Teaching Resources
GRADES AND EXAMS
How do I turn in my grades?
The Electronic Grades feature in the faculty version of Bear Facts allows instructors to submit their final grades electronically. To use E-Grades, you must have a CalNet ID (see Rowie to obtain your CalNet ID and password) and access to Bear Facts.
The period during which you can input final grades may vary from semester to semester; you will be notified by the Department of the actual dates. The deadline for submitting final grades to the Office of the Registrar is five days following your scheduled final exam.
Only the instructor assigned to the class listed on the "Class System" and the instructor's approved delegates (this is done within the BearFacts system) may use this system. Student names are taken from the most recent class list. If a student's name does not appear on your course final E-Grade sheet, it means that student is not officially enrolled in the course. Please contact the student and refer him to the Dean's Office of his or her college.
Do I have to give all undergraduate students taking the course P/NP a letter grade?
No, you can assign these students either a P, NP or Incomplete as appropriate. However, the Econ Dept strongly encourages faculty members input letter grades for all undergraduate students by simply noting the letter grade in the comments section on Egrades. It is very helpful to record the letter grades, in case the student or Econ staff need to refer to it in the future.
What are the procedures for correcting an erroneous grade?
The Office of Registrar is authorized to change a final grade upon written request (on letterhead) of an instructor provided a clerical or procedural error is the reason for the change. Examples of clerical or procedural errors include errors in adding scores or transcribing grades. An email may also be used to petition for a grade change (please contact Joe ( ) for the appropriate email address). Please note the grade change must come from the instructor of record.
What are the procedures regarding Incomplete (I) grades?
The grade of Incomplete (I) may be assigned only to students who are doing passing work in at least 50% of your course but who are unable to complete the semester's work due to circumstances beyond their control; for example, illness or death in the family, or a personal or family emergency. Responsibility for requesting and finishing an Incomplete rests squarely on the student. The I will convert automatically to a grade of F or NP if the student does not complete the course within one year or, if they re-enroll in the course, in less than one year.
Instructors awarding an I grade must specify in a written statement to the undergraduate chair the reason for awarding the I grade, the nature of the work to be completed, the percentage of the grade to be based thereon, and the grade earned up to that point. Download a PDF version of the form (coming soon). This form should be turned into the Undergraduate office, 543 Evans.
Instructors are expected to grade the work a student submits and to replace the I grade by reporting the replacement grade on the official petition form that the student supplies (see below).
How do I submit a grade when a student has finished an Incomplete?
The student should give you a form called "Petition to Remove an Incomplete" at the time he or she finishes the final work for the course. The student should fill in the information on the top half of the petition and the petition should have a stamp from the Registrar indicating the five-dollar processing fee was paid. Please complete the lower half of the form, noting the student's grade. The petition should then be turned into Joe in the main office (508-1 Evans) who will send it to the Registrar.
What are midterm status reports?
Even though you are not required to submit mid-term status reports, it is important that you do submit such reports since they provide useful information for students, particularly those on academic probation. They also enable the student services to identify and help students who encounter academic difficulty during the term. If you do not have any way of determining a student's academic status in your class when mid-term status reports are due, it's not necessary to submit a report.
Do I have to give a final exam?
According to University policy final examinations are required in all undergraduate courses. Final exams shall be completed by all students within an announced time limit (no longer than three hours), and be given at the time listed in the Online Schedule of Classes. Final examinations are optional in graduate courses and are given at the instructor's discretion. Exam locations are published in the schedule of final examinations toward the end of the semester.
Are instructors required to keep final exams and grading records?
Instructors may opt either to return final exams (or copies of them) or retain them in the Econ main office (508-1). Final exams are retained by Joe in the main office (508-1) for thirteen months after the date of the final exam. The reason final exams are kept for the thirteen-month period by Department is in case a student wants to challenge the final grade that he/she received. The grading records also play a very important role in a dispute or challenge should one arise.
Please direct students to Joe if they are interested in reviewing their exams. Joe coordinates this process each semester for the Department.
What do I do about plagiarism and cheating?
Please see the College of Letters and Science Faculty Help Desk section on Student Conduct. This section covers commonly asked questions regarding the prevention and resolution of academic misconduct. Please contact Phil ( ) at the Department level for assistance with resolution and required paperwork.