Registrar's Notes

August 20, 2007

Grading

• Grading for Summer II is open; grades are due by noon on Tuesday, August 21st.
• We will close the grading system shortly after noon to process all Summer II grades.
• Grades will be available for viewing by students by late afternoon.
• Grading will remain open for Summer II for 30 days.

Students may be waiting for final grades for Summer II graduation, for financial aid, or for prerequisites for fall courses, so it is important that grades be submitted by the deadline.

However if there is a situation where a student has not completed all the work for the session, and the faculty member is willing to give the student more time, it is appropriate for the faculty  member to not submit a grade.  Leaving the grade open is best in this situation; the faculty member can submit the grade online when the work is completed, as long as it is within the 30 days.

Once a grade has been submitted, including an incomplete, the faculty member would need to submit a change of grade form, on paper, to make any change in grade submitted online.

Preparing for fall

• Begin reviewing all instructor assignments for fall classes to ensure that all sections have an instructor assigned as instructor of record and that the correct instructor is assigned.
• Review all sections on hold for fall and open or cancel as appropriate.
• Review all capacities and ensure that they are appropriate, remembering that students can enroll in classes through September 10th.
• Notify instructors that midterm grading will be open from Oct. 15-26.

FERPA question of the week

A student’s degree can be confirmed to some external (outside of WMU) source without first obtaining the permission of the student so long as the institution identifies “degree” as directory information.

Upcoming dates

Aug. 21 - Summer II grades due at noon
Aug. 27-31 – Fall Welcome Week
Sept. 3 – Labor Day, University closed
Sept. 4 – Fall classes begin at 8:00 am
Sept. 10 – Last day of drop/adds
Sept. 11 – Last day departments have access to change student schedules
Sept. 11 – Census Day
Sept. 14 – Last day for students to apply for Dec. 2007 graduation

FERPA answer

True.  WMU may release without written consent, those items designated as directory information on any student not currently enrolled unless that student, at his/her last opportunity as a student requested otherwise.  WMU does list “degree” as directory information.