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Grade Assignments

Faculty can submit midterm or final grades electronically through Canvas or Self Service Banner.  A brief tutorial video on how to submit grades through Self Service Banner is available on the Technology HelpDesk Knowledge Base.  All grades must be posted electronically by the close of business on the published deadline.

Questions relating to electronic grade submission through Self Service Banner or Canvas should be directed to the Technology HelpDesk at 765-285-1517 or by submitting a web ticket. Other questions should be directed to the registrar’s office by emailing registrar@bsu.edu.

It is the responsibility of the instructor:
  1. To grade students in accordance with the following grading system:
    •      The record of student performance in courses of undergraduate level in Ball State University is indicated by the following system of letters: A, B, C, D, F, FN, and FS. A plus or minus may be appended with the exception of A+, F+, F-, FN+, FN-, FS+, and FS-.
    •      "A" represents work of excellent quality and is recorded for students who do outstanding work.
    •      "B" represents work of good quality and is recorded for those who do work which is clearly above the average.
    •      "C" represents work of average quality and is recorded for students who do average work.
    •      "D" represents work which is below average, but above failure.
    •      "F" represents work that is not of an acceptable quality.
    •      "FN (Non-attendance)" represents a failing grade awarded to a student who did not attend a course (no completed assignments, no exams, no instructor interaction or other  documented engagement in an academically-related activity in the course.)
    •      "FS (Stopped Attendance)" represents a failing grade awarded to a student who did not officially withdraw but failed to complete a course (i.e., did not take a final exam, stopped attending, ect.) and failed to achieve the course objectives.
    •      A failing grade (F, FN, or FS) is recorded when a student withdraws from a course after the published withdrawal deadline for the semester or term unless, in the judgement of the instructor or college dean, the reasons for withdrawing from the course are such that the student should have a W.
  • Instructors will be required to enter the last date of academic engagement for a student receiving a grade of FS.

     2. To keep a record of grades for a minimum of one calendar year.

     3. To inform the class, very early in the course, the basis on which grades are to be determined.

     4. To have information available to a student concerning academic progress throughout the course,      insofar as possible.

     5. To provide a student with the opportunity to examine and discuss all of the student's work which has      been evaluated by the instructor — tests, papers, reports, special projects, etc.

Final Grades

After grades have been submitted electronically, the registrar’s office will process them. Students can view grades on the web. They are used to determine the student's eligibility to attend the next semester or term, to continue in a sequential course, to recommend for graduation or teaching certificate, for a transcript, or other purposes.

Grades for Course Withdrawals

Students who withdraw from courses during the web withdrawal period for that course will receive a W final grade assignment. Students who withdraw from courses during the extended withdrawal period for that course may receive a W, F, or NC final grade assignment depending on the grade mode of the course.

Grade Submissions Deadlines

It is essential that faculty submit all grades within the period they are due. Failure to submit the final grade to the registrar’s office by the specified due date and time will result in the instructor submitting grades on the Supplemental Change of Grade Form for each student to the registrar’s office.

Incomplete (I) Grades

Students are graded in accordance with the system described in the catalog. The student's work in a course is to be regarded as finished by the close of the semester or term. If the work is not completed by the close of the semester or term, the student can be given an “I” grade.

Students whose work at the end of the semester or term is incomplete because of illness or some circumstances beyond their control receive an I, as well as the opportunity to complete the work at a later time. The department chairperson must approve the granting of an I at the end of the semester by using a Memorandum of Incomplete form.

The department head or chairperson retains one copy and sends a copy to the student. Removal of an I should be limited to as short a period as possible. If an I grade is not removed within the time agreed upon, it becomes an F.

‘FS’ and ‘FN’ Grades

Ball State added two letter grades in spring 2015: FS and FN. The FS grade indicates that the student received a failing grade because they stopped attending the course before the course end date. The FN grade indicates that the student received a failing grade because they never attended the course.

Midterm Grades

Midterm deficiencies can be submitted for all undergraduate students registered in 100-, 200-, 300-, and 400-level full-term courses (January-May for spring semester or August-December for fall semester).

For instructions on how to submit midterm deficiency grades, please review this instruction sheet from the Technology HelpDesk. Once the midterm grade submission has ended, midterm deficiencies will be processed through the registrar’s office. Students who receive a midterm deficiency will be sent an email instructing them to check their midterm grades through Self-Service Banner

Faculty are sent reminders of upcoming due dates and encouraged to submit grades electronically. If a final electronic grade submission deadline is missed then faculty are required to report a final grade by working with their academic departmental office and to submit a supplemental grade change form with signature authorization(s). Final grades not submitted within 30 days of the required deadline are reported to the Office of the Provost.

 

Final grades are due by close of business on the date listed.

 

Spring 2026
Part of Term Grades Open 8:00 a.m. Grades Due by 4:59 p.m.
Spring full term 4/28/2026 5/06/2026 *3:59pm 
Midterm 1/22/2026 1/27/2026
First 8 week term 21 2/27/2026 03/11/2026
Second 8 week term 22 4/28/2026 5/06/2026 *3:59pm
First 5 week term 31 2/09/2026 2/12/2026
Second 5 week term 32 3/23/2026 3/26/2026
Third 5 week term 33 4/28/2026 5/06/2026 *3:59pm
First 10 week term 41 3/23/2026 3/26/2026
Second 10 week term 42 4/28/2026 5/06/2026  *3:59pm

Changing Grades

Faculty members give grades, and a change of grade should be given only by the faculty member who gave the original grade (if this is not possible, contact the department).

Students who feel they have earned a grade different from the one given are referred to the course instructor. If that instructor concludes that the officially recorded final grade should be changed, the instructor will make corrections on the Change of Grade Form, which is available in the departmental office.

After the instructor signs the form, the department chairperson signs and forwards the form to the dean of the college. The dean signs it and forwards the original and all copies to the Office of the Registrar. Once the change has been made on the student’s academic transcript, the student will be notified and all copies of the form are sent to the appropriate individuals.

Memorandum of I Grade

An instructor must provide justification to extend an I grade.  As such, they are responsible for submission of the I Extension Form for a student.

Request Extension for an Incomplete "I" Grade

Students are graded in accordance with the system described in the catalog. The student's work in a course is to be regarded as finished by the close of the semester or term.

A student whose work at the close of the semester or term is incomplete because of illness or some circumstances beyond the control of the student may be given an I and privileges of completing the work at a later time. Students who withdraw from a course under the terms specified for the mark of W may be given W.

The granting of an I must be approved at the end of the semester by the department head or chairperson, who retains one copy and sends a copy to the student.

It is most important that the conditions for removing the I be as specific as possible. Removal of an I should be limited to as short a period as possible. If an I grade is not removed within the time agreed upon, it automatically becomes a failing grade.

Undergraduate Courses

Unless an earlier completion date is specified by the instructor, an I grade awarded for an undergraduate course will expire as follows:
  • for fall enrollment – by May 1
  • for spring and/or summer enrollment – by Dec. 1

An exception is made when an extension on the timeline has been recommended by a department chairperson and approved by the appropriate dean.

The registrar‘s office will send an email reminder to the student and to the instructor of an I grade on the student record on or about the 15th of every month.

Graduate Courses

The maximum time permitted for the completion of an I grade for a graduate course is 12 calendar months. An exception is made when an extension on the timeline has been recommended by a department chairperson and approved by the appropriate dean.

The registrar‘s office will send an email reminder on or about the 15th of every month.

Incomplete capstone projects in Creative Project (CRPR 698), Research Paper (RES 697), Thesis (THES 698) or Doctor’s Dissertation (DISS 799) may be handled in one of three ways:

  • Credit may be given on an ongoing basis if the student is making progress with the understanding that the student cannot graduate until the project is submitted to and approved by the Graduate School.
  • Instructors may assign a grade of NC and may change the grade to CR when the project is complete.
  • Instructors may request an extension of the I grade.

What is FERPA:

FERPA (the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act), is a federal law enacted in 1974. FERPA protects the privacy of student education records. All educational institutions that receive federal funding must comply with FERPA. FERPA begins at Ball State University once a student is matriculated into Ball State (applied, admitted, accepted and a learner record is created) and the student continues to be protected by FERPA for their lifetime.

FERPA gives students four basic rights with respect to their education record:

  • The right to inspect and review their education record.
  • The right to some control over the disclosure of their education record.
  • The right to request the amendment of their education record where appropriate.
  • The right to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education concerning alleged failures by the University to comply with the requirements of FERPA.

Privacy Restriction

Students have the right to request directory information to be withheld by completing and submitting a Privacy Restriction on Records form.

FERPA Training

Anyone with access to student records and systems that contain student data (Banner, Navigate, Slate, Argos, etc.) are required to take FERPA training annually.

The Registrar’s Office is also happy to provide onsite or virtual FERPA Jeopardy training to University departments and classes. We can also modify existing presentations to address nuances related to your role at the institution (students, faculty or staff). Please contact us to request training.

Issues and Questions

If you have questions about FERPA or suspect a potential violation has occurred, please email FERPA@bsu.edu. We will help investigate and remediate, where possible, any issues that may have occurred.

FERPA Class Recording FAQs
If a recording includes only the instructor/faculty member, it does not constitute a student record and FERPA protection laws would not limit the content's use.  If the recording includes students speaking, asking questions, making presentations or otherwise participating in the course in any manner which makes it possible to identify the student, the segments containing recordings of the student do constitute protected educational records.  Such educational records can only be used as permitted by FERPA, or in a manner allowed through written consent from the student.

Whenever you have questions on FERPA or University policies, please consult the Registrar's Office at (765) 285-1722 or registrar@bsu.edu.

You may have questions about videos and online course content.  You may contact Online and Strategic Learning for valuable support at (765) 285-1763 or strategiclrn@bsu.edu.

Yes.  You may post a class recording that includes student participation in your Canvas course as long as access is limited only to other students in the same class section.  FERPA does not limit or prevent the use of class recordings for use in the same class section and does not require obtaining written consent in such cases.  Simply posting class video recordings to the same Canvas course section allows instructors to create secure and safe access for students in the class to watch or re-watch past class recordings.  Sharing videos in Canvas also protects student content behind two-factor authentication.

Generally, this is not advised.  Faculty are advised to seek permission from both BSU and from students in any case where a course video might be shown outside of the content of the originating course.  However, there are several ways to use recordings that include student participation.

  • To use a video featuring students outside of the originating course section, an instructor may obtain individual consents from the students in the recording which allow the use of that portion of the recording.  This type of consent can be obtained on a case-by-case basis or from all the students at the outset of a class.
  • Recordings featuring student interactions can be edited to either omit any student who has not consented to the use of their voice or image, or can be edited to de-identify the student in the recording.
  • Recordings can also be planned so that students (such as those asking questions during a class) are not shown in the video or referred to by name.

The best and easiest way to protect videos or other digital materials that feature student interactions is to only share them within the context of those students' originating course section.  Canvas allows you to flexibly share content with students, while offering peace of mind when it comes to digital file sharing and student privacy.  So long as access to materials is limited to only students in their class section, FERPA does not limit or prevent video use and does not require obtaining a written consent.

Some instructors choose to leverage media distribution systems for course content, though this is not advised.  If access to recordings featuring students might not be limited to students in the class section, instructors must plan the recordings accordingly to remove personally identifiable student information.  Instructors must make sure not to show students who are asking questions or refer to the students by name.  If sharing live class videos outside of Canvas, avoid repeating student names in the recording (de-identifying the students removes the need for a specific consent from each student in the recording).  If a student appears on camera, their identity must be either edited out or a written consent must be obtained - otherwise, the recording should not be distributed.

Because student presentations make it difficult to de-identify the student, the instructor should obtain a consent from the student making a presentation.  Click here for a sample consent and release form.

Under FERPA, this situation must be treated as if the recordings were being shown to a third-party audience.  This requires FERPA compliance through use of consent forms or de-identification of any students depicted.
Any use of recordings must comply with FERPA, either through written consent or de-identification of students depicted.
Students cannot be compelled or required to give consent.  If a student declines to sign a FERPA consent, the instructor may edit the student out of the recording or de-identify them.
Instructors should keep student consent forms on file for as long as the recordings are being used or at least three years.
Yes. Ball State employees who serve as the contact for an honor society or a foundation CAN have access to do your job, but you CANNOT distribute records to outside parties.

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