Honors Thesis Grading Guidelines

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 or project (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).

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