Important Information for Part-time Faculty: Grades
What range of grades can I give?
Loyola gives the grades of A, A-, B+,B, B-, C+, C, C-, D, F and WF. (There are no grades of "incomplete" and no grades of A+, D+, D-, F+ or F-.) The grade of "WF" (withdraw failing) is used under the following circumstances:
- when a student, for any reason, falls short of course requirements by not submitting some or all materials upon which a grade is based, and the faculty member is willing to grant a brief extension, a grade of "WF" should be used. The student is expected to supply the missing material in a timely manner, in which case the grade will be changed accordingly or, conversely, the grade will stand if the student fails to complete the work; or,
- when a student is withdrawn administratively from a course because of, for example, poor attendance, student discipline or because the student has not attended the final exam.
Obviously, accommodations can be made for situations involving extreme hardship, but normally the burden will be (and should be) on the student to complete his or her assignments rather than on the faculty member to track the student down.
Does the law school have a grade curve?
The Law School has a grade curve that applies to all courses with an enrollment of 25 students or more. Check the page for details on which courses are covered by the curve. Faculty are required to conform to that curve, unless they demonstrate to the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, Tom Haney, that there is a good reason to depart from the curve. Please note that the grade curve is currently being revised to include the newly-authorized minus grades (A-, B-, C-); the revised form of the grade curve will be posted on the website prior to final exams for the Fall 2004 semester.
Should all students be graded anonymously?
All final examinations are to be graded anonymously. At the very beginning of each semester, the University creates a random list of examination numbers for students to use as a way to identify themselves on their final exams. You will be given access to the on-line grade entry system that contains the exam numbers, and you will record the grades by exam number only - ensuring that the identity of the exam writer is not revealed to the grader. The Law School Registrar is the keeper of the code and is the only person who has access to the exam numbers.
Obviously, not all courses will be graded anonymously. Skills courses like Trial Practice and the Mediation Seminar, as well as many of our writing courses, are not graded anonymously. If any component of your course is not graded anonymously, students should be informed as early in the semester as possible.
Teachers who give mid-term exams or other graded assignments during the semester should know that all students who are properly registered for the course will be able to obtain and use their exam numbers. Any problems or questions in this regard should be directed to the Registrar, Dora Jacks, (312) 915-7167, djacks@luc.edu.
If you plan to mix a grade that is not anonymous (e.g. for a written project or class participation) with an anonymous grade from a final exam, the Registrar will do the "mixing" (once you give her the information) so that the final grade will remain anonymous. There are several ways that this can be done, all designed to preserve students' anonymity. Please contact the Registrar, Dora Jacks, for more information.
