Twelve years have passed since Wharton MBA students have stopped releasing their grades, but officials who are unconvinced that the policy is the best for the school are giving it increased scrutiny.
The grade non-disclosure policy -- which was created by students, not the school's administration -- encourages MBA students to refrain from discussing transcripts with potential employers and requests that recruiters not ask students about grades.
Most MBA students support the policy, but Wharton administrators think it may discourage students' work ethic and are considering revising it.
Some faculty, such as Statistics professor Ed George, say it "reduces incentives to do hard work."
George is also the chairman of the MBA Executive Committee, which is currently working to clarify Wharton's disclosure policy.
Officials are eager to dispel rumors and misconceptions about the policy, specifically that students are forbidden from disclosing grades. Rather, the Wharton Graduate Association -- the student group that formulated the policy -- merely strongly suggests that non-disclosure be the protocol.
The top 10 percent of Wharton MBA students make the honor roll, a fact they can report to prospective employers. Divulging grades, however, is strongly discouraged.
There is "misunderstanding ... of what the 'policy' actually is. I do know that there are students who misperceive it as an ethics violation to disclose grades. It is not," Wharton Deputy Dean David Schmittlein said.
Officials are also currently examining non-disclosure's purported goals, which include facilitating teamwork and collaboration.
Some dispute whether the policy has created such an environment or simply been given credit for what was already there.
MBA Program Dean Anjani Jain, who came to Wharton in 1986, recalled that Wharton's "spirit of community and cooperation did not start in 1994" when the referendum was first passed.
"The richness of professional opportunities ... and the richness of this culture go beyond grade non-disclosure," Jain said.
Schmittlein also drew on his own experiences to assess the degree of teamwork at Wharton.
Schmittlein, who has taught at both the undergraduate and the graduate levels, first came to Wharton before the policy on grade non-disclosure came into effect.
"I've taught here ... when both [undergraduate and graduates] had grade disclosure, and I've taught during the period when one might argue that there's something of a difference between [the two] populations. I still didn't see a difference ... with respect to cooperation and collaboration," Schmittlein said.
And grade disclosure can only remain voluntary at most. The Family and Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 guarantees students privacy with regard to their grades.
Non-disclosure "curtails the freedom of those who would like to distinguish themselves by their academic performance," George said. "But voluntary grade disclosure would not curtail the freedom of those who would prefer to distinguish themselves in other ways."
