This is really amusing, but I'm a little skeptical that it's based on real data. Where does this author get the data on "number in family" for each student presented on p.3, for instance? (The article would be fascinating if it were true, but I'm tentatively treating it as a humor piece.)
In case it is true, let me second kenthorvath's comment: students have much less incentive to tell a professor about deaths in their family when there's no exam coming up. (I can't judge the grandmother/grandfather ratio information, because the article presents absolutely no data on that point at all. Hence even more skepticism.)
In case it is true, let me second kenthorvath's comment: students have much less incentive to tell a professor about deaths in their family when there's no exam coming up. (I can't judge the grandmother/grandfather ratio information, because the article presents absolutely no data on that point at all. Hence even more skepticism.)