Student grading process to improve

When ESUP goes live in spring 2015, the University will begin utilizing a new process to assign grades. The new process is simple, intuitive and should make the grading process easier for all involved, but it is a significant change. 

Currently, faculty need to utilize four separate systems--UM Reports, the Final Grade System, the Supplemental Grade System, and the Midterm Alert System--in order to assign grades and notify students. When ESUP goes live, all of these tasks will be completed in one location: the Faculty Center. In addition to the consolidation of these functions, faculty using Moodle will be able to import their final grades from Moodle into the Faculty Center!

There are two steps for submitting final grades. First, the grades will be entered, uploaded from a file, or imported from Moodle into the Faculty Center by those with grade-entry access (e.g., faculty, teaching assistants, other designees). After a review for accuracy and completeness, the second step is to submit the grades. Once the grades are submitted, they will be posted to student transcripts and available for students to view in the new myU the next day.

Currently, if faculty do not enter a student grade, it displays as blank on transcripts. This will be changing. Any final grade not entered within the timeframe established by policy (Duluth policy) will be administratively posted as “NR” (Not Reported) to the student’s transcript. An NR grade will act the same as a blank grade does now (i.e., generally no impact on GPA calculations, but does impact other calculations such as satisfactory academic progress for financial aid). As the Faculty Center is also where grade changes will be made, changing an NR to a permanent grade will be straightforward.

ESUP staff are hard at work creating materials that will guide faculty and students through these changes. If you are interested in learning more about what’s changing with ESUP, see the “What’s Changing” page.