Making A’s count

Making A’s count

Harvard faculty have approved a controversial plan to overhaul the college’s grading system, including new limits on how many A’s professors can award. The goal: make an A mean something again. But the debate goes beyond transcripts and GPAs. At a moment of deep skepticism toward elite higher education, some supporters say tougher grading could also help restore trust in institutions like Harvard. In this episode of College Uncovered, GBH’s Kirk Carapezza heads to Harvard Yard, where high-achieving students worried about their futures are pushing back. And we hear from professors divided over a broader question: What are grades actually used for? Grade inflation has been rising for decades at colleges across the country. Economist Jeff Denning of the University of Texas at Austin explains why easier grading may weaken students’ incentives to study and to truly learn the material. Meanwhile, a faculty report from Yale’s Committee on Trust in Higher Education argues that grades at elite universities often no longer do what they’re supposed to do: measure and communicate learning. We hear from two of the report’s authors, sociologist Julia Adams and law professor Sarath Sanga. And finally, The Hechinger Report’s Jill Barshay explains why, in the age of the easy A, parents may be getting a misleading picture of how their kids are actually doing. Related links:  Harvard limits number of students who get A grades [https://www.wgbh.org/news/local/2026-05-20/harvard-limits-number-of-students-who-get-a-grades] With rampant grade inflation, could Harvard make an ‘A’ mean something again? [https://www.wgbh.org/news/education-news/2026-04-13/with-rampant-grade-inflation-could-harvard-make-an-a-mean-something-again] Easy A’s, lower pay: Grade inflation’s hidden damage [https://hechingerreport.org/proof-points-grade-inflation-lower-pay/] College Uncovered: What do college students learn, anyway? [https://www.wgbh.org/podcasts/college-uncovered/s2-eps-8-what-do-college-students-learn-anyway] Parents trust report cards more than test scores — with consequences for kids [https://hechingerreport.org/proof-points-parents-report-cards/] ---------- Credits: Host and Producer: Kirk Carapezza  Editors: Azita Ghahramani and Lisa Wardle Executive Producer: Lee Hill   Mixing and Sound Design: David Goodman & Gary Mott Theme Song and original music: Left-Roman Artwork: Matt Welch  Project Manager: Isabel Hibbard Consulting Producer and Head of GBH Podcasts: Devin Maverick Robins "College Uncovered" is a production of GBH News

Measuring the Underemployed

Artificial intelligence is booming in Boston and beyond, and economists warn that it could throw thousands of people out of work. College seniors nearing graduation are often asked what they’ll do next. How will they put their new degree to use? Or will they end up working at their neighborhood coffee shop?  Underemployment among recent graduates has been a persistent concern. Many degree holders find themselves in roles that don’t fully tap into their education. But tracking exactly how many graduates are underemployed, well, it’s complicated. Jeff Strohl, who directs Georgetown’s Center on Education and the Workforce, says the data is murky. Colleges don’t consistently track where graduates land, or how long it takes them to get there. That uncertainty feeds the familiar stereotype of baristas with diplomas living in their parents’ basements. “We dump all these graduates into the labor market — often three million at the same time — and then we’re telling them to go swim, and it takes a while to find a good match,” he said.  Even without precise numbers, many in higher education agree that the rate of underemployment is too high, especially given that only about 60 percent of students in the U.S. complete a four-year degree on time. In this episode of College Uncovered, GBH’s Kirk Carapezza visits a job fair at Wentworth Institute of Technology in Boston, where college seniors, particularly computer science majors, are feeling the pressure of a shifting job market.   Then, Bentley University president Brent Chrite explains how his school measures outcomes through a “knowledge rate,” a verified snapshot of what graduates are actually doing. And finally, Carapezza reflects on Hampshire College’s planned closure, and what it signals about the changing value and future of higher education. “College Uncovered” is made possible by Lumina Foundation. ---------- Credits: Host and Producer: Kirk Carapezza  Editors: Azita Ghahramani and Lisa Wardle Executive Producer: Lee Hill   Mixing and Sound Design: David Goodman & Gary Mott Theme Song and original music: Left-Roman Artwork: Matt Welch  Project Manager: Isabel Hibbard Consulting Producer and Head of GBH Podcasts: Devin Maverick Robins "College Uncovered" is a production of GBH News

Toeing the Edge of the Demographic Cliff

GBH recently took College Uncovered on the road to the University of Massachusetts Boston, in the city’s Dorchester neighborhood, about eight miles from some of the nation’s well-known Ivy League institutions.  We chose UMass Boston not just because it’s in our backyard, but because campuses like it represent where most students in the U.S. actually go to college. Roughly 80 percent of students attend public universities and colleges, and most of them don’t graduate on time. When it comes to navigating shifting demographics, serving students, and meeting workforce demands, UMass Boston Chancellor Marcelo Suárez-Orozco says institutions need to start by connecting with their own backyards.  “What we have is a rapidly aging population below replacement fertility rates,” Suárez Orozco says. “And we have a new dynamic in that the sectors of the population that are growing are the sectors of the population that we, UMass Boston, serve. These are of immigrant origin mostly, and second generation." In this special episode, GBH’s Kirk Carapezza moderates a panel discussion between Suárez Orozco, Fanta Aw, CEO of NAFSA: The Association of International Educators, and Marjorie Hass, president of the Council of Independent Colleges. The higher ed leaders discuss challenges and opportunities created by the so-called demographic cliff, and how colleges are responding to sustained political pressure on American higher education.  In the episode’s second half, education reporter Jon Marcus of The Hechinger Reporter explains how colleges are trying to recruit and retain adult learners and why a growing number of schools are trimming the traditional bachelor’s degree to three years. "The new kind of three-year degree only requires 90 credits, and that's increasingly being approved by accreditors who are under political pressure and by states who recognize the consumer demand for work-oriented bachelor's degrees," Marcus says.  Related links:  The Demographic Cliff [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-demographic-cliff/id1711100315?i=1000703862005] The Student Trade Wars [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-student-trade-wars/id1711100315?i=1000706789847] Colleges are reconnecting with students who left before earning their degrees [https://www.wgbh.org/news/education-news/2026-02-10/colleges-are-reconnecting-with-students-who-left-before-earning-their-degrees] Faster, thinner: Colleges are swiftly trimming a B.A. degree to three years [https://hechingerreport.org/faster-thinner-colleges-bachelors-degree-three-years/] “College Uncovered” is made possible by Lumina Foundation. ---------- Credits: Host and Producer: Kirk Carapezza  Editors: Azita Ghahramani and Lisa Wardle Executive Producer: Lee Hill   Mixing and Sound Design: David Goodman & Gary Mott Theme Song and original music: Left-Roman Artwork: Matt Welch  Project Manager: Isabel Hibbard Consulting Producer and Head of GBH Podcasts: Devin Maverick Robins "College Uncovered" is a production of GBH News

Reengaging “Stop-Out” Learners

Millions of Americans have left college before earning their degrees. Some schools are trying to re-engage those so-called “stop-out” learners to bolster their classes amid growing uncertainty about enrollment. In this episode of College Uncovered, GBH’s Kirk Carapezza explores how local institutions are partnering with national organizations like ReUp Education to reconnect with former students.  Advocates are hopeful about these partnerships because most schools don’t have sufficient resources to reconnect with adult learners, who may need dozens of calls and individualized support before re-enrolling.  Kirk also speaks with Elliot Felix, author of The Connected College, who believes re-engaging adult students is critical to fulfilling higher education’s promise. “College is still our best instrument for economic opportunity and mobility and helping students find their people, their place, their purpose, and their path forward,” Felix says.  And if you’re an adult student who stepped away from college before finishing, we’ll outline the key questions to ask before deciding to return.  Links: Colleges are reconnecting with students who left before earning their degrees [https://www.wgbh.org/news/education-news/2026-02-10/colleges-are-reconnecting-with-students-who-left-before-earning-their-degrees] Graduation Frustration [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/graduation-frustration/id1711100315?i=1000637036202] The Real Cost of “Free [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-real-cost-of-free/id1711100315?i=1000654302024]” “College Uncovered” is made possible by Lumina Foundation. ---------- Credits: Host and Producer: Kirk Carapezza  Editors: Azita Ghahramani and Lisa Wardle Executive Producer: Lee Hill   Mixing and Sound Design: David Goodman & Gary Mott Theme Song and original music: Left-Roman Artwork: Matt Welch  Project Manager: Isabel Hibbard Consulting Producer and Head of GBH Podcasts: Devin Maverick Robins "College Uncovered" is a production of GBH News

Rethinking The Liberal Arts

Recent graduates are facing a tough job market. Young people – and even colleges – are asking fundamental, existential questions: What does it mean to be educated? And will an expensive college education help set in motion a future career?  As enrollment declines, costs rise, and political pressure intensifies, some colleges and universities are rethinking the liberal arts. They’re restructuring and rebranding programs to emphasize applied humanities, weaving career preparation directly into the curriculum.   In this episode of College Uncovered, GBH’s Kirk Carapezza visits Brandeis University and Clark University to learn how two liberal arts schools are responding to some of the biggest challenges the higher education industry has faced in decades. Can this model survive?  Kirk also speaks with Scott Carlson, a senior writer at The Chronicle of Higher Education and author of the new book Hacking College: Why the Major Doesn’t Matter and What Really Does. Carlson argues that colleges need to “systemize serendipity.” “I think colleges and universities need to take a more deliberate role in helping students figure out this is how the college game is played and these are the various directions you can take these degrees,” Carlson says.  Links: Brandeis bets big on rebuilding the liberal arts around real-world skills [https://www.wgbh.org/news/education-news/2025-12-02/brandeis-bets-big-on-rebuilding-the-liberal-arts-around-real-world-skills] Clark University braces for a harsh new reality as higher ed recession looms [https://www.wgbh.org/news/education-news/2025-08-06/clark-university-braces-for-a-harsh-new-reality-as-higher-ed-recession-looms] From Robin Hood to resumes: The humanities get a job market makeover [https://www.wgbh.org/news/education-news/2025-05-01/from-robin-hood-to-resumes-the-humanities-get-a-job-market-makeover] The Revenge of the Humanities [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-revenge-of-the-humanities/id1711100315?i=1000705675598] “College Uncovered” is made possible by Lumina Foundation. ---------- Credits: Host and Producer: Kirk Carapezza  Editors: Azita Ghahramani and Lisa Wardle Executive Producer: Lee Hill   Mixing and Sound Design: David Goodman & Gary Mott Theme Song and original music: Left-Roman Artwork: Matt Welch  Project Manager: Isabel Hibbard Consulting Producer and Head of GBH Podcasts: Devin Maverick Robins "College Uncovered" is a production of GBH News