Is it ethical to “arm-twist” a faculty-member into passing more students or improving the class average?

manpreet Best Answer 2 years ago

I recently got "arm-twisted" [2] (by the department chair and the dean of faculty) into passing the whole (undergrad Math) class who appeared for the final (minus that one student who we all knew was not going to make it anyway) by the most lenient grading-on-a-curve I have ever done. Isn't it immoral to pass students ahead who aren't ready or those who are gaming the system? Or am I overthinking this? The final exam was set easy and "OK-ed" by a senior colleague (I am a new faculty member). I had to pass 6 students who were way below average...

Some additional remarks based on posed questions:

1. This is not a rant, it's a serious concern if I should go to higher authorities.

2. Arm-twisting ==> pressurised a lot over 4 days of meetings.

3. I don't think the dean of faculty is unethical at all but it looks like she is strongly influenced by the department chair, who, in my opinion, could be borderline-toxic (but I am not sure).

4. Grading wasn't tough - it was nominal, of course, to the best of my knowledge.

5. How does passing students who are way below average make them a good educator? After having spent a semester with them and/or just looking at how they scored on exams and quizzes, they definitely could benefit from repeating it.