RESUMING THE SEMESTER: PLANS FOR THIS WEEK AND GRADING
As announced, ACT UAW 7902 and the university have reached a tentative agreement. This means the union has ended the strike and as a result all classes have resumed as of today.
We are all aware of how difficult these last weeks have been for our community, and I encourage faculty and students to finish the semester in the best ways you are able. As we approach concluding the semester on Sunday, December 18, our guiding principle is to approach all aspects of work with flexibility, generosity, and care.
A variety of learning activities have taken place during the past four weeks. I am not expecting faculty or students to condense all work that was planned for the strike period into this final week. I ask faculty to please be mindful of what students are being asked to do across multiple courses when considering possible required work prior to the end of the semester. When I met with the University Student Senate on Friday December 9, they raised this core concern: the need to be as flexible as possible when considering how to evaluate student work this semester.
Throughout the strike, students were encouraged to follow their course syllabi in any ways possible to continue to make academic progress. We all recognize that students’ choices, participation and access vary and there are many potential outcomes from these experiences. Faculty, as always, are asked to approach grading with their best professional and academic judgment with these things in mind. The grading deadline was extended to January 3, 2023, at the beginning of the strike.
Additional Information
For Students:
- We encourage you to share with your faculty any work you’ve done during this period.
- If you have questions about course completion, and recognizing that graduating and international students may have particular concerns, please be in touch with your academic advisor or college dean’s office.
- The withdrawal deadline has been extended to the end of the term, December 18, 2022. Courses that have ended and were graded will not be eligible for withdrawal. Students who wish to withdraw from all courses must submit an Exit Form.
- The regular grade appeals process is in place. Students can petition for academic review of a grade using this procedure within 60 days from the grade being posted or within 30 days if the student has petitioned to graduate.
- More information on viewing grades and relevant policies are available on the Registrar’s website.
For Faculty:
- Reach out to your students with guidance on how to proceed in accordance with the needs of the course.
- Please be aware that students may have engaged in a variety of learning activities during this period that we encourage you to consider in your grading.
- Colleges and individual programs may also be communicating with their specific guidance strategies for awarding grades based on their programs.
- The standard grading memo (including regular policies and grading procedures) will be sent on Monday, December 12. Incomplete grades should only be assigned if you and the student formally agree and document how the course will be completed. Please remember that missing or incomplete grades can negatively impact students.