Above the Law, A Brawl at DePaul Over Grades:

[A]t DePaul College of Law, the administration decided to strictly enforce its curve as a way of combating wanton grade inflation. Apparently not all of the professors were on the same page. Professor Howard Rubin taught Legal Profession this past spring and graded the class the way he always has. But his grades were curve-busting, and the administration asked him to lower those grades to match the school’s curve.

Professor Rubin refused to do this — and, well, now we’ve got emails…Professor Rubin emailed his entire Legal Profession class, letting them know that the administration was putting the screws to their grades:

Legal Profession Students:

Several of you have contacted me concerning your grades. On Tuesday, June 1, 2010, I submitted all the grades for students in the day and evening sections of Legal Profession. I had calculated the grades using the same methodology I have used for the five years I have been teaching the course. For five years there has been the same upper class large section grade curve. I have used it as a guideline and have awarded grades at a positive variance from that curve every semester. There has never been a complaint from any source. While the curve has always been titled “mandatory” it has been advisory in application.

This spring semester Dean Greenberger dictated that the curve would now be strictly enforced. Your grades, exhibiting an upward variation from the curve as in prior years, were rejected by Dean Greenberger. He demanded and I refused to lower your grades.