Complaining about TAs' grading is not productive

TO THE EDITOR:

Zack Holland complained in his letter to the editor (""Grades are unfair when TAs have varying standards"" Oct. 21) that it was unfair when TAs did the grading for assignments which require subjective grading since there's typically a disparity in the average grades"" in large classes with multiple TAs.

While he discounts the possibility that one TA might have better equipped or achieving students than another" I don't believe that can be ruled out.

More importantly however whining about fairness will not serve Mr. Holland well later in life.

As John Kennedy once said" ""Life is unfair.""

Perhaps if Mr. Holland were complaining about dying on a flood plain in an underdeveloped region of the world instead of his difficulty in getting lower grades than another student while being sheltered" warm and well fed in a wonderful school he might have a point.

In school as in life Mr. Holland will go much farther playing the hand he is dealt rather than attempting to obtain a different deck. (By the way I do not believe I have ever taught Mr. Holland.)



Robert M. Hamer Ph.D.

Professor of Psychiatry and Biostatistics

UNC AB '72 Ph.D. '79