SPSU 1001 Hitchhiker’s Guide to SPSU Mid Term Assessment Copyright © 2010 by Bob Brown Midterm Grades • For undergraduate students only. • Are submitted by faculty in week 3 of a regular semester • Visible to you nearly immediately after. (Must be “released” by the Registrar.) • Grades are S (satisfactory) or U (unsatisfactory.) • Midterm grades are evanescent; they “disappear” at the end of the semester and are replaced with your final grade. A Midterm Grade of S • A grade of S means you are on track to earn a satisfactory grade. • That’s a C in some courses (all computing – CS/IT/SWE/CGDD – courses and ‘basic’ ENGL and MATH) • It’s a D in others. • A grade of S is not a guarantee of a satisfactory grade at the end of the term. A Midterm Grade of U • A grade of U means, if you were given a final grade on work to date, it would be unsatisfactory: a D or lower. • It is probably not too late to “pull it out.” • Check the grading plan in your syllabus: • What part of your course grade is already accounted for. • How well did you do on that part • What would you have to do on the remaining work to bring your grade up. Withdrawing from a Course • You can withdraw from a course using BANNER until the midterm deadline. • If you withdraw, your transcript will show a grade of W. • A grade of W does not affect your GPA. • It may affect your financial aid by affection your completion ratio; you must check with the Financial Aid office. • If you withdraw from a required course, you must repeat it. Withdrawal After the Deadline • If you withdraw from a course using BANNER after the deadline, your transcript will show a grade of WF. • A grade of WF counts the same as an F in your GPA. • A grade of WF is very likely to affect your financial aid. Petition for Late Withdrawal • You can petition for a late withdrawal up to the last day of classes. (And no later!) • If granted, your grade will be a W. • Late withdrawal is not automatic. • Usually you must present evidence of hardship, for example, illness or a changed work schedule. • Your professor must agree. • In some cases, the department chair and dean must also sign off. A Grade of “Incomplete” • These are rare at SPSU because… You must be doing satisfactory work in a course when… A non-academic event makes it impossible for you to complete the course. • You have one semester to complete the remaining work, or your I turns into an F! • You and your professor should agree in writing what “the remaining work” is. Grade Forgiveness • If you repeat a course: • The last grade you earned is used for your GPA • All grades appear on your transcript. • You must repeat required courses for which you earned an unsatisfactory grade • Below C in major required courses • Below D in other courses. • Grade forgiveness allows you to improve your GPA, and maybe avoid probation • Grade forgiveness may not apply to financial aid. The Grade Forgiveness Trap • Example: Bob earned a C in CGDD2002. • Bob’s GPA needs help, so he repeats 2002 to earn a higher grade and get that C out of his GPA. • But, Bob is overconfident and earns a D on the second try. • Big trouble: • The D is now used instead of C for Bob’s GPA • Bob must repeat 2002 again because it’s a required course for his major and so needs a grade of C or better! “Satisfactory Academic Progress” • To continue to receive financial aid, you must make satisfactory academic progress • There is a time limit • There is a completion requirement • There is a GPA requirement The Time Limit • It’s expressed in credit hours, not years. • You must complete your program within 150% of the hours required to graduate • Determine hours to graduate from the catalog • Multiply by 1.5 (150%) • Subtract any hours transferred in • Example: • 128 hours to graduate in Construction • 50 hours transferred in • 128 1.5 – 50 = 192 – 50 = 142 hours maximum The Completion Requirement • You must complete 66.7% of hours attempted. In other words, you must pass 2/3 of your classes, credit hours being equal. • The completion requirement is cumulative. (That’s good after you’ve been here a while, but a couple of F’s early on can put you in jeopardy.) The GPA Requirement • Your cumulative GPA must be 2.0 (could be higher for some types of aid.) • Your GPA is the number of quality points earned divided by total credit hours attempted. • A=4, B=3, C=2, D=1, F, WF, or I=0 • Times credit hours for the course. • Grade forgiveness may not apply • Example: A, B, and C in three 3-hour courses 43 + 33 + 23 = 27 / 9 = 3.0 Financial Probation or Suspension • Probation: • GPA less than 2.0 but greater than 1.0 • Completion less than 66.7% but greater than 25% • Suspension: • GPA less than 1.0 • Completion rate less than 25% • On probation, but still not making SAP • Computed at the end of each spring term. Academic Standing • Dean’s List: 12+ credit hours, 3.5 GPA for the current term • Dean’s Merit List: Less than 12 hours, 3.5 GPA for the current term. • Good standing: cumulative GPA of 2.0 • A cumulative GPA below 2.0 refers student to Student Status Committee for consideration for probation. • Students who do not meet probation requirements are suspended. Grade Appeals • The only basis for a grade appeal is “clear evidence that a grade was assigned by some criteria other than an evaluation of academic performance.” • Grade penalties for academic misconduct are allowed (up to a grade of F for the course) • You may appeal a misconduct penalty on grounds of innocence. • All appeals start with the professor. So, You’ve Gotten Behind… • Take stock: • Where do you stand now? • What do you have to do to earn a satisfactory grade? • Can you do it? (Be honest with yourself!) • By yourself? • With help? Getting Help Your professors want to help you: • They are available during office hours and probably at other times. • They can answer specific questions. • They usually cannot provide personalized tutoring Tutoring • Available for many core subjects in the ATTIC (it’s in the basement of the Student Center.) • Available for computing subjects in the CSE main lab. • Tutoring schedules are posted in both places. Helping Yourself • Have you read the assigned material before class? Every time? (You need to do so.) • Have you been in class (and engaged with the professor and the class) on time? Every time? (You need to do so.) • Have you made an honest attempt at every homework problem on time, every time? About Grades for This Course • All grades are based on discussion, assignments and assessments (no exams) • And, it’s all (or at least mostly) work you should be doing anyway. Homework • For each of your classes, based upon graded work to date, assess your expected final grade. • You will have received emails from me confirming grades • I’ll also pester you this semester, but don’t expect that later • If your expected final grade is less than A, identify three things that could help you improve it. Questions