 In 2003, Robert Witt, president of the university, responded to criticism that his administration encouraged grade inflation on campus by shutting down access to the records of the Office of Institutional Research, which, until that year, had made grade distribution data freely available.It is however, still available on the Greek Affairs website.The Alabama Scholars Organization, and its newspaper, the "Alabama Observer", had been instrumental in exposing the situation and recommending that the Witt administration adopt public accountability measures.