Registrar's Office Processes

Grading System

Ten grades are given for passing work, with significance as follows: A, distinctive; A-, B+, B, superior; B-, C+, C acceptable; C- and D, inadequate; P, satisfactory, no grade assigned.

The grade of F is given for unacceptable work. No credit is earned except by repeating the course. The failure remains on the permanent record of the student.

P or Pass/Fail, is based on the catalog designated grading system for a particular course. In order to receive a pass "P" grade, a student must receive a regular grade of C- or better. Therefore, the possible grades for a pass/fail course are P, D, or F.

An Incomplete (INC) grade may be assigned only for deficiencies as the result of illness or situations beyond the control of the student and not because of neglect on the part of the student.

In-Progress (IP) grades will be given when work cannot be completed by the end of a semester for course work such as an Independent Study (495), Internship or Practicum (496-499). The completion deadline for finishing the work in order to receive a grade will lie with the professor. The IP grade will not affect the student's grade point average. However, when the course is completed and a grade assigned, that grade will be included in the student's grade point average.

Grade Changes

After student grades have been rolled to their transcripts, grade changes must be requested via the Change of Grade Request form.https://form.jotform.com/61936412540957

At Wheaton, grade changes are allowed per policy in certain circumstances.

Allowed Reasons for Grade Changes

• Error in grade entry
• Incomplete grade resolving in a grade other than F
• Result of student grievance (within 4 months)

Under no circumstances may a student's grade be raised by doing additional work or correcting work already done after a grade has been reported.

Grade Entry

Grades must be entered through Banner Self-Service (this is not Schoology).

1. Access Banner Self-Service through the Wheaton Portal (https://portal.wheaton.edu) Please contact the AIT Help Desk at 630-752-4357 or ait.service.desk@wheaton.edu if you have any problems logging in.
2. Select Faculty & Advisors
3. Select Final Quad & Semester Grades
4. Select Term – FALL (year), SPRING (year) or SUMMER (year)
5. Click on the arrow and select the course to grade from the pull-down menu.
6. At the course list, enter each student’s grade by clicking on the arrow next to None and then select the earned grade from the pull-down menu. Only grade options specific to the course will be listed:
   • A through F for letter-graded course;
   • P, D, F or IP for regular pass/fail course.
   • ELECTED PASS/FAIL – Enter P*, D, or F for undergrad (P*, C, or F for grad).
   • Auditors: Select AU for completed Audit, NA for someone who did not complete Audit requirements (minimum 75% of class sessions attended and work agreed upon).

Last Attendance Date Instructions

Last Attendance Date is required during final grade submission for all students that earn a grade of “F.” The Last Attendance Date is either the last date the student attended an in-person class or participated academically in class, whichever is later.

Please click on the here for instructions.

1. Please click Submit after each page of grades has been entered.
2. To grade the next page, click on the next number range after Records:
3. To grade another course, click on CRN Selection or Term Selection at the bottom of the screen.

Please Note: Grades cannot be uploaded from Schoology.

Mid-Term Grade Entry

Please submit Mid-Term progress grades for any undergraduate student earning a D or F in one of your full-term courses.

• Go to the Report Midterm Grades for Students At-Risk tab in Banner Self-Service under Faculty & Advisors.
• Enter grades in the Mid-Term Grade column.
• If a student is not at risk for failing but you are concerned about their well-being, please submit a CARES referral.

For graduate students earning a failing grade, please speak with the program director and complete and submit the Graduate Student Life Support Referral form.

Questions: Other than login questions, please contact the Registrar’s Office at registrar@wheaton.edu.

An incomplete grade can be assigned by the instructor for any length of time up to the end of the sixth week from the end of the course. This request must be submitted to the Registrar no later than 4:30 p.m. on the last day of final exams of the quad/semester in which the incomplete grade is requested. The required form can be found on this page.

Upon receipt of the form with all signatures, the Incomplete grade will be processed by the Registrar’s Office. Instructors, if the INC grade does not appear in Banner Self Service at the time you assign Final Grades at the end of the semester, you can leave the grade blank, and the Registrar’s Office will assign the INC before rolling grades to students’ transcripts.

Two weeks after the deadline has passed, the grade will automatically be converted to an F, unless the instructor submits a Change of Grade form to the Registrar’s Office.

Please Note: Incomplete requests must be submitted via the Incomplete Request form prior to the deadline.

Incomplete Extension

The six-week time limit may be extended only by special permission of the Registrar and approval of the instructor. Students must submit an Incomplete Extension Petition requesting an extension prior to the expiration of the previous incomplete deadline.

In no case may an incomplete be extended beyond six months from the end of the semester.

Final Incomplete Grade Submission

To submit a student’s final incomplete grade, please complete and submit the Change of Grade Request Form. That form is available on the Portal, Faculty tab, under the Academic Calendar, or by clicking here.

Incomplete Grade Request Guidance for Faculty from LAS

Current context: We are seeing more undergraduate and graduate students in academic distress due to personal circumstances, mental health crises, and/or an exacerbation of disability-related symptoms. As a result, we have seen an increase in the number of Incomplete requests for courses at the end of the semester. While there is no definitive measure to determine whether an Incomplete should be granted, here is some general guidance to consider. We want faculty to feel well-equipped for the sometimes difficult conversations they must have and difficult decisions they must make with students around Incomplete requests.

When to grant an Incomplete:

• An Incomplete assists students who face extraordinary or unanticipated obstacles. These could be due to unexpected personal circumstances, mental health crises, or disability-related barriers.
• The student has completed around ⅔ or ¾ of the coursework. It is up to faculty discretion if approving with less work completed.
• The work the student had already produced was passing/meeting course requirements.
• The remaining work can be realistically completed and the student is likely to meet the learning goals of your course within the 6 week or approved extension period.
• Consider asking the student if they are requesting Incompletes in any other classes and how many. Typically, it is not recommended for a student to take on three or more Incompletes. This larger context may be helpful to talk through with the student.

When NOT to grant an Incomplete:

• If you feel that the Incomplete will only defer an inevitable failing grade as opposed to provide a real solution for the student.
• The student has not completed enough work to determine a current status of passing or meeting course requirements.
• The remaining work cannot be completed independently.
• The student has not attended class enough to understand the content and the content cannot be learned independently. Faculty ought not “reteach” the class to students awarded Incomplete grades.
• If the student indicates that they are seeking Incompletes in three or more courses, this should be taken into consideration and discussed as to whether the total Incomplete load will be too much to realistically take on.
• You feel like you are assigning an Incomplete grade just to avoid a difficult conversation with the student.

Consultation with College Officials: If your student has approved ADA accommodations via the Learning & Accessibility Services office, LAS staff would be happy to consult with you on a student’s Incomplete request. Also, note that the Incomplete Forms are set up to allow a faculty member to choose to require a College Official’s signature.

If you are unsure about whether or not an Incomplete request should be approved, you are welcome to require the student to gain the signature of a College Official, prior to your approval. A College Official is an office whose staff is already aware of the reasons why the student is requesting the Incomplete and can confirm those reasons (Learning & Accessibility Services, Student Care Services, Graduate Student Life, or Student Health Services.)

A College Official’s signature on an Incomplete Form is intended to confirm that the Incomplete was not just due to negligence, provide an opportunity to collaborate/consult if the faculty member is unsure about their decision and, when appropriate, provide additional information/context on a student’s request. A College Official’s signature should never be interpreted as a mandate to grant the Incomplete. Faculty are solely responsible for determining student grades.

Other considerations

• You may ask some open-ended questions as part of your initial meeting with an advisee to open the door for them to share if they do have any disability-related accommodations or needs for support. Some examples:
• Are you familiar with the LAS office and what they do? Provide an overview.
• Do you foresee needing any accommodations due to disability (give examples such as mental health conditions, injuries, etc.)? It is important for students to understand that, while they may not need accommodations presently, disability can happen at any time.
• How do you feel with respect to a “sense of belonging” at Wheaton College? Explore how the student may or may not be feeling connected.
• Feel free to share with your advisee any personal anecdotes you may have that related to how you adjusted to college, mental health or disability, or needing extra support as a student. These personal stories make students feel so much more comfortable sharing their own stories.