"Fifteen years ago, Omega University implemented a new procedure that encouraged students to""evaluate the teaching effectiveness of all their professors. Since that time, Omega professors have begun to assign higher grades in their classes, and overall s

In this article the author points out that Omega university has to eliminate student evaluation of professors. He/She also mentions that employers infere that these higher grades don not reflect student achievement. To support this projection, the author renders the fact that grades have been increased recently due to professors effectiveness evaluation. Close scrutiny of each of these facts reveals that none of them lends credible support to the conclusion as it stands.

Regarding the first evidence, the author seems to assume that evaluation of professors is responsible for higher grades in classes. However, he/she ignores other possible causes of higher grades; for example, better students have been admited to the university or better teaching methods have been used, to name just a few. Without eliminating alternative explanations such as these, the author cannot justify his/her assertion that teachers have begun to assign higher grades due to evaluation procedure.

The author’s recommendation relies on what might be a poor analogy between two courses of action. Perhaps the same course of action would be ineffective in Omega university due to economical differences between Omega and Alpha university. If it turns out, for example, that the Alpha university hire better professors, has better facilities and labaratory equipments, then the author conclusion is uncalled for. In short, what might have caused better opportunities for students of Alpha university would not necessarily help student of Omega university to find job. Omega university has to investigate what the Alpha university offers that is attractive for employers that it does not.

Assuming that at 15 years ago implementing new procedure motivated professors to assign higher grades, the author infers a similar condition today and in the future. But it is entirely possible that the they assigned better grades because students studied harder than they had done.

In sum, the article relies on doubtful assumptions that renders it unconvincing and ill grounded as it stands. To persuade me that eliminating evaluation will cause better condition for students, the author must supply better evidence that higher grades is the main problem that employers consider. To empower the conclusion , the author also need to provide all information respecting condition of Alpha university.