Universities Weblog

Amid the heat of controversy, Harvard Business School has ended its policy refusing to allow recruiters/employers to learn students' grades.

From Inside Higher Ed:The ban on grade-sharing has been enormously popular with students since it was adopted in 1998. Supporters say that it discouraged (or at least kept to a reasonable level) the kind of cut-throat competition for which business schools are known. With the ban, students said they were more comfortable helping one another or taking difficult courses.

But a memo sent to students by Jay O. Light, the Acting dean, said that the policy was wrong. "Fundamentally, I believe it is inappropriate for HBS to dictate to students what they can and cannot say about their grades during the recruiting process. I believe you and your classmates earn your grades and should be accountable for them, as you will be accountable for your performance in the organizations you will lead in the future," he wrote.What will this mean, if anything, for the stressful nature of employment competition? With nearly 95% of students against the change, should it have happened at all?

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