Assigning Grades in a University

What do you do if your university administration says you can only give 20% of your students an “A”?

I find this administrative dictate difficult to deal with. A student deserves the grade that they have earned, not what is dictated by a quota. I think universities all over the world at times require a certain level of “fails” to “cull the herd”, but knowing that it is done, does not make it any easier to comply with. I am not being asked to fail students, but I am being asked to adjust my grading scale. I realize that this probably is a result of grade inflation which has been an issue since the 70’s or before: everyone who shows up for class gets an A. However, anyone who has ever had me for classes (come on you HS students confirm this) knows that the grades I give are earned, but I do not begrudge a good grade for good work.

Anyway, I am now in the throes of grading my 80+ essays for the week. (Fall term it was 120+ essays every week, but the work load is always less in the spring, I am told.) I warned them today in class that I was required to have a quota of only 20% A’s. They did not seem particularly surprised at that, so I guess I should not be either, but it still kind of sticks in my craw. I am adjusting and readjusting and readjusting my scale. I marked everything twice last week to try to be just. I doubt I have arrived at the answer yet. This may seem like a minor issue to many of you, but it is difficult for me. Life as a teacher in China.
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(We teach at Peking University in Beijing, China. It is the premier university in China and we are teaching English to Ph.D. students, so these are the top of the top.)