End of Semester Memo: College Policies

December 2023

Please bookmark the College's website and the College directory, if you have not done so already. These two sites are the best places to find information on College rules and policies.

The main College telephone number (434) 924-3351 can be used to reach all staff in Monroe Hall. You can also contact specific Association Deans, whose email addresses are listed online.

I take this occasion to call your attention to some guidelines from the Faculty that exist to make the end of the semester more equitable for students and more orderly for faculty, staff, and students. By way of general reminder, all College students have an Association Dean. You can find the name of any College student's Association Dean using the eAdvising system, by contacting the staff in your home department, or by emailing the College. Refer any student in need of assistance to the Dean via the Monroe Hall staff (434)-924-3351; they can schedule an appointment for the student to meet with their Association Dean.

Thank you, as always, for the care and understanding you have provided to our students.

IMPORTANT REMINDERS

1. Final exams may not be given early. They MUST be given at the time listed in SIS by UREG.
2. Faculty may not add extra class sessions or lectures.
3. Classes may only be held at the times listed in SIS.
4. All College Forms are available through DocuSign; use this link to access the most recent forms.

FINAL EXAMS

Final exams are to be given only at the time announced on the UREG web site. Under no circumstances may class time be used for the administration of final examinations, nor may examinations be given early. An instructor may, however, give the examination on a "take home" basis during the examination period. The deadline for requesting a postponement of an examination under certain circumstances (such as a congested examination schedule) can be found on the College's online calendar.

WITHDRAWING FROM A COURSE is no longer an option as the class deadline passed. Students now must finish their courses on time or pursue with the instructor the possibility of a Request for an Incomplete Grade.

INCOMPLETE GRADES

Students are expected to finish their classes on time. When there are extenuating circumstances, a student (using the Request for an Incomplete Grade Form) may request an incomplete grade from the instructor. This form should be submitted through DocuSign and before grades are submitted or posted. The instructor will receive an email from DocuSign requesting their signature. Once signed by the instructor, the form will be returned through DocuSign to the Monroe Hall staff for processing.

All course requirements must be completed by the deadline listed on the College calendar. Once the student completes the work, the grade may be changed online through SIS. Faculty should log in to their SIS Faculty Center, navigate to the grade roster for the class in which the student was enrolled, and click on "Change Grade". All incomplete grades convert to an "F" or "NC" (depending on the grading option the student selected) roughly 30 days after the end of the semester.

ANY OTHER ARRANGEMENT BETWEEN A STUDENT AND INSTRUCTOR IS UNAUTHORIZED.
When instructors make individual and unauthorized arrangements with students, the Association Deans are unable to maintain equity for all students AND conduct the end-of-semester assessment of satisfactory academic progress.

FINAL GRADES

Final grades must be submitted within 48 hours of the final exam. ALL final grades are due in SIS by December 18 before 5:00 PM. Note that once a final grade has posted, students may NEVER do extra work to raise a grade. See the Grade Change Policy for more information.

Entering Grades

Grades are submitted electronically through SIS or entered into CANVAS and uploaded to SIS. Entering grades into Canvas alone does not result in the posting of grades.

Faculty may check grade rosters now to confirm that they accurately reflect the class's enrollment. If you notice a discrepancy, you will need to contact the College Registrar. Students needing to add a class will do so through the Dean's Office in Monroe Hall using a Late Schedule Change Form.

Timely Submission of Grades

Grades are needed to process and clear students for graduation and because the Association Deans must assess and notify students of unsatisfactory academic progress and potentially add holds. WE NEED ALL GRADES REPORTED PROMPTLY IN SIS WITHIN 48 HOURS OF THE FINAL EXAM DATE AND NO LATER THAN THE DECEMBER 18 DEADLINE. Every time there is a class with missing grades, it risks a student's timely graduation and holds up the review of grades (the academic audit) for every student in the class and leads to extra and unnecessary effort on everyone’s part. Please report your grades as soon as possible and no later than 48 hours after the final examination.

Faculty with questions about moving grades from Canvas to SIS should contact Canvas support for assistance.

Changing Grades

The only grade changes permitted are those that result from errors in computation or transcription. These grade changes can be made using SIS. For directions click here.

No grade may be changed without the approval of the Association Dean. The Dean is not authorized by the faculty to change a grade submitted to the University Registrar except when an instructor certifies that, because of errors in calculation or transcription, an incorrect grade has been submitted.

Extra work to raise a grade, once submitted, is never permitted.
 
The College limits the time in which a grade change is approved to the fall or spring semester following the one in which the grade was posted, except when there is indication that the student violated the integrity of the course. Once the degree is conferred, no grade may be changed.

See Grade Changes for more information.

ASSISTANCE FROM MONROE HALL

Every College student has an Association Dean to whom you can direct inquiries or whom you can alert to special situations with students. The Association Deans, each of whom teach in one of the College's Departments, stand ready to clarify the policies described in this memorandum. There are several ways to determine the name of a student's Association Dean.

  • If you are an advisor (non-major, major or graduate student), you can find the name of the student's Dean in our eAdvising system. Click on Search (on the left); uncheck “Only show my advisees”; enter the student’s name or computing ID and then click on "Filter".

  • You can ask the staff in your department to look up in the information in SIS.

  • Faculty with SIS Admin Access: Check the "General Info" tab in SIS. Scroll down a bit and look for Student Groups. Not everyone has this access.

  • Call the Monroe Hall staff at 434-924-3351.

  • If you cannot find the name of a student’s Association Dean (or if it is easier for you), email the student's full legal name and your concerns to [email protected]. Your message will be forwarded to the correct Association Dean.

  • Email Karlin Luedtke ([email protected]) for assistance.

See also the web site For Faculty Advisors & Major Directors for links to key resources.

Thank you very much for your cooperation in these matters and for the care you extend to our students every term.
Karlin Luedtke, Interim Senior Assistant Dean