and must report any suspected violation to an Honor Committee made up of undergraduates.<ref>{{cite web|title=The Undergraduate Honor System|url=https://ua.princeton.edu/contents/undergraduate-honor-system|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210719004441/https://ua.princeton.edu/contents/undergraduate-honor-system|archive-date=July 19, 2021|access-date=July 19, 2021|website=Undergraduate Announcement|publisher=Princeton University}}</ref> The Committee investigates reported violations and holds a hearing if it is warranted. An acquittal at such a hearing results in the destruction of all records of the hearing; a conviction results in the student's suspension or expulsion.<ref>{{cite web|title=About Us|url=https://honor.princeton.edu/about-us|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210515163433/https://honor.princeton.edu/about-us|archive-date=May 15, 2021|access-date=October 19, 2015|website=Honor Committee|publisher=Princeton University}}</ref> Violations pertaining to all other academic work fall under the jurisdiction of the Faculty-Student Committee on Discipline.<ref>{{cite web|title=Committees|url=https://odus.princeton.edu/community-standards/committees|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210414070308/https://odus.princeton.edu/community-standards/committees|archive-date=April 14, 2021|access-date=June 19, 2021|website=Office of the Dean of Undergraduate Students|publisher=Princeton University}}</ref> Undergraduates are expected to sign a pledge on their written work affirming that they have not [[Plagiarism|plagiarized]] the work.<ref>{{cite web|date=February 2019|title=Academic Integrity|url=https://odoc.princeton.edu/curriculum/academic-integrity|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210506093505/https://odoc.princeton.edu/curriculum/academic-integrity|archive-date=May 6, 2021|access-date=October 23, 2015|website=Office of the Dean of the College|publisher=Princeton University}}</ref>

====Grade deflation policy====
The first focus on issues of grade inflation by the Princeton administration began in 1998 when a university report was released showcasing a steady rise in undergraduate grades from 1973 to 1997.<ref name="Princetonian-2004">{{Cite news|date=April 2004|title=Grade inflation plan passes|work=[[The Daily Princetonian]]|url=https://www.dailyprincetonian.com/article/2004/04/grade-inflation-plan-passes|access-date=June 20, 2021|archive-date=June 24, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210624204920/https://www.dailyprincetonian.com/article/2004/04/grade-inflation-plan-passes|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Foderaro-2010">{{Cite news|last=Foderaro|first=Lisa W.|date=January 29, 2010|title=Type-A-Plus Students Chafe at Grade Deflation|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/31/education/31princeton.html|access-date=June 20, 2021|issn=0362-4331|archive-date=June 24, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210624223738/https://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/31/education/31princeton.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Subsequent reports and discussion from the report culminated to when in 2004,<ref name="Princetonian-2004" /> [[Nancy Weiss Malkiel]], the dean of the college, implemented a grade deflation policy to address the findings.<ref name="On grade deflation">{{cite news|date=December 2, 2009|title=On grade deflation|newspaper=[[The Daily Princetonian]]|url=http://www.dailyprincetonian.com/2009/12/02/24601/|url-status=dead|access-date=June 24, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100113122642/http://www.dailyprincetonian.com/2009/12/02/24601/|archive-date=January 13, 2010}}</ref> Malkiel's reason for the policy was that an A was becoming devalued as a larger percentage of the student body received one.<ref name="On grade deflation" /> Following its introduction, the number of A's and average GPA on campus dropped, although A's and B's were still the most frequent grades awarded.<ref name="Foderaro-2010" /><ref>{{Cite news|last=Supiano|first=Beckie|date=January 17, 2020|title=The Real Problem With Grade Inflation|work=[[The Chronicle of Higher Education]]|url=https://www.chronicle.com/article/the-real-problem-with-grade-inflation/|access-date=June 20, 2021|archive-date=June 24, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210624202242/https://www.chronicle.com/article/the-real-problem-with-grade-inflation/|url-status=live}}</ref> The policy received mixed approval from both faculty and students when first instituted.<ref name="Princetonian-2004" /><ref>{{Cite news|last=Arenson|first=Karen W.|date=April 8, 2004|title=Princeton Tries To Put a Cap On Giving A's|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2004/04/08/nyregion/princeton-tries-to-put-a-cap-on-giving-a-s.html|access-date=June 20, 2021|issn=0362-4331|archive-date=June 24, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210624225605/https://www.nytimes.com/2004/04/08/nyregion/princeton-tries-to-put-a-cap-on-giving-a-s.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Criticism for grade deflation continued through the years, with students alleging negative effects like increased competition and lack of willingness to choose challenging classes.<ref name="On grade deflation" /><ref>{{Cite news|last=Strauss|first=Valerie|date=August 9, 2014|title=Why Princeton students who deserve A's can't get them — report|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/answer-sheet/wp/2014/08/09/why-princeton-students-who-deserve-as-cant-get-them-report/|access-date=June 20, 2021}}</ref> Other criticism included job market and graduate school prospects, although Malkiel responded by saying that she sent 3,000 letters to numerous institutions and employers informing them.<ref name="Foderaro-2010" /><ref name="On grade deflation" /> In 2009, transcripts began including a statement about the policy.<ref name="Levenson-2013">{{Cite news|last=Levenson|first=Eric|date=October 7, 2013|title=The End of Princeton's Grade Deflation Experiment?|work=[[The Atlantic]]|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2013/10/end-grade-deflation-princeton-university-inflation-as/310231/|access-date=June 20, 2021|archive-date=June 24, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210624203426/https://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2013/10/end-grade-deflation-princeton-university-inflation-as/310231/|url-status=live}}</ref>

In October 2013, Princeton President Christopher Eisgruber created a faculty committee to review the deflation policy.<ref name="Levenson-2013" /> In August 2014, the committee released a report recommending the removal of the policy and instead develop consistent standards for grading across individual departments.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Mulvaney|first1=Nicole|date=August 7, 2014|title=No more A quotas: Faculty committee recommends Princeton University change its grading policy|work=[[NJ.com]]|url=http://www.nj.com/mercer/index.ssf/2014/08/no_more_a_quotas_faculty_committee_recommends_princeton_university_change_its_grading_policy.html|access-date=June 5, 2015|archive-date=June 17, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150617125056/http://www.nj.com/mercer/index.ssf/2014/08/no_more_a_quotas_faculty_committee_recommends_princeton_university_change_its_grading_policy.html|url-status=live}}</ref> In October 2014, following a faculty vote, the numerical targets were removed in response to the report.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Windemuth|first1=Anna|date=October 6, 2014|title=After faculty vote, grade deflation policy officially dead|work=[[The Daily Princetonian]]|url=http://dailyprincetonian.com/news/2014/10/breaking-after-faculty-vote-grade-deflation-policy-officially-dead/|url-status=dead|access-date=June 5, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150526105447/http://dailyprincetonian.com/news/2014/10/breaking-after-faculty-vote-grade-deflation-policy-officially-dead/|archive-date=May 26, 2015}}</ref> In a 2020 analysis of undergraduate grades following the removal of a policy, there were no long-lasting effects, with the percent of students receiving A's higher than in 1998.<ref>{{Cite news|last=O'Connor|first=Liam|date=January 12, 2020|title=The decline and fall of grade deflation|work=[[The Daily Princetonian]]|url=https://www.dailyprincetonian.com/article/2020/01/the-decline-and-fall-of-grade-deflation|access-date=June 20, 2021|archive-date=June 24, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210624201733/https://www.dailyprincetonian.com/article/2020/01/the-decline-and-fall-of-grade-deflation|url-status=live}}</ref>