Dear Colleagues,
I hope you had a restorative Thanksgiving holiday with family and friends. As we are sprinting headlong toward the finish line of the fall semester, I want to remind you of important policies and deadlines for these last couple of weeks. I also want to share some ideas for making the race more enjoyable.
- I hope you and your students are enjoying “dead week,” which means that no exams may be given this week, as student prepare for final examinations the following week. Here is the relevant language from the University Handbook: “Except for honors, problems, seminar, reports, research, laboratory practical, language, studio and fine arts performance classes, the last examination (either unit or comprehensive) must be given during the final examination period published on the web. No examination (unit or final) may be scheduled seven calendar days prior to the first scheduled day of semester examinations. (FSM 5/13/03)” In classes this may be a time for review and reflection on what students have learned in your classes.
- Grades are reported on the iSIS grade roster following completion of coursework and all exams.
- There are two primary reasons for granting an Incomplete, according to the Undergraduate Catalog:
- In case of absence from the final examination, the instructor reports a mark of I for incomplete or computes the grade on the basis of zero for the final examination. If an Incomplete is reported, a reasonable time, usually not over one month, is allowed in which to take the examination. (Undergraduate catalog)
- The grade of Incomplete (I) is given in regular courses (other than independent studies, research, and problems) upon request of the student for personal emergencies that are verifiable. The faculty member has the responsibility to provide written notification to the student of work required to remove the incomplete. The student has the responsibility to take the initiative in completing the work, and is expected to make up the incomplete during the first term (enrolled) at the university after receiving the grade of I. If the student does not make up the incomplete during the first term enrolled at the university after receiving it, a grade may be given by the faculty member without further consultation with the student. The instructor of record may fill out special access for students who need continued access to complete coursework at: https://www.kstate.edu/its/forms/incomplete.html.
- If you need a refresher on how to enter grades in iSIS or import grades from K-State Online, please check the iSIS help information on your main iSIS page, or contact the IT Help Desk at 785-532-7722 or 800-865-6143, or send an e-mail: http://www.k-state.edu/its/helpdesk/
• Grades are due iSIS by noon on Tuesday, December 23rd. This is a very important deadline that everyone must meet!
Here is why: Grades will not be posted until later that afternoon (Tuesday the 23rd). Because the University is closed on Wednesday December 24th, the Deans’ Office staff and I will need to work into the evening on Tuesday to review the lists of students on dismissal and warning, and then to prepare the appropriate letters to send to our students. Furthermore, missing grades can negatively affect both a student’s academic and financial aid standing: the grade you didn’t enter might be the difference between good standing and dismissal for your student! So please prioritize entering grades on time!
And now to the enjoyment part: please consider taking a minute in your final classes to recognize your students’ hard work throughout the semester: it’s amazing what recognition and praise can do for our spirits! You might also acknowledge the stress students are under and suggest ways to help them: eating and sleeping well, exercising, laughing, and connecting with friends and family are all are important components of relieving stress. Their academic advisors, the Office of Student Life, Counseling Services, and I also are all available to help students in need.
Finally, please take a little time for yourself to reduce your stress and, most importantly, to reflect on the fruits of your semester’s labors and anticipate the pleasure of the Winter Break!
Please let me know if I can be of any help to you in the weeks ahead.
All my best,
Alison
Alison Wheatley
Assistant Dean