"If they lower their guards, it’s because of the chemistry of their Capstone class, but it’s not a requirement. That it may happen is a tribute to us, but our grading certainly does not use that as an assessment criterion."

"They seem, to me, the exact sort of class that ought to be taken pass/fail, so that the obsequiousness encouraged by the obsession with grades can be put aside for once, giving students the chance to speak without the normal consequences of expressing unformed thoughts."