GRADES

Grades must be submitted 72 hours after the last day of instruction for a class, or if a final exam is given, 72 hours after the final exam.

Mid-Term Grading

Undergraduate students will appear on the Mid-Term Grade Roster if it is determined mid-term grades would contribute to their student success. Primarily they will be students who were admitted in the current or previous term (both new Freshmen and new Transfers), however Continuing Education (Non-Degree) Students may, in rare circumstances, be included as well. Therefore, during the Mid-term grading period, all faculty should check their Faculty Center, to determine if a Mid-Term Grade Roster has been generated for their course. The mid-term grading period is during the seventh week of the Fall and Spring semesters.

Distribution of Mid-Term Grade

Mid-Term Grade Rosters will be available two weeks before the Deadline for Mid-Term Grades to be entered in UDSIS (by 9:00 am). See Grading Deadlines above or the Academic Calendar to view the Mid-Term Grading Deadline for the term in question.

To access the Mid-Term Grade Roster, Faculty can use the same instructions for Distribution of Final Grade Rosters below, the only exception being that the "Grade Roster Type" will show as "Mid-Term Grade."

Need help with Mid-Term Grade Rosters? See instructions.

Acceptable Grades for Mid-Term Grading

Mid-Term grades are important to communicate to a student how well they are doing in the course, so that they may make informed decisions regarding their registration by the Last cay to change registration or withdraw from courses for that term (see Academic Calendar for specific date). Therefore, the following grades are acceptable for Mid-Term Grading: A, A-, B+, B, B-, C+, C, C-, D+, D, D-, and F.

Please note that I, S, and U grades are not acceptable Mid-Term grades, because they do not adequately communicate to students how well they are doing in the course.

Distribution of Final Grade Rosters

For Fall and Spring, Final Grade Rosters will be available at 9:00 am on the last day of class. For Winter and Summer, Final Grade Rosters will be available at 9:00 am on the Wednesday before classes end. Final grades must be submitted 72 hours after the last day of instruction for a class, or if a final exam is given, 72 hours after the final exam.

Faculty may access their online rosters for grading in the Faculty Center tile of their Faculty & Advisors Homepage.

1. Access UDSIS.
2. On your Faculty & Advisors Homepage, click on the Faculty Center tile.
   A list of your courses for the current term appears. (This may take awhile depending on the amount of data.) To select a different term, click the Change Term button, select a term and click Continue.
3. Click on the Grade Roster icon  next to the course you wish to grade. A new screen with the roster appears. Please ensure the "Grade Roster Type" is set to "Final Grade."
4. To download the roster, click the Download icon  in the header bar of the roster table. If you have problems, check your browser setup concerning enabling pop-ups and trusted sites.
5. Need help with Final Grade Rosters?   See instructions.
6. Need help with UDSIS Faculty Center?   See instructions.

Missing Names on Final Grade Rosters

If an attending student's name is missing from your Final Grade Roster, you may submit a grade using the Change Grade/ Supplemental Grade form, available in the Forms tile of your Faculty & Advisors Homepage. If you attempted to submit the Change of Grade form and were not able to for the student, please contact grading-registration@udel.edu for assistance.

Acceptable Grades for End of Term

• A, A-
• B+, B, B-
• C+, C, C-
• D+, D, D-
• F
• S and U (available for Graduate Sustaining Research)
• I (See "Incomplete Grades" below)

Level of Participation

In order for the University to comply with rules issued by the U.S. Department of Education, instructors are required to record a student's level of participation and/or last date of participation when assigning a failing or incomplete grade. When a failing or incomplete grade is entered in UDSIS on the Grade Roster, the instructor will be prompted to enter a "Level of Participation" of either "Full," "Partial," or "None." Further, if "Partial" is entered, the instructor will be prompted to enter the student's last date of participation.

Participation

Participation includes any contact between the instructor and student relevant to the course - including class attendance, participation in a discussion in Sakai/Canvas, a paper, an examination, written and verbal conversation between the instructor and student about the course. It is important to note that participation for these purposes is defined not by the quantity or quality of participation, but by the student's last date of participation. For example, if a student never attends class, but takes the final exam, the Level of Participation is "Full."

Why are dates needed when students fail a class or do not begin attendance in a class from which they did not officially withdraw?

The University disburses financial aid at the start of classes based on the number of credits for which the student registered. The U.S. Department of Education requires the Office of Student Financial Services (SFS) to determine if failing grades were assigned because the student did not attend the class at all or if the student simply stopped attending at some point during the semester. If the enrollment status at time of disbursement is proven to be incorrect at the end of the term, the student's aid must be adjusted. The U.S. Department of Education holds all schools responsible for proving that students began attendance in all classes and that the failing grade was an "earned" grade. Since the University is not required to take attendance, SFS is required to confirm:

1. The student began attendance in all classes;
2. The student began attendance but unofficially withdrew from one or more classes at some point in the semester; and
3. If the student failed one or more classes, that the student participated through the end of the semester.

Restricted Use Grades (appropriate only as specified)

• W - Official withdraw - Acceptable only when prerecorded on roster.
• L - Listener (Audit) - Acceptable only when prerecorded on roster. Where "L" is prerecorded, instructor should submit "L" or "LW" (Listener withdrawn).
• P - Pass - Acceptable only for courses approved Pass/Fail by Faculty Senate. Pass/Fail are the only grade options for these courses. An acceptable letter grade (see above) must be submitted for students who elect to take a course for pass/fail grading. The letter grade will default to "P" or "F" as appropriate.

Incomplete Grades

In the event that a student fails to complete a course for illness or an other reason deemed adequate by the instructor when requested by the student, the grade of I (Incomplete) may be given as an end of term grade. If the student has not made such a request, the posted grade should be an "F" or a higher grade based on the work required for the course.

An incomplete grade will automatically default to "F" two weeks into the next regular semester for undergraduate students and six weeks into the next regular semester for graduate students. The faculty member has several options regarding the default deadline:

• Do nothing. Allow the grade to default to "F".
• Submit an Incomplete Grade Explanation providing an alternative to the default "F".
• Submit an Incomplete Grade Extension, extending the default deadline to allow the student additional time to complete the work.

Incomplete Grade Explanation and Incomplete Grade Extension forms are also available in the Forms tile of your Faculty & Advisors Homepage. If you are submitting an Incomplete Grade Explanation or Incomplete Grade Extension form, it must be completed by the Deadline for completion of deferred examinations and incomplete work for that semester. Please see the Academic Calendar for the specific dates.

Blank/Missing Grades on the Final Grade Roster

After the Final Grading Deadline has passed, the Registrar’s Office will assign an “N” Grade to students for whom the faculty member did not enter a grade on the grade roster. For Fall semesters, this will occur on the first business day following the holiday break. For all other semesters, this will occur the business day following the Final Grading Deadline. The “N” grade is not available for Faculty to assign on the grade roster or via the Change of Grade form, it is an administrative grade only used when the actual grade is absent.

“N” Grades are temporary grades. They do not calculate into the GPA. Unlike Incompletes, they do not lapse to an “F.” Faculty must assign a permanent grade (see “Grade Changes” below) as soon as possible.

The "Z" Grade (Unofficial withdrawal) was removed from the Delaware Grading System effective Fall 2024. For Fall 2024 going forward, students that have  never attended or stopped attending should be assigned an "F." See Level of Participation section for more information. 

Helpful Link

• Delaware's Grading System

Grade Changes

Once grades have been posted, faculty that need to make a change to a student's final grade, must do so via the Change of Grade form. There is a link to this form on our Resources page as well as in the Faculty Center under the "Forms" tile. Please note that grades cannot be changed once a student's degree has been conferred.

• Grades in Faculty Handbook
• Exams & Grading in Faculty Handbook
• The Delaware Grading System in UD Undergraduate Catalog
• Registrar's Office Faculty Tutorials UD Capture Page