• Assigning alternative grades
• X-grades
• Incompletes
• Instructional techniques for giving students early feedback
• Special situations that might require dropping or withdrawing from classes

Assigning alternative grades

X-grades
An "X" grade appears on a student's transcript when the instructor has not yet assigned a grade for a particular course or marks the column "No Grade Now" on the Faculty Grade Report (FGR). These grades remain on a student's record until a grade is submitted. The "X" grade option was added to the FGR to reduce the opportunity for tampering and only signifies that the instructor has not coompleted evaluating a student's performance and isn't prepared to assign a final grade. "X" grades do affect student status and eligibility for some types of financial aid. As a result, instructors should make every effort to submit grades in a timely manner.

Incompletes
Incompletes should be given only to students who students who have satisfactorily performed in your class to within two weeks of the end of the quarter.

Incompletes should never be given to students who are not making satisfactory progress. For questions on how to deal with students who solely because of the current add/drop policy could not drop a course that turned out to be too high for them, see: X-grades.

Undergraduate students who do not have their Incomplete converted to a grade by the end of the next quarter will have it automatically converted to a 0.0 at that time. You may, however, mark another alternate grade. If the undergraduate student takes no action, their grade will revert to the alternate grade indicated by you at the end of the next quarter instead of 0.0.  To assign an alternate conversion grade, you should mark the I grid and the appropriate grade grid.

An extension of up to three quarters can be given by the instructor under exceptional circumstances, such as if the instructor or student will be away from the campus for an extended time. For such an extension to be granted, the instructor must write a note to that effect at the time of granting the "I" grade to the Graduation and Academic Records Office.

Instructional techniques for giving students early feedback

Provide a complete syllabus including:

• the expected work load of the course
• the skills students are expected to have coming into the course
• sample problems or assignments students are expected to be able to complete
• common reasons why students have had to drop this course in the past

If possible, give a pre-test, early unit exam, or other assignment early in the quarter so students can have feedback on their performance before the add/drop period is over.

Special situations that might require dropping or withdrawing from classes

Once a quarter has begun, students who experience circumstances taht make it difficult or impossible to complete courses, such as family emergencies, health problems, etc., should consider dropping courses or withdrawing for the quarter. Students should follow procedures published in the quarterly Time Schedule or contact the Office of the Registrar to explore their options in such situations.