Midterm Grades Faculty Roundtable
Major Takeaways from September 12, 2022 virtual discussion
*Please note that this is a summary of a discussion and is not meant to serve as a source of official policies, procedures, or similar information. For clarifying information, please reach out to the following resources:
Communicating and Explaining Midterm Grades to Students
- Students are as new to midterm grades as instructors. Midterm grades can be an effective way to improve grade performance and increase course completion rates. Both are tied closely to student retention. In addition, midterm grades allow for a collection of data to compare mid-term grades and final grades.
- Students and instructors will receive an email from Dr. Hamilton to frame midterm grades as a way to measure progress in their courses. The message to students will include a video of how to view their midterm grades.
- It is recommended that information about midterm grades should be delivered both virtually (via targeted emails or Canvas announcement/inbox message) and verbally (in-person or in synchronous online meetings when applicable). Messaging around midterm grades should include the following context:
- Purpose: Midterm grades are a new and valuable tool to help students understand their current progress in a course and make an informed decision on how to maintain or improve their grade or consider withdrawing from the course prior to the WF deadline
- Implications: Midterm grades simply convey current progress in the course so students are clear on making a plan for success and taking appropriate action as needed. In most cases, a student’s decision to withdraw from a course due to a midterm grade will not negatively affect financial aid for the student in the current term. The reported midterm grades will have no official impact on students’ final grade, be calculated into the GPA, or appear on a transcript.
- Decision-Making Factors: Explaining how instructors arrive at the midterm grade and what action may be required as the result of receiving a particular grade will be important. Be clear and consistent when communicating this information as instructors may approach this in slightly different ways. Instructors should specifically outline what various grades signal at this point in the semester and suggestions for appropriate action (ex. How to maintain an A or B grade vs. How to improve a C or D grade vs. considerations for students currently failing).
How to Calculate and Submit Midterm Grades
- The window to submit midterm grades is September 12-23
- Submit midterm grades through UNCGenie similar to the process for submitting final grades
- Include the letter grade that currently reflects a student’s performance/progress in the course. In the future (this is not currently an option), UNCG will consider offering (certain) instructors an option for satisfactory/unsatisfactory for midterm grade only if instructors prefer this approach for their particular course(s).
- Only required to enter a midterm grade, not the last date of attendance (last date is helpful if a student has not been coming to class consistently, but not required)
- Midterm grades are only required for full semester courses (7 week part of term courses are not required to submit midterm grades)
- Instructors have options for assigning midterm grades in a way that best reflects their pedagogical structures and decisions:
- Option 1: assign the grade that students have on Canvas for the work that has been graded
- Option 2: assign a hypothetical grade that reflects how well instructors believe students are doing towards a successful completion of the course AS LONG AS instructors are absolutely clear on how grades are assigned (may be the best current option for instructors in clinical settings who have limited interaction with students due to their placements)
Benefits of Midterm Grades and Starfish?
- Research shows that midterm grades can be an effective intervention for students who are struggling - helps motivate them to improve
- Starfish referrals provide targeted feedback on specific issues impacting student success and typically result in a UNCG resource following up with the student to help with specific issues.
Further information
- Advising offices will reach out to students who are struggling to provide additional active intervention strategies
- Be sure to think about the messaging for students who are doing well/satisfactory for the midterm
- Provide space during class and/or on Canvas to ask students to share what strategies they are using and what is working. Do this both at the beginning of the semester and at the midpoint of the course.