Grading Manual

A Handbook for the Faculty

University of Illinois at Chicago
Updated: October 2014

Preface | Table of Contents

Academic Year

The academic year consists of the sixteen week fall and spring semesters and a twelve week summer session consisting of a four week Summer Session 1 and an eight week Summer Session 2. The fall and spring regular semesters includes fifteen weeks of instruction and one week of final examinations.

Please consult the online Academic Calendar at https://catalog.uic.edu/ucat/ or go the UIC home page of www.uic.edu, select Faculty/Staff, and then Academic Calendar.

PREFACE

The purpose of this manual is to give the faculty a general overview of the policies and processes involved in course scheduling, registration, and grade reporting at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC).  An understanding of these policies and processes will aid instructors in providing students with accurate information as well as timely grade reports.  If questions arise regarding registration, grading, or academic policies and procedures, instructors are encouraged to contact the Office of the Registrar.

Overview

Preparation for registration actually begins early in the preceding term with the development of the class schedule. Utilizing the master course catalog, the colleges submit schedule requests that are then used to generate the UIC schedule of classes.   This schedule of classes is the basis for the online registration process.  Following student registration, the faculty can review class lists by logging into Faculty Self Service via the my.UIC.edu portal.   Near the end of each semester, faculty will enter grades using the same Faculty Self-Service online system.  Electronic grading completed in Faculty Self-Service is used to update students’ permanent records and to generate grade reports.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

  1. MASTER COURSE CATALOG FILE
  2. CLASSROOM SCHEDULING OFFICE
  3. REGISTRATION
  4. CLASS ROSTERS
  5. ATTENDANCE
  6. ADDS/DROPS/WITHDRAWAL
  7. GRADES AND AUXILIARY SYMBOLS
  8. GRADE REPORTING
  9. GRADE CHANGES/SUPPLEMENTAL GRADE REPORTS
  10. FINAL EXAMINATIONS
  11. GUIDELINES REGARDING ACADEMIC INTEGRITY

I. MASTER COURSE CATALOG FILE

The University maintains an online master course catalog file of all courses approved by the faculty and administration to be offered for academic credit. The master course file is a major component of Banner, the University’s integrated student information system. This catalog module provides various constituencies of the University with an up-to-date and common reference source of course information.

The faculty, in reviewing curricular offerings within a program or in attempting to meet students’ needs, may make changes in the University’s master course catalog by adding, deleting, or changing courses to meet specific needs of a curriculum.

Course Approval Process

In order to compile and maintain an accurate inventory of approved courses, all requests for the approval of new courses, changes in existing courses, and course deletions are processed according to the following general procedures: Each course on campus is designated with a unique course rubric and number. The course rubric may be up to four characters and is the subject abbreviation (e.g., LING for Linguistics). Valid course numbers are three digits without the addition of alpha prefixes or suffixes. Courses numbered 001 through 499 are open to undergraduate students; those numbered 400-599 are open to graduate students. In general, course numbers should follow a hierarchical scheme with the lower numbers representing lower levels of instruction or difficulty. Numbers which are above 599 meet the needs of some of the professional programs.

A new or revised course is first approved at the department/program level and then submitted to the college or school. After the college or school reviews and approves the new or revised course, it is sent to the Office of Programs and Academic Assessment for review. Courses numbered at the 400-599 level that directly affect degree requirements are forwarded to the Graduate College for review and approval. After obtaining all necessary unit approvals, a course is approved in the Office of Programs and Academic Assessment, where it is entered into the course catalog module in Banner.

The approved effective date of the course is assigned by the Office of Programs and Academic Assessment. The approved effective date can differ from the proposed effective date requested. Depending on semester course scheduling deadlines (as determined by the Office of Classroom Services), the approved effective date is usually the term of the next available online class schedule.  To view the course scheduling deadline dates, see the web site http://academicprograms.uic.edu/oaa/ImportantDatesforProgramandCourseApproval.asp.

Once the Office of Programs and Academic Assessment approves the new or revised course, further action at a higher level is usually not necessary. Approval by the Office of Programs and Academic Assessment is final. A list of approved new and revised courses is submitted to the Senate Committee on Educational Policy (SCEP) and the Senate as an information item.

There are instances, however, when a review by SCEP is necessary. If a new or revised program is submitted containing new courses, then the courses are reviewed by SCEP as part of the proposal. This review permits SCEP to ensure that the new courses fulfill the objectives of the new or revised program. Once approved, the courses accompany the new or revised program proposal to the Senate.

SCEP also acts on all new and existing courses that are proposed for general education credit. As one of its responsibilities, the Undergraduate Program Subcommittee of SCEP reviews all courses submitted as fulfilling the general education and cultural diversity requirements in order to ensure that they meet the criteria and objectives approved by the campus. Once SCEP has approved courses for general education or cultural diversity credit, they are reported as an information item to the Senate.

More information about establishing courses, revising degree programs, and establishing new degree programs may be found at http://academicprograms.uic.edu/oaa/.  Questions regarding any of these procedures should be directed to the Office of Programs and Academic Assessment at 3-3462.

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II.    CLASSROOM SCHEDULING OFFICE

Academic Calendar

The academic calendar at UIC consists of the 16 week fall and spring semesters.  The fall and spring semesters contain two 8 week parts of term in each.  Summer is a twelve week term.  Within the 12 week summer term, there consists a four week Summer Session 1 and an eight week Summer Session 2. Each fall and spring regular semester includes 15 weeks of instruction and one week of final examinations.

Scheduling Courses

Each term, the University posts an online Schedule of Classes which contains the necessary course information students use to register for classes. Because students and the academic departments use the Schedule of Classes in the registration process, it is imperative that the information submitted in the scheduling procedure be accurate. Registrations may be processed only for those courses/sections which have been entered to the online Schedule of Classes for the term for which the student is registering.

Before a course may be scheduled, it must exist in the master course catalog file. This ensures that the required faculty and administrative approvals have been obtained before a course may be offered.

The initial step in the scheduling procedure occurs four to eight months prior to the term in which the courses are to be offered (e.g., classes for summer and fall are scheduled beginning in November and December; classes for spring are scheduled beginning in August). This process begins with a request from the Class Schedule Office to the academic departments to review the list of courses to be offered for a given term. The departments supply all term-specific information, such as meeting times, instructor data, enrollment maximums (capacities), and enrollment restrictions.

The primary product of the class scheduling process is the online Schedule of Classes. This document is posted online to students and is available under the Look Up / Select Classes menu item in Student Self Service via the my.UIC portal. It is one of the basic tools used in the academic advising and course selection processes. In the Schedule of Classes, each scheduled course section is identified by a unique, five-digit course reference number or CRN. Pertinent registration information is provided, including prerequisites, college or major restrictions, special permission requirements, any unique grading information (e.g., satisfactory/unsatisfactory only), or special registration instructions (e.g., undergraduate students must register for 3 hours, graduate students must register for 4 hours).

Changes to Schedule of Classes

For various reasons, a department may find it necessary to change or cancel a course, or schedule additional sections for a given term. Such changes are reflected online immediately after they are entered by the Class Schedule Office and can be viewed by department staff who have access to the proper Banner forms.  Updated Schedule of Classes information is also available to students and staff via the Faculty Self-Service/Student Options.  Since changes to the Schedule of Classes after registration has begun (such as changes in meeting times and days, or the dropping of sections) could invalidate the schedule that a student may have already established during the registration process, all units should keep such changes to a minimum.

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III.   REGISTRATION

General Information

Registration at UIC consists of three basic phases: advance registration, open registration, and late registration/add-drop. Following is information concerning general registration requirements and the three phases of registration. A more complete description of registration procedures is posted online at the Office of Admission and Records website.

Registration Periods

1. Advance Registration

Advance registration takes place over a four-week period during the preceding semester. Each currently enrolled student receives an email notice alerting them that they have a Registration Time Ticket specifying the earliest day and time at which they may register. Students may view their Time Ticket Appointment time via the my.UIC portal/Student Self Service. Students may register at their assigned appointment times or at any later time during the advance registration period. Appointments are based upon student classification: graduate, professional, seniors (90 or more hours), juniors (60-89 hours), sophomores (30-59 hours), freshmen (0-29 hours). Students register via the my.UIC portal/Student Self Service. They may also make schedule adjustments (add/drop) during advance registration via my.UIC portal.

2. Open Registration

Immediately following the advance registration period, open registration begins. During this time, all eligible students may register, continuing as well as newly admitted students..

3. Late Registration/Add-Drop

Late registration begins on the first day of classes and continues through Friday of the second week (first week during Summer session) of the semester. This registration period accommodates students who were unable to register during advance or open registration or who need to make final adjustments to their schedules.

Registration Requirements

1. Students are eligible to register only if:

  1. They have been admitted (or readmitted) to the University and/or are continuing students, or are returning from an officially approved leave of absence.
  2. Have no outstanding financial obligations to the University.
  3. Have not been academically dropped from the College in which they were previously enrolled.
  4. Have no other administrative holds or actions, such as medical immunization or disciplinary encumbrances, which would prohibit registration.

2. After registering, students may use the my.UIC / Student Self Service System to view their schedules showing the courses in which they have successfully enrolled.

3. Students may earn academic credit only for courses in which they are properly registered. Officially enrolled students will be listed on the class roster.  Students should not be permitted to attend any course unless they are officially enrolled.

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IV.  CLASS ROSTERS

Class rosters provide the basis for course management and grading. It is from these course enrollment lists that Final Grade Rosters are ultimately compiled. If students are listed on the roster, they are officially enrolled and the instructor is required to submit a grade for them at the end of the term. On the other hand, students whose names are not listed on the roster are not officially enrolled and will receive neither credit nor a grade.

Note that Preferred First Name (PFN) is used on class rosters in Banner Self Service and the majority of Learning Management Systems such as Blackboard.  PFN is displayed on the front of the I-card with full legal name printed on the back of the I-card if needed for identification purposes.  See https://www.uillinois.edu/about/policies/preferred_first_name_statement for more information on PFN.

Class rosters are available via my.UIC portal / Faculty Self-Service for Instructors who are properly assigned to the course.  Class schedule planners should be contacted if a Instructor is unable to view a class roster via the my.UIC portal/Faculty Self-Service.

Upon viewing the class roster, faculty members should review the information carefully to ensure that students attending class are officially registered. In general, two types of problems may be noted when checking class rosters:

  1. Missing Name, Student Attending Course: This indicates that a student is not officially registered. Students in class may not appear on first-day rosters, since late registration/add-drop continues through the tenth day of classes.  However, any student attending class who still does not appear on the tenth-day roster should be directed to  the Registrar immediately. Instructors should feel free to contact the Registrar if there is any question about the official enrollment of a student in any course.
  2. Name on Roster, Student Not Attending Course: It is the responsibility of all students to ensure that they are properly enrolled and that their registrations are correct. When registering via the web, they are guided through the process by online instructions.  The systems confirm each successful registration transaction, telling the students each section that they have added or dropped. Any time after registering, they may check or adjust their schedules via the web. Students who fail to correct their registrations should be regarded as officially enrolled and graded accordingly by the instructor. Likewise, students who stop attending but do not officially withdraw should be regarded as officially enrolled and graded accordingly.

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V.    ATTENDANCE

University Policy on Class Attendance

1.The University expects each instructor to establish attendance requirements. Thus, individual course regulations about class attendance are the prerogative of the instructor. Each instructor decides whether to excuse an absence from class and determines the conditions under which the student may make up work.

2. The instructor is responsible for making his/her attendance requirements clear to the students.

3. The University recognizes a student’s responsibility for attending classes as constant. “Excused absences” are not given by anyone else in the University; all absences must be explained to the instructor upon request.

4. If a student has been absent because of extended illness or severe personal problems, he or she should notify the Associate Dean or an Assistant Dean of Student Affairs. A dean will then notify the individual instructors and the student’s college office in an attempt to facilitate student-initiated arrangements for making up required work. All information related to an extended absence will be treated as confidential information.

5. In July 2006, the State of Illinois passed the Volunteer Emergency Worker Higher Education Protection   Act. This state law provides for accommodation to be made for students who volunteer to serve as emergency workers. If an absence is the result of a student’s documented role as a volunteer emergency worker, an instructor is required to accommodate the absence within reason. Students can appeal using the college petition process if they believe the professor has not reasonably accommodated an absence resulting from volunteer emergency work. A volunteer emergency worker is defined in the Volunteer Emergency Worker Job Protection Act and in most cases would be a volunteer fire fighter, emergency medical technician, ambulance attendant, or other first responder. (Source: P.A. 94 957, eff. 7 1 06.)

6. When a student is participating in an NCAA sponsored intercollegiate athletic competition, their absence is excused. Students must introduce themselves to their instructors to identify as an athlete. Students are responsible for notifying their instructors of regular season competitions and the day(s) the student will be absent from class in the form of letters generated by UIC Athletics. These letters include competition travel dates as well as home games, to which athletes are to be excused five hours prior. Team practices do not warrant missing class. This documentation must be provided to instructors no later than the tenth day of fall and spring semesters and within three business days of any changes to the schedule. Post season play, which may occur after the regular season ends, will be communicated to instructors no later than two business days of competition scheduling. If the student has provided this documentation, the instructor may not penalize the student academically for excused absences, and the instructor must provide reasonable accommodations to the student concerning instruction, exams, and assignments that were missed. Limitations may exist for instructors to provide learning experiences such as student teaching and clinical fieldwork. In the event of a disagreement in regard to what constitutes a reasonable accommodation, the Faculty Athletic Representative can help mediate potential conflicts, and the student athlete additionally can make use of the grievance process or appeal to the relevant Department’s Executive Officer in such situations.

Religious Holidays

1.   The following policy regarding student observance of religious holidays was approved by the UIC Senate:

“The faculty of the University of Illinois Chicago shall make every effort to avoid scheduling examinations or requiring that student projects be turned in or completed on religious holidays.  Students who wish to observe their religious holidays shall notify the faculty member by the tenth day of the semester of the date when they will be absent unless the religious holiday is observed on or before the tenth day of the semester. In such cases, the students shall notify the faculty member at least five days in advance of the date when they will be absent. In cases when the exact date(s) of the religious holiday is/are not known at the start of the semester, the student should notify the faculty member as soon as the exact date is known. Students should be asked to report if such situations might occur within the first four weeks of the semester. The faculty member shall make every reasonable effort to honor the request, not penalize the student for missing the class, and if an examination or project is due during the absence, give the student an exam or assignment equivalent to the one completed by those students in attendance. If the student feels aggrieved, they may request remedy through the campus grievance procedure.”  Last updated on February 2, 2023

2.     Although this policy was adopted to accommodate students’ observances of religious holidays, students must take care not to abuse the policy.  It would be unreasonable, for example, for a student to request a two-week absence from classes for religious purposes.

3.     Information concerning specific religious holidays may be obtained from the Office of the Dean of Student Affairs or from Student Development Services.

Canceled Class Sessions

Department offices are responsible for posting a notice at the classroom that a scheduled meeting of that class has been canceled.

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VI.  ADDS/DROPS/WITHDRAWAL

Course Adds

Students may add courses through the last day of instruction in the second week of the semester (first week of Summer session).

Course Drops

Students may drop courses and/or terminate their enrollment status consistent with University and college deadlines. To officially drop a course, a student must use the web-based my.UIC portal/Student Self-Service System to enter the drop request no later than the first two weeks in fall and spring or through the first Wednesday of Summer Session 1 or the first Friday of Summer Session 2. Students may drop courses through the tenth week of fall and spring with College permission.

For courses dropped after the second Friday of the semester (through the first Wednesday of Summer Session 1 or the first Friday of Summer Session 2), a grade of W will appear on the student’s record. An undergraduate may drop a maximum of 4 courses resulting in a W during the entire undergraduate degree program of study. Please see the “Undergraduate and Graduate Drop Policy” found at the Registration & Records website.  A student who fails to officially drop a course may be assigned a grade of F.

Instructors will receive notification of drops when they view the on-line rosters at the end of the term. Students who officially withdraw will have a precoded notation on the roster.  Instructors may not specify a grade for students who have officially dropped a course.

University Withdrawal

University withdrawal is effected when a student officially withdraws from all courses. Withdrawal from the University is governed by specific regulations that must be observed to protect the student’s academic record.

Failure to officially withdraw will result in a grade of F for each course in which the student is enrolled. Students may withdraw from the University by completing a University Withdrawal form in their college office. The college then forwards the withdrawal to the Registrar for processing. For withdrawals initiated after the second week of the semester (first week during Summer session), a grade of W will be recorded on the academic record for each course in which the student was enrolled. A student who has been charged with an offense that may result in disciplinary action may not officially withdraw from the University until the hearing of the case has been conducted by the appropriate disciplinary committee.

Refunds

Students who officially withdraw from the University before the first day of classes will receive a full refund of tuition and fees. After classes begin, students who officially withdraw from the University (by dropping all classes) on or before the tenth week will receive a pro-rata refund based upon the official date of withdrawal. Assessed tuition, the service and general fees are refunded on a pro-rata basis less $100 in a pro-rate administrative fee. The health service and student health insurance fees are nonrefundable.

The pro-rata refund schedule can be found at https://registrar.uic.edu/financial_matters/refund_schedule or off the UIC home page of www.uic.edu, select ‘Current Students’, ‘Registrar’, then ‘Financial Matters’.

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VII. GRADES AND AUXILIARY SYMBOLS

The grading system presently in use at UIC consists of two major components: letter grades and auxiliary symbols.   While both are recorded on students’ transcripts, only letter grades carry a point value and are used in the computation of term and cumulative grade point averages.  Auxiliary symbols are noncomputational grades and, with the exception of S and CR (or “Credit” on a proficiency exam), do not denote credit.
Letter Grades

LETTER GRADE
MEANING
GRADE POINT VALUE

A
Excellent
4 points per hour

B
Good
3 points per hour

C
Average
2 points per hour

D*
Poor but passing
1 points per hour

F
Failure
0 point per hour

*For graduate students, not acceptable for degree credit.
Auxiliary Symbols

NR
Not Reported (Recorded when no grade is submitted by the instructor following grade roll)

NV
Not Valid (Recorded when grade submitted by instructor is not consistent with the grade mode assigned to the course)

W
Officially withdrew from a course without penalty

CR
Credit (Used only in courses taken under the Credit/No Credit Option)

NC
No Credit (Used only in courses taken under the Credit/No Credit Option)

S
Satisfactory

S*
Satisfactory.  Course does not apply toward earned hours or graduation

U
Unsatisfactory

NOTE: The auxiliary symbols S and U may be used only as final grades in graduate thesis and research courses numbered 598 and 599, in graduate and undergraduate courses carrying zero credit, and in other courses for which they have been specifically designated.

I. Incomplete grade with an approved extension of time to complete the final examination or incomplete coursework. Undergraduates who fail to complete their work within one term (one calendar year for those not in residence) will have their I changed to F (F by rule). Graduate students will not have their grade changed to F, but will have the I as a permanent part of their academic record.

DFR Grade Deferred   The use of this grade is restricted to courses that extend for more than one term. It should not be used in cases when incomplete coursework needs to be completed. In these cases, an I should be assigned. Specific examples of situations when a DFR is appropriate are:

  1. Graduate Students: Thesis courses (labeled 598 and 599), research-oriented courses and seminars, independent study courses, and 400- and 500-level sequential courses.
  2. . Undergraduate Students: Thesis courses, honors courses, study abroad, and independent study courses that extend for more than one term.

NOTE: Upon completion of a course sequence, a final grade should be reported for each term for which a DFR was assigned. Use a Supplemental Grade Report to report the final grade. Please include course number, term of registration, and the credit and grade (S or U).

A DFR must be assigned on the Final Grade Roster at the end of each term during which the deferment is in effect.

Credit/No Credit Option

The Credit/No Credit option is offered in order to encourage students to explore areas of interest they might otherwise avoid because of the possibility of low grades. It attempts to promote intellectual curiosity and to reduce the anxieties of adjustment and grade competition while still granting credit. The rules governing the eligibility, use, and administration of the Credit/No Credit option differ for graduate and undergraduate students as described below. For all students, the option must be elected by the tenth day of instruction and cannot be revoked after the tenth day of instruction.

1. Graduate Students

  1. The courses are not within the student’s immediate area of specialization.
  2. Such courses account for no more than one-sixth of the total number of course hours taken at UIC and counted toward a degree.
  3. The student declares his/her intention to take a course on this basis at the time of registration and has the approval of his/her advisor and the director of graduate study.

2. Undergraduate Students

  1. The student must be in good standing as defined by the college.
  2. No more than 21 semester hours of credit may be earned under the Credit/No Credit option. If a student withdraws from a Credit/No Credit course before the end of the last day of instruction in the tenth week of the term, the credit hours the course carries will not count toward the total of 21 authorized.
  3. No more than one course per term may be taken under the Credit/No Credit option.
  4. The Credit/No Credit option may not be used in any course required for the major, including prerequisite and collateral courses.
  5. The Credit/No Credit option may not be used for English 160 and 161.
  6. A college or school may institute more restrictive policies for any or all of the above provisions.
  7. Instructors are not informed that the Credit/No Credit option has been elected and will assign a letter grade in the usual manner. The Registrar retains a record of that letter grade but it is not entered on the student transcript except as hereafter provided.
  8. For undergraduate courses taken under the Credit/No Credit option, a CR is recorded on the transcript if the letter grade A, B, C, or D is earned. If the letter grade F is assigned, an NC is entered on the transcript. Grades of I and DFR will be replaced by a CR or NC upon completion of the courses or converted to F if the course completion deadline for an I is not met.  For graduate courses, CR will be recorded if the letter grade of A,B,C is earned.  If the letter grade D or F is assigned a NC is entered on the transcript.
  9. Grades of CR and NC are not used in the computation of the grade point average.
  10. Grades of CR and NC are final and cannot be reconverted to letter grades except under the following circumstances: If, during the student’s final term prior to graduation, it is found that one or more of the courses needed to satisfy the requirements of a student’s major field were completed under the Credit/No Credit option at UIC prior to the declaration of the major or prior to intercollegiate or intercurricular transfer, the student may elect that a sufficient number of “CR” grades be replaced by the originally assigned letter grades to meet major requirements. Only the minimum number of reconversions will be made. If such a minimum can be met by more than one selection of reconversions, the student may indicate a preference. This same policy will apply in the case of any additional restriction instituted by a college or school under provision “f” (see above).

Honors Course Supplements

Honors College students are required to do honors work of some type each term. One honors option available to them is extending a regular course by completing an honors supplement which involves the study of some part of the course in greater depth. The content of the supplemental work is negotiated with the instructor involved. Students must receive the course instructor’s signature on the Honors College Agreement Form by the end of the third week of the semester, indicating the instructor’s approval of the proposed honors supplement. At the end of the term, students must obtain the instructor’s signature on the Completion Form, testifying to the successful completion of the course supplement.

If the supplemental work is successfully completed, the grade entered will be given along with an a letter “H” to denote the honors work involved.

Sample: “As an honors supplement to Political Science 216, I will do additional research on the subject of bringing about political awareness and change through the internal manipulation of radio. Essentially, I will examine the strategies that are used at a radio station dedicated to political change. I will base my research on personal experience, staff interviews, and additional readings. I will write a paper of minimum 10 pages.”

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VIII.   GRADE REPORTING

Basis of Grades

Students are responsible for the completion of all required work, in each course for which they are enrolled, by the time of the last scheduled meeting of the class, unless they have officially withdrawn from the course. Students shall receive from their instructors a grade for each course for which they are enrolled at the close of the term. This grade will indicate the student’s achievement of the objectives of the course.

Grading Policy

Each faculty member is responsible for the final grades issued in his or her sections. This responsibility covers the initial submission of grades to meet campus deadlines and the issuance of late, revised and supplemental grades for students in those sections. Other arrangements for submitting or revising student grades may be made by the department head or chair if necessary.

Maintenance of Course Records

Faculty members should keep on file for three years all final examinations and other graded assignments which are not returned to students. Grade books should also be kept on file for at least three years. If an instructor leaves the University, temporarily or permanently, all course records less than three years old should be left in the custody of the department head or chair.

Submission of Grades

Faculty members must submit their grades electronically.  Otherwise, grades must be recorded and submitted on the Final Grade Rosters according to the following procedures.

Final Grade Rosters

Final Grade Rosters are available via Faculty Self-Service through the my.UIC portal.  They contain the names of all students officially registered in each course. If a student’s name appears, a grade must be assigned unless the student has withdrawn or has been dropped from the course. If a student has been attending class, but does not appear on the grade roster, the student should be directed to the Registrar. The instructor should not attempt to add a student’s name to the Final Grade Roster. The student must first become properly registered, even if retroactively. The instructor can then submit a Supplemental Grade Report or an Grade Change Request via Faculty Self-Service to assign the grade.
The completed grade roster serves for processing of grades. A grade file is used to update students’ academic records. After processing, the grades assigned by the instructor will appear on students’ academic records and on the official transcript.

Faculty Directions

As with any automated system, there is the possibility that an error or omission may occur that can cause serious problems.  Please be certain that instructors who will assign grades are listed for each course.  Faculty Self-Service is the means to view the class roster and verify proper assignment(s) to the course.  Only an instructor assigned to the course can enter grades.

Upon completion of grading via Faculty Self-Service, carefully review entries.  Selecting Summary Class List within Faculty Self-Service permits a view of the class roster.  The Printable Class List Summary link at the bottom of the Summary Class List web page provides the class roster with final grade detail.  Please be certain to review the Printable Summary Class List as a final step in electronic grading.  Prior to the Tuesday following final exams, corrections can be made to grades.  After the final grading deadline, all corrections must be made using Supplemental Grade Reports or the online Grade Change Request found in Faculty Self-Service.

Incomplete Grade Assignment Forms

Course work is incomplete when a student fails to submit all required assignments or is absent from the final examination; incomplete course work will normally result in a failing grade. A grade of I may be assigned in lieu of a failing grade only when all of the following conditions are met:

  1. The student has been making satisfactory progress in the course.
  2. The student is unable to complete all course work due to unusual circumstances that are beyond personal control.
  3. The student presents these reasons prior to the time that the final grade roster is due.
  4. The reasons are acceptable to the instructor.

The instructor must submit an Incomplete Grade Assignment form for each “I” recorded.  See https://registrar.uic.edu/uic-faculty-staff/grades/ to access the form.  This form is a contract for the student to complete the course work with that instructor or one designated by the department executive officer.

NOTE TO COLLEGE OFFICES: Please ensure that an Incomplete Grade Assignment form has been completed for each I assigned. Retain the Incomplete Grade Assignment form in your files.

Recording of F and U grades and use of Last Attend Date (Activity) and/or Attend Hours

Last Attend Date (Activity) and Attend Hours

Determining Last Date of Attendance (Activity)
Federal regulations indicate that a school that is not required to take attendance may define a student’s last date of attendance as participation in an academically related activity, as documented by the school, for the student’s withdrawal date. Examples of acceptable academically related activities are:

  • Examinations or quizzes
  • Tutorials
  • Computer-assisted instruction (requires more than just logging in)
  • Academic conferences
  • Completing an academic assignment, paper or project
  • Attending a study group required by the university where attendance is taken

LAST ATTEND DATE field

  • Applies ONLY to grades of “F” or “U”
  • Enter the date in the format of MM/DD/YYYY (No date needed for grades other than “F” or “U”)
  • The last attendance date you enter must fall within the scheduled meeting dates of the term of your class (This is a date between the first and last date of instruction for the term.)
  • Enter information in the Attend Hours field as indicated below

ATTEND HOURS field

Scenario I – If the student attended the entire semester:

  • Enter the last day of instruction in the Last Attend Date field as instructed above
  • Leave the Attend Hours field BLANK

Scenario II – If the student partially attended (at least one class or day of instruction):

  • Enter the last date of class participation in the Last Attend Date field as instructed above
  • Leave the Attend Hours field BLANK

Scenario III – If the student NEVER attended class:

  • Use the first day of instruction in the Last Attend Date field
  • Enter a “0” (ZERO) in the Attend Hours field

If using Banner 8 Faculty Self-Service, the Last Attend Date is required before your grade submission can be saved. If you enter all of your grades but forget to record the “Last Attend Date” for students receiving an “F” or “U”, none of the grades on the page will be submitted. Banner XE faculty grading, provides error messages at the point of grade entry. It is suggested that Banner XE be used.

Student Grade Reporting

Because of the need to expedite reporting of grades to students, and thereby notify them of information that may affect academic standing and eligibility to continue, grades are processed as soon as possible after exam week. Therefore, instructors should adhere rigidly to the grade reporting deadlines. Electronic grading should be completed within 48 hours after the final exam.  Grades must be submitted via Faculty Self-Service by the grading deadline following the final examination period.  Grades submitted late or left ungraded will result in students receiving a grade of NR (Not Reported) for a course.

Graded Class Rosters

Immediately after grades have been processed each term, instructors can view a graded class roster on Faculty Self-Service via the “Class List Summary”.  It is advisable to view the Printable Class List Summary to verify entry of grades.  Prior to the Tuesday following final exams, corrections can be made to grades.  After the Tuesday deadline, all corrections must be made using Supplemental Grade Reports.

Public Posting of Grades/Test Scores

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) of 1974, as amended, strictly limits the disclosure of personally identifiable information contained in students’ education records.  Please note that FERPA prohibits the use of social security numbers or institutional student identification number, such as UIN, for posting public notices to students regarding their course grades or scores received on a test.  Please note that communication of grades via e-mail is prohibited and students should only access grades through the my.UIC.ed portal using Student Self-Service.

UIC Student Records Policy

The University’s Student Records Policy outlines procedures covering the privacy rights of students. This policy requires all members of the faculty, administration and support staff to respect the confidentiality of the student information to which they have access. All staff are bound by the conditions outlined in the policy relative to the use of and release of student information. Copies of the policy are available in the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs, the Office of Admissions and Records, and on the OAR Web page, under Current Students, then Student Records.  See  http://registrar.uic.edu/campus_policies/records_policy.html

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IX.  GRADE CHANGES / SUPPLEMENTAL GRADE REPORTS

Once a final grade has been recorded, additional coursework should not be accepted to raise that grade. However, in the following circumstances, instructors may initiate changes to grades on a student’s record by submitting a Supplemental Grade Report, which may be obtained from the department office, or the online Grade Change Request found in Faculty Self-Service:

  1. To replace an I (Incomplete) with a final letter grade.
  2. To replace a DFR (deferred grade) with a letter grade.
  3. To correct an erroneous grade.
  4. To replace an NR (Not Reported) with a final letter grade.
  5. To report proficiency exam credit (only possible via the paper Supplemental Grade Report form).

When used for the first two reasons, a Supplemental Grade Report requires the instructor’s signature only. If it is used for the third reason, to correct the grade originally given, the signatures of both the instructor and the department chairperson are required. If the form is used for the last two reasons, to report a missing grade or to report proficiency credit, the signatures of the instructor, the department chairperson, and the dean of the college are required. (The dean’s signature, however, is not required if the form is used to indicate the successful passing of a proficiency exam lower than a 300-level course). In any of the above scenarios, all Supplemental Grade Reports will require the College Stamp or Signature to denote that they have received and approve such changes. The Registrar will not process any Supplemental Grade Reports that do not include ALL necessary signatures. Please note: that any changes from the Supplemental Grade Report submitted will only be indicated in the student academic history and cannot be viewed via Faculty Self Service printable class list summary options online.

If using the online Grade Change Request found in Faculty Self-Service, the request is sent to a college approver via a Banner workflow e-mail system. That approver can approve or deny a request. The instructor is notified of approvals or denials of requests, and the student is notified of approvals. Once approved, the grade change is logged into Banner. See the Online Grade Change Request instruction video for instruction on how to make an online Grade Change Request

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X.    FINAL EXAMINATIONS

General Policy

  1. Final examinations are given during the 16th week of the fall and spring terms at the option of the instructor. They may not be given earlier.
  2. WHAT TO DO IF A STUDENT MUST MISS AN EXAM. The instructor should be informed as soon as possible before the exam. If the instructor finds the student’s reason acceptable, he or she may give an incomplete grade and schedule an exam at a later date. The instructor is the only individual authorized to permit a student to defer a final exam.
  3. No formal instruction of any kind may be given during the final examination period.
  4. The instructor has the option of giving combined-section final exams.

Scheduling of Exams

Final examinations are scheduled according to the time the class meets, the number of times it meets per week, and the type of class (lecture, lecture-discussion, quiz, or laboratory):

  1. Time that class meets: Determines the day on which the exam is scheduled.
  2. Type of class: When a course involves classes that meet at different times (such as a course with both a lecture and a lab), the “time” of the course (for purposes of scheduling the exam) is determined by an established order of precedence: lecture, lecture-discussion, quiz, and laboratory. For example, if a course meets as both a lecture and a laboratory, the final exam would be scheduled according to the time at which the lecture meets.
  3. Number of class meetings: Determines the hour at which the exam is scheduled. Applies only during the fall and spring semesters.

Combined-Section Examinations

If an instructor wishes to conduct combined-section examinations, either in the instructor’s sections only or in conjunction with other instructors of the same course, a request should be made of the chairperson or head of the department. The department will then complete a special form and return it to the Office of Classroom Scheduling (formerly known as Timetable Office) for scheduling. Combined-section examinations are normally scheduled for late afternoon or early evening to avoid conflict with regularly scheduled final exams.

These forms must be returned before the fifth week of the term. Because of the time required to provide space, only requests made by the deadline can be honored. Requests are handled on a first-come, first-served basis, to the extent practicable.

Failure of Student to Report to Final Examination

If a student fails to report to a final exam, his/her absence may be either excused or unexcused, and the appropriate courses of action are as follows:

  1. Excused Absence. An instructor may assign an incomplete.
  2. Unexcused Absence. An instructor may assign either an incomplete or a failure. If an instructor feels that a student should be given an opportunity to explain the absence, the instructor may assign the student a grade of incomplete. If the instructor does not feel that the student should be given an opportunity to explain the absence, he or she may assign the student a failure for the exam and grade performance in the course as a whole accordingly. Either way, the instructor is required to submit a grade for every registered student, even if a student has not appeared for the final examination.

FINAL EXAM SCHEDULE

The official Final Exam Schedule is available on the Office of Admissions and Records website: http://registrar.uic.edu/uic_faculty_staff/calendars/final_exam_schedule.html

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XI.  GUIDELINES REGARDING ACADEMIC INTEGRITY

Academic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to:

  1. Cheating. Either intentionally using or attempting to use unauthorized materials, information, people, or study aids in any academic exercise or extending to or receiving any kind of unauthorized assistance on any examination or assignment to or from another person.
  2. Fabrication. Knowing or unauthorized falsification, reproduction, lack of attribution, or invention of any information or citation in any academic exercise.
  3. Academic dishonesty/plagiarism. Intentionally or knowingly representing the words or ideas of another as one’s own in any academic exercise.
  4. Bribes, favors, thefts. Bribing or attempting to bribe, promising favors to or making threats against, any person, with the intention of affecting a record of a grade or evaluation of academic performance. Any conspiracy with another person who then takes or attempts to take action on behalf of or at the direction of the student.
  5. Examination by proxy. Taking or attempting to take an exam for  someone else other than the student is a violation by both the student enrolled in the course and the proxy or substitute.
  6. Grade tampering. Any unauthorized attempt to change, actual change of, or alteration of grades or any tampering with grades.
  7. Non-original works. Submission or attempt to submit any written work authored, in whole or part, by someone other than the student.

Academic Irregularities

When there are breaches of academic honesty, it is incumbent on the instructor to see that appropriate action is taken. Faculty members may choose to deal with these matters through the Judicial Liaison Process available through the Office of Student Judicial Affairs. Through this process, faculty members are able to impose one of the following sanctions:

  1. Redoing the Assignment. The student is requested to rewrite the paper or take an equivalent examination or assignment.
  2. Failure on the Assignment. The faculty member may refuse to evaluate the paper, examination, or laboratory exercise and will record a grade of F for the assignment.
  3. Failing the Course. The student may be dismissed from the course with a grade of F.

Faculty members may also impose one of the sanctions noted above without utilizing the Judicial Liaison Process; however, to ensure consistency in how these matters are dealt with and to provide the necessary safeguards for faculty who discover academic irregularities, the use of the Judicial Liaison Process is highly recommended. Most cases of academic misconduct can be resolved through this process. Faculty members should consult their department head and dean of their college for additional guidance.

A faculty member may also choose to forego the Judicial Liaison Process and file a formal incident report through the Office of Student Judicial Affairs. In doing this, the allegations made by the faculty member will be adjudicated, in most instances, through a student judicial hearing. Both the hearing procedure and the Judicial Liaison Process are components of the Student Disciplinary Policy which is overseen by the Student Judiciary Committee of the UIC Senate and is administered through the Office of Student Judicial Affairs.

Sanctions which may be imposed as a result of a student being found guilty of committing an act of academic dishonesty by a hearing subcommittee include:

  1. 1. Developmental Sanction. The student is requested to rewrite the paper or take an equivalent examination or assignment.
  2. Failure or Grade Modification.
  3. Disciplinary Probation. This consists of awarding a grade of F in the course and a written statement to the student stating that he or she is on probationary status for a limited time as a result of academic dishonesty. Probationary status implies that repetition of an act of academic dishonesty will result in suspension or expulsion from the University. Probationary status does not become a part of a student’s permanent record.
  4. Suspension. This sanction terminates for a specified time the status of the student within the University with the right to re-enter at the end of the suspension period. Upon his or her return to the University, the student will be on probationary status for a limited period and any repetition of an act of academic dishonesty will result in expulsion from the University.
  5. Dismissal. Termination for a specified time with the right to apply for readmission at the end of the specified period.
  6. Expulsion. This is the most severe form of sanction and means the permanent severance of the student from the University without readmission rights.

Questions regarding any aspect of handling academic irregularities may be addressed to the Office of Student Judicial Affairs, Suite 3030, Student Services Building, 1200 West Harrison Street, (312) 996-4857.

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Last updated on
February 2, 2023