Honors Thesis Grading Guidelines

Faculty should submit grades for the Honors Thesis through their normal department channels.  

FIRST SEMESTER GRADING 

These guidelines detail grading options for the first semester of a two-semester Honors Thesis. 

Standard Grading 

Choose standard grading (A, A-, B+, B, etc.) when the thesis has clearly defined assignments or benchmarks that can be tallied into a semester grade that will not be altered by subsequent work. For example, an instructor might

• Submit an “A” for a student who has conducted excellent research to date
• Submit an appropriately low grade for a student whose performance to date is unacceptable due to frequent absence, or inadequate reporting or research.  

Advantages of standard grading 

• Revised grading will be not be required later
• The student receives a clear, unambiguous progress assessment 

Note: The grade for the first semester may differ from the grade of the second semester based upon the quality of the student's work in each semester.

YEAR-LONG/DEFERRED GRADING 

“Y” Grading 

Year-long grading allows the submission of a “Y” grade as a non-penalty incomplete. 

• Thesis Seminars may be designated as "Y" grading by the instructor during the course scheduling process. If selected, "Y" grading should also be noted in the syllabus.
• An Independently Contracted Thesis is always scheduled with the "Y" grading option.  

Choose “Y” grading when you wish to 

• Grade the year-long effort only after the end of the second semester and you are able to determine with confidence that the student has made satisfactory progress in the first semester (otherwise a low grade may be more appropriate)
• Use the “Y” grade as a neutral placeholder until the second semester is complete (vs. an INC grade which would average as an "F" until the grade is changed).  

Consequences of Y grading 

• In addition to submitting the grade for the final semester on SPIRE, you will need to submit a change of grade for the "Y" semester to a final grade.  (You may do so on SPIRE for the most recent four semesters or via a UG Registrar's "Change of Grade" form for older semesters.)
• Students may be ignorant of serious problems with their coursework unless you have had a candid discussion with them. 

SECOND SEMESTER, CONCURRENT, OR YEAR-LONG GRADING

These guidelines detail grading options for the following circumstances:

• Single semester Honors Thesis (6 credit minimum)
• Concurrent Honors Thesis or project pair (3 + 3 credit minimum)
• Final semester of an Honors Thesis 

Upon completion of a single-semester Honors Thesis, a set of paired Thesis Seminars, or the final semester of an Honors Thesis, the instructor may submit either a final grade(s) or "INCs" on the SPIRE grade roster(s). Note: Seminar grades should not be submitted until the final Honors Thesis Research Manuscripts or Creative Portfolios have been evaluated and graded.

Standard Grading

If a standard grade (“A”, “A-“, “B+”, “B," etc.) is submitted for the final semester (and in the case of a thesis sequence, if a standard grade was submitted for the first semester) then no further grading action is required.

INC and Y Grading:

If an INC is submitted for the final semester (or if a “Y grade was submitted earlier for the first semester of a Thesis) then you will need to also convert the "Ys" and/or “INCs” to standard grades upon completion of the student's work.  You may do so on SPIRE (for the most recent four semesters) or via a "Change of Grade" form (for older semesters).