NDSU will implement mid-term grading this semester. The Sophomore Year Experience Committee, a committee jointly charged by the Departments of Academic Affairs and Student Affairs, has identified mid-term grading as one means to promote student academic success and retention. The goal of mid-term grading will be to identify and notify students receiving deficient grades at mid-point in the semester, so that:
• Students may be made aware of their deficient status,
• Student support services and advising may be emphasized to deficient students,
• Students may be reminded of existing drop deadlines and procedures,
• Advisers may be informed of advisees who are academically at-risk, and
• The university may track student academic progress better from mid-semester to end-of-term, monitor retention and analyze graduation rates based on this data.
All instructors are asked to enter in Campus Connection undergraduate grades of D and F at mid-semester (mid-point officially is March 5). The mid-term grade loading window will be open from March 3-15. Advising week is scheduled for the week of March 22.
The mid-term grade loading process will be similar to final grade loading. Directions for instructors to load mid-term grades and for advisers to view mid-term grades will be distributed by Kristi Wold-McCormick, registrar, and made available on the registration and records Web site in the coming days.
While instructors are welcome to view all grades for all students at all levels at mid-semester, the only expectation is for collection of mid-term deficient grades of D and F.
Final grade loading for short courses that end by mid-term also will be open in the coming days. Those instructions and timeline will be distributed by a separate notification.
"Thank you in advance for your cooperation during this initial pilot of mid-term grading, which is designed to promote student academic success and build on the strength of our advising program at NDSU," said R. Craig Schnell, provost and vice president for academic affairs.