Implementing Grade Non-Disclosure Policy for Rutgers Business School

Wan Hong

March 15, 2016

Business Communication

Persuasive Writing

Implementing Grade Non-disclosure Policy for Rutgers Business School

        The ultimate reason people come to MBA program is probably an advancement in their career. Therefore, it is crucial for them to find career opportunities such as internship or full-time placement while they belong to school as MBA candidate. In career searching process to attain desired position, resume is the most evident representation of candidates. Accordingly, students make assiduous effort to improve and manage the content of resumes. Unfortunately, current grade disclosure policy on resume halts many students have diverse learning experience and education quality they truly deserve from MBA program, while the policy makes students to excessively focus on academic achievement. Therefore, it is crucial for Rutgers Business School to implement grade non-disclosure policy.

Why is current grade disclosure policy problematic?

        The problem of current grade disclosure policy is that it makes undue emphasis on academic achievement by having students to indicate GPA on resumes. As a result, students are losing opportunities to experience the different facets of MBA program other than academic learning such as participating in networking and social involvement events or case competitions. Furthermore, policy that writes GPA on resume derives students to passively choose classes simply based on easiness rather than true benefit or efficacy of classes, which seriously undermines the quality of education they deserve. Finally, as GPA is relative measure that varies from school to school or specialization to specialization, many recruiters admit that GPA is not a major factor in successful hiring decision. This is especially apparent for MBA program where recruiters weigh more on the past career experience or soft-skills to manage other people.

Why does this problem persist?

        Regardless of a field of study or level of education, GPA has been used as the most common metrics to measure student’s academic achievement and intellectual competency. Therefore, majority of business schools except few prestige names whose students to be already believed as qualifiers in academic achievement, recommend to write GPA on a resume. This has been a norm for a long time and is a grade disclosure policy that Rutgers Business School is currently practicing. To certain extent for RBS, carrying out current grade disclosure policy seems to be due to perception that RBS does not possess the prestige name values of topnotch schools such as Kellog, HBS, Stern or Booth who have students not to disclosure GPA on resumes. For recruiters on the other hand, GPA is used to gauge students’ capabilities and understanding of subject matter of the position, which often involves with candidates’ hard-skills or technical skills. Similar to how grade disclosure policy became a norm, recruiters are accustomed to see GPA as a fundamental information that needs to be in a resume even though they admit importance or criticality of GPA is not as significant as interview skill, people skill or the fit especially in selecting MBA candidates. Sometimes, not indicating GPA is even translated as lack of academic achievements or intellectual competency.