$300K granted to study how 'traditional grading' perpetuates 'systemic inequalities'

The National Science Foundation (NSF) awarded North Dakota State University (NDSU) a $300,000 grant to study how traditional grading perpetuates systemic inequalities toward nontraditional and rural students.

The project, “Reimagining Grading to Support Nontraditional and Rural Students in High Enrollment, Gateway STEM Courses,” will be led by NDSU Postdoctoral Research Fellow Tara Slominski. 

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The project will be funded “in whole or in part” by the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, which was approved as COVID-19 relief to “change the course of the pandemic and deliver immediate relief for American workers.”

$600 million, however, was allocated to the NSF “to fund new and existing research grants aimed at supporting COVID-related impacts and response efforts.”

The study is projected to run for two years and will begin on January 1, 2023. It is intended to examine how “traditional grading practices perpetuate systemic inequalities for college students,” NDSU News reports.

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“I was a first-generation, working student coming from a rural area when I enrolled at NDSU for my undergraduate degree and I definitely struggled with the structural norms and expectations of higher education,” Slominski told NDSU News.

Slominski has taught several biology courses at NDSU pertaining to human anatomy and physiology. In addition to teaching, she is also described as a “course developer” for multiple classes.

Campus Reform has reached out to all individuals and institutions mentioned in this article and will update accordingly.