[102] in 6.033 discussion
how grades get from the instructor to the registrar
Saltzer@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Saltzer@ATHENA.MIT.EDU)
Mon Apr 22 22:06:31 1996
This morning someone asked a question that produced the exchange below; it may
be of interest to others, so I am posting it here.
Jerry S.
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At 12:16 PM 4/22/96, Frans Kaashoek wrote:
>In message <199604221457.KAA10524@amsterdam.lcs.mit.edu>, ganger writes:
>
>>
>> For the research part of DP2, I need to find out how faculty members
>> submit grades for students. Are there any specific forms you have to
>> fill out when submitting grades? If there are, can I have a copy of
>> them to see what information is needed and why? If there are no forms,
>>
>> can you explicitly tell me what procedures you go through to submit
>> grades? Thanks.
>>
>
>I receive a form from the registrar, fill it out, sign it, and hand-deliver
>it. It has four collumns: name, course number (6.1 etc.), grade (A, B, C, D, I,
>etc.), and comments (optional).
>
> Frans
Last time I saw one of those forms, there was one additional column containing
the student's MIT ID, to reduce the chance of assigning Harry M. Lee's grade to
one of the other three Harry M. Lee's in the class.
There is also a "Report to accompany a grade of Incomplete" form, a separate
copy for each student who receives an I on the first form. In addition to the
other information it asks for what percentage of the work was completed, what
grade has been earned on the part that is complete, and whether or not the
student has made arrangements to complete the work. It comes in duplicate, one
copy of which stays with the instructor in charge of the subject, another of
which ends up in the folder of the student's advisor.
Finally, there is a change-of-grade form, used to fix mistakes. The chief
interesting feature of that one is that it requires the signature of the
department chair in addition to that of the instructor in charge of the course.
There is a not-so-hidden agenda behind the extra required signature; it allows
the department chair to help the faculty member in charge of the course resist
inappropriate pressures to change grades. (There are stories, possibly
apocryphal and in any case from long ago, of junior faculty members being told
that their industrial research grant may not be renewed if they don't adjust the
grade of the vice-president's son.)
Jerry S.
