No amount of Trib articles can thoroughly cover the combined complexities of grading and the human mind. While the grading process is fairly straight forward, the creativity of the individuals submitting grades (you!) and accepting grades (us!) forge together to give birth to a new set of puzzles every semester. In R&R we actually get excited when a new problem occurs or when someone can put a new twist on an old one. That gives us the opportunity to solve a new problem or admire a creative twist to an old standard. Sometimes we get overly enthusiastic and create problems of our own which we then have to turn around and resolve ourselves. That is fun too.
Here are some of the questions that came up last semester during grading:
HOW CAN I SEND A NOTE ABOUT A STUDENT SINCE WE NO LONGER HAVE THE BACK OF THE BUBBLE SHEET TO WRITE ON?
Just as an amusing aside, do you have any idea how many people used to write notes on the FRONT of the bubble sheet, right across the grade bubbles, in INK? What a scanning mess. We sure don’t miss those ugly bubble sheets in R&R.
If you need to contact us regarding a student’s grade please use <mailto:gradenotes@monroecc.edu>. We are looking at the Gradenotes file frequently during the day and following up on each one quickly.
CAN I ENTER AN INCOMPLETE ON THE CLASS LIST FORM?
Yes, the system is set up to accept an “I” grade. BUT, do not assign an “I” grade for a student unless you have completed an Incomplete Grade Contract and it is on file in your department.
CAN I LEAVE A GRADE BLANK?
Do not leave a student’s grade blank. If you wish you had withdrawn them but you didn’t then you will now need to give them an “F” or any other grade that is appropriate other than a “W”. If you marked them as absent on the attendance list but they were not dropped then they will need to have a final grade regardless of whether they ever attended your class.
WHAT IF I CAN’T GET ANY GRADING LINES ON MY CLASS LIST? HOW WILL I INPUT THE GRADES?
Remember that only the person listed as the PRIMARY instructor has access to grading. If you cannot access the grade roster
1. be sure you are signing in under your own ID and
2. that you are the primary instructor.
If you need to be changed to the primary instructor in order to submit grades because the primary instructor has disappeared, please contact Sue Smith in Academic Services. She won’t locate the primary instructor for you but she can make you the primary instructor for grading purposes…sort of like a classroom coup!
CAN I CHANGE A GRADE ON MY CLASS LIST IF I MADE A MISTAKE?
Once you grade a student you will not be able to change the grade online. The grades roll to academic history every 10 minutes. To change a grade you will need to submit an Academic Change Form (aka grade change form) with your department chair’s signature. So please check your grades carefully before you hit the submit button.
HOW DO I KNOW THAT MY GRADES WENT THROUGH OKAY? DO YOU RECOMMEND THAT I CHECK THEM?
If you need assurance that your grades ‘took’, please do not call the Registrar’s Office and ask someone to check. You can check yourself by moving out of your grading form and then back into it. If the grades are there when you get back into it then you know they ‘took’.
I can’t even believe that people in the teaching profession would even ask me whether I recommend CHECKING YOUR WORK!
Deborah Benjamin
Registration and Records
12/19/2007 |