Fill - Free fillable SUSLA COVID 19 Special Grading Policy (Southern University at Shreveport) PDF form

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POLICY TITLE

COVID-19 Special Grading Policy

POLICY NUMBER

1-004

Responsible Unit:

Office of Academic Affairs and Workforce Development

Responsible Official:

Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and Workforce Development

Policy Classification:

Academic Affairs

Effective Date:

04/08/2020

Last Reviewed Date:

Origination Date:

04/08/2020

I. POLICY STATEMENT AND RATIONALE

The purpose of this policy is to provide guidance to Southern University at Shreveport

(SUSLA) faculty, staff, and students regarding the awarding of final grades during an academic

semester that has been interrupted or impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and is being

implemented in accordance with and pursuant to the COVID-19 Academic Guidelines

(Attachment A) issued by the Southern University System. The policy establishes a flexible

grading system that individual students may choose after final grades for the spring 2020

semester are made available. This policy offers a response to the challenges faced by students,

while maintaining academic integrity and quality instruction. This policy establishes grading

guidelines that will facilitate student academic progress. The Faculty, Academic Advisors,

Department Chairs, and Academic Deans, the Registrar and other support staff will provide

guidance to students as they consider these grading options and assess their impact on their

academic progression.

II. POLICY SCOPE AND AUDIENCE

This policy applies to full-time faculty, adjunct faculty, staff, and students.

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III. POLICY COMPLIANCE

This policy will impact how the final grades are recorded on a transcript of a student in

response to the COVID-19 Academic Guidelines issued by the Southern University System.

The policy will impact students enrolled for the full-term of the spring 2020 semester and the

B Term spring 2020 semester.

IV. POLICY DEFINITIONS

Academic Semester/Session Interrupted or Impacted by the COVID-19 Pandemic

Any academic semester or session during which the delivery of the program of education is

modified due to the COVID-19 pandemic or a civic order associated with the pandemic.

Student Grade Election Procedures

The procedures which a student must use to have grades awarded by their professors changed

to a different grade of “P”, “I”, or “W.”

Grades Available Due to Student Grade Election Procedure

A letter grade of “P” will result in a student passing the course. A “P” grade is not factored

into the student’s grade point average.

A letter grade of “W” will appear if a student decides to withdraw from a course. Students

must be re-take and pass the course if they wish to earn course credit.

A letter grade of “F” is considered a failing grade.

V. POLICY IMPLEMENTATION PROCEDURES

The policy was created in accordance with and pursuant to COVID-19 Academic Guidelines

issued by the Southern University System on April 3, 2020. The policy was developed by the

Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and Workforce Development in consultation with the

faculty, chairs, Divisional Deans, and faculty senate on April 7, 2020. As an Administrative

policy, the policy was implemented by the Chancellor on April 8, 2020. The Vice Chancellor

for Academic Affairs and Workforce Development will be charged with implementing and

enforcing this policy.

VI. POLICY RELATED INFORMATION

Final grades are due on Friday May 15th. The last day for Southern University at Shreveport

(SUSLA) students to drop a class has been extended to Monday June 1, 2020, after they have

seen their final grades and in order to support a more informed decision on the overall effect

of the semester on their transcript. After students have reviewed their final grades in May,

they will have several other options concerning their courses:

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Students passing a course at mid-term is eligible to receive an incomplete “I” grade. Normal

guidelines for “I” grade completion state work must be completed six weeks into the

consecutive full semester. This requirement will be waived. Any student requesting an

incomplete “I” grade will have until December 16, 2020 to complete all necessary coursework.

Students who desire to receive an “I” grade must make the request of their instructor. The

instructor will then complete the Incomplete Grade paperwork (See Attachment B) which

details the remaining assignments the student must complete. The form is then submitted to

the registrar’s office. The Incomplete Grade paperwork is an electronic form which can be

completed and submitted by email to the Registrar’s Office. The course will appear on the

transcript with a grade of “I” until the course work is completed, and the instructor submits the

“Change of Grade” (See Attachment C) form with the appropriate letter grade. The form

makes it clear that it is the student’s responsibility to satisfy all requirements for changing the

“I” grade to a satisfactory permanent grade, and should this not be done, the “I” grade will

automatically become an “F” on the transcript.

Deadline for submission of request to receive an “I” grade is Thursday, April 30, 2020,

the last day of classes and before final exams.

To provide additional flexibilities for students, students may request a Pass/Fail option (See

Attachment D) which will be recorded on the transcript as “P” or “F”. As with the “W” and

“I” grades, students are strongly encouraged to seek consultation with their Advisors,

Department Chairs and Divisional Deans before selecting this option. The Pass grade is

reserved for final grades of “C” or better, with the exception of programs where a “D” grade

is acceptable for the particular course.

A Pass/Fail course has zero quality points. This grading structure does not raise or lower the

grade point average. However, this grading structure can have an impact on certain types of

financial aid. Students considering this option should speak to their appropriate financial aid

advisor. Students are strongly encouraged to seek consultation with their Advisors, Department

Chairs and Divisional Deans before selecting this option.

Deadline for submission of request for a Pass/Fail is Monday June 1, 2020.

Once students receive their final grades, they may decide to drop a course. To drop a course,

students will need to make an electronic request (See Attachment E). The request will be

forwarded to the appropriate department chair. After the department chair discusses the

decision with the student, if approved, the request will be forwarded to the appropriate dean

for final approval. The form will be routed to the Registrar’s Office. The course will appear

on the transcript with the “W” designation.

Deadline for submission of request to drop a course is Monday June 1, 2020.

Once students review their final grades, students may make the decision to keep an assigned

grade for the course. If so, the student will not be required to perform any action. Students are

strongly encouraged to seek consultation with their Advisors, Department Chairs and

Divisional Deans before selecting this option.

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VII. POLICY HISTORY AND REVIEW CYCLE

This policy was created in response to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The policy

became effective on April 8, 2020. The policy is temporary and is subject to an annual review

cycle.

VIII. POLICY URL

This section identifies the Southern University at Shreveport (SUSLA) website where the

SUSLA policies are archived – www.susla.edu.

Withdrawal, Add/Drop, Incomplete, and Pass/Fail forms found at www.susla.edu/registrar.

POLICY APPROVAL

This policy was approved by:

_______________________________________________ _________________________

Rodney A. Ellis, Ed.D. Effective Date of Policy

Chancellor, Southern University at Shreveport

_______________________________________________ _________________________

Ray L. Belton, Ph.D. Effective Date of Policy

President-Chancellor, Southern University and A&M College System

______________________________________________ ________________________

The Honorable Attorney Domoine D. Rutledge Effective Date of Policy

Chairman - Southern University System Board of Supervisors

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SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY SYSTEM

COVID-19 ACADEMIC GUIDELINES

As we manage the day-to-day operations of our campuses, we acknowledge the fact that the

COVID-19 pandemic has contributed to a significant disruption in the normal activities for our

students, faculty and staff. We commend them for their successful transition to various forms of

remote delivery of instruction and student support services. We are committed to ensuring that

our students receive quality instruction and support as we demonstrate flexibility in our processes

to meet the needs of our community of scholars. Consequently, the Southern University System

has established academic guidelines that will assist the faculty and staff in making decisions that

will facilitate student academic progress. These student-centered guidelines will apply to all of

the institutions of the Southern University System:

1. All courses will be graded using the normal grading system. A campus policy should be

established that permits a student to request a Pass/Fail (P/F) option or a withdrawal after

final grades have been posted for individual and/or all courses. This policy should be

developed in consultation with faculty, chairs, deans, registrar, students and other relevant

administrators.

2. Withdrawal dates and the time needed to satisfy a grade of Incomplete should be extended.

The maximum time the Southern University System will allow a student to satisfy a grade of

Incomplete is up to the end of Spring Semester 2021. Individual campuses have the flexibility

of setting shorter completion times.

3. Advisement is encouraged for all students who decide not to receive a grade through the

normal grading system to understand the implications of that decision.

4. In the Southern University System, calculations of Pass/Fail (P/F) will not be used in

determining scholarship eligibility.

5. Any Pass/Fail (P/F) grades earned during the COVID-19 pandemic should be noted on the

student’s transcript through an approach that is uniform.

6. All campuses should establish guidelines for withdrawals, incomplete and pass/fail within the

parameters of the Southern University System Guidelines.

7. Each campus will establish a communications model that will provide guidance to students as

they consider these options. Campus policies will be published no later than April 8, 2020.

Effective Date: April 3, 2020

Attachment A

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Attachment B

SUSLA Request for an Incomplete “I” Grade Form

(This document will be converted for use as a Dynamic Form)

3050 Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive Phone: (318) 670-9229

Shreveport, Louisiana 71107 FAX: (318) 670-6344

www.susla.edu registraroffice@susla.edu

Policy Governing Incomplete Grade

 An Incomplete grade (I grade), may be requested by a student who has done satisfactory work in a course but has

not completed all course requirements due to extenuating circumstances beyond the student’s control.

 The student is responsible for making satisfactory arrangements with the faculty member for completion of course

requirements.

 An Incomplete grade must be removed by the faculty member by the end of first 6 weeks of the following

semester.

 If the faculty member fails to resolve the Incomplete grade within specified deadline, the University Registrar will

assign the permanent grade of “F”.

Summer III

STUDENT INFORMATION (to be completed by the student):

Semester:

Fall Spring Summer I or II

Name:

LPN Year:

SUSLA ID#

Last First Middle

Phone: SUSLA Skymail (Email): @ skymail.susla.edu

I request an incomplete grade for the following course:

CRN

Course

Prefix

Course

Number

Section

Number

Credit

Hours

Course Name

Reason for Request:

Acknowledgement: By my signature, I acknowledge that I understand the terms governing the request for an Incomplete

grade as outlined above.

Student

’s Signature: Date:

ACULTY INFORMATION (to be completed by the instructor of record):

Addit

ional Work Required to Complete the Course (these directions should enable your department to complete the

grade, should you not be available):

NOTES:

 An “I” grade may not be assigned without completion of the Request for an Incomplete (“I”) Grade.

 Faculty must submit this form to the Registrar’s Office by the grade submission deadline for the

semester in which the Incomplete grade is to be issued.

Date: Instructor’s Signature:

Division Dean’s Signature: Date:

Records and Registra

tion

Request for an Incomplete (“I”) Grade

RO: Request for an Incomplete Grade: 07/14:Revised 07/16:07/17:08/19-LR

Registrar’s Office Use Only

Date Changed:

Date Verified:

Processed by:

( )

click to sign

signature

click to edit

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Attachment C

SUSLA Change of Grade Request Form

(This document will be converted for use as a Dynamic Form – Faculty Only Access)

Policy Governing Change of Grades

All course grades except “I” grades are intended to be final and permanent when posted by the faculty of record. It is expected that

faculty will arrive at and report final grades as accurately and precisely as the nature of the evaluation of student achievement and

the grading system will permit. It is the faculty’s direct and personal responsibility to ensure that grades are fair and reported

correctly the first time.

Final grades cannot be improved by submission of ‘make-up’ work’ after grades have been submitted by

the instructor at the end of the term.

If an error occurs in the calculation or recording of a grade, it can be corrected only by the faculty of record completing a Grade Change

Form which must include the items listed in the University Catalog.

The form must have the signature of the instructor and division dean and must be forwarded to the Vice Chancellor for Academic

Affairs for final approval. Requests for grade corrections must be submitted to the Registrar’s Office by the Vice Chancellor for

Academic Affairs within six weeks of the next regular enrollment period.

No grade will be changed after twelve (12) months following the completion of the course in question. This provides ample time to

have a grade formally and successfully appealed. Students must appeal in writing to the Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs within

six (6) months following the completion of the course.

This form authorizes the Registrar’s Office to make a grade change to a student’s permanent academic record. The information must

be typed and supporting documentation attached

for processing (i.e., roll book information, test scores, exams, etc.).

□

Division of Allied Health and Nursing

□

Division of Arts, Humanities, Social

Sciences and Education

Division of Business, Math, Science and Technology

Semester: (Indicate semester and year of grade change)

Summer I:

Fall:

Spring:

LPN:

Summer II:

Summer III:

I hereby request a Grade Change for:

Student’s Name

SUSLA Banner ID or Last Four Digits of SSN

or xxx-xx-

Course Registration Number (CRN)

Course Prefix & Course Number

Course Title

Rationale for Grade Change: __________________________________________________________________________

Required Signatures:

Instructor (type name and sign)

Date

Division Dean (type name and sign)

Date

Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and Workforce Development

Date

University Registrar

Date

Grade Posted By:

Date

Date Requested:

Grade Change

Original Grade:

New Grade:

Records and Registration

Change of Grade Form

RO: Change of Grade Form: R

evised:07/14:07/16:07/17:08/19-LR

Early College/Dual Enrollment

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Attachment D

SUSLA Pass/Fail Grading Option Request Form

(This document will be converted for use as a Dynamic Form)

SUSLA COVID-19 Electronic Request to Withdraw Form

Policy Governing Pass/Fail Grading Option

To provide additional flexibilities for students, students may request a Pass/Fail option which will be recorded on the

transcript as “P” or “F”. As with the “W” and “I” grades, students are strongly encouraged to seek consultation with

their Advisors, Department Chairs and Divisional Deans before selecting this option. The Pass (P) grade is reserved

for final grades of “C” or better, with the exception of programs where a “D” grade is acceptable for the particular

course.

A Pass/Fail course has zero quality points. This grading structure does not raise or lower the grade point average.

However, this grading structure can have an impact on certain types of financial aid. Students considering this option

should speak to their appropriate financial aid advisor.

This form is for Spring 2020 only. This emergency accommodation will allow the listed course(s) to change from

graded to pass/fail when submitted by June 1, 2020.

Name: _____________________________________________________ SUSLA ID# __________________

Last First Middle

Phone: ___________________________ SUSLA Skymail Email: ________________@skymail.susla.edu

NOTE: This request must be submitted from a SUSLA email address. Requests from other email addresses will not be processed.

Enter the subject, course number, section number, and class number for each course that you would like to

change to Pas/Fail grading. Example: Subject (ex: ENGLISH), CRN (ex. 10001), Course Prefix (ex. SENL),

Course Number (ex: 101S), Section Number (ex: 001)

I request the pass/fail grading option for the following course(s):

Subject

CRN

Course

Prefix

Course

Number

Section

Number

Acknowledgement: I understand that by typing my name in the signature box, I am providing my electronic

signature. This certifies my authorization to change the listed course(s) from graded to pass/fail.

Student’s Signature: ________________________________________ Date: _________________________

3050 Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive Phone: (318) 670-9229

Shreveport, Louisiana 71107 FAX: (318) 670-6344

www.susla.edu

registraroffice@susla.edu

RO: COVID-19 Pass/Fail Grading Option Request Form:04/20

Records and Registration

COVID-19 Pass/Fail Grading

Option Request Form

Registrar’s Office Use Only

Date Changed:

Date Verified:

Processed by:

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Attachment E

SUSLA Add/Drop Form

(This document will be converted for use as a Dynamic Form)

Name:

SUSLA Student ID#:

Check this box if the student is under the advisement of the Center for Student Success (0-31

earned college credit hours).

Instructions: Complete all information before returning this form to the Registrar’s Office by the established deadlines. Students

seeking an override should return this form before the official census date for the semester. See the Southern University at Shreveport

academic calendar for deadline dates and fees. This form must be typed for processing.

Reason/Justification for Adding:

Current Total Semester Credit Hours (SCH): Semester Credit Hours (SCH) with Overload:

Overload Approval: 19 hours constitutes an overload (Fall and Spring) and 10 hours constitutes an overload for a single Summer term. A student

may take up to 21 hours in Fall or Spring and 15 hours (combined terms) for the Summer with approval of the Vice President for Academic Affairs,

the appropriate academic dean and advisor, provided the student has maintained a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or above prior to the

overload request.

Advisor’s Signature/Date Division Dean’s Signature/Date Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs’

Signature/Date

Reason/Justification for Dropping:

Before submitting this form to the Registrar’s Office for processing, please read the information on the reverse side of this form.

I understand that I must be registered for at least 12 semester credit hours (SCH) to be considered a full-time student. Any changes in my course load

may affect my financial aid, athletic, academic scholarship or veteran eligibility. I accept responsibility for the accuracy of the information on this

form and know I can verify my schedule at any time through my Banner Web account.

Student’s Signature: Date: Phone#

Year: Term:  Fall  Spring  Summer I

 Summer II

 Summer III

Override Reason

Course

Registration

Number

(CRN)

Course

Prefix

Course

Number

Section

Number

Faculty’s Signature

*1 **2 **3 *4

Class Time Maximum Other

Closed Conflict Hours

Exceeded

Course

Registration

Number

(CRN)

Course

Prefix

Course

Number

Section

Number

Faculty’s Signature

Records and Registration

Add/Drop Form

FINANCIAL AID

you receive financial aid? Yes

If y

es, a Financial Aid staff member must sign below.

Note: Your financial aid may be affected by

changing your credits.

Form Submission Information

Registrar’s Fax Number 318-670-6344

Cashier’s Phone Number 318-670-9305

Registrar’s Office Use ONLY

Processed by: Date:

Center for Student Success Advisor’s signature

required for students with less than 32 hours.

*Required for ALL override reasons and

ALL overload requests.

**Required for override reasons 2 and 3

and ALL overload requests.

Financial Aid Advisor’s Signature Date

RO: Add/Drop Form: Revised 06/15:07/15:07/17:08/19-LR

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