Evaluating Student Academic Progress

Students receive written narrative evaluations from each of their instructors at the end of each semester. Evaluations are a detailed written assessment of student work in each course, which provide students feedback on their strengths and areas for improvement. Evaluations submitted electronically are available for students to view or print through MySLC. Faculty also submit traditional letter grades for courses posted to the student’s unofficial and official transcripts. Grades may also be viewed by the deans of the college, the deans of studies, and the student’s don. Grades are used along with evaluations by the Committee on Student Work in assessing a student’s academic progress.

Evaluations for fall and yearlong courses are submitted in January. Evaluations and grades for spring and yearlong courses are submitted in June.

In the event a student believes that a teacher’s evaluation includes inaccurate information, the student should address the concern directly with the teacher. The teacher may submit an amendment to the evaluation to the registrar. Additionally, a student may write an amendment to an evaluation and submit it to the Office of the Dean of Studies to be placed in the student’s permanent file.

The college uses a traditional grade scale of letter grades from A+ through F. The grade symbols issued appear on the legend that accompanies official transcripts. Beginning with incoming fall 2024 students, official transcripts display final grades of WD (withdrawal) and F (failure) which were previously omitted. The College does not report grade point average (GPA) on official transcripts; however, GPA is an element measured when calculating Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) and is factored into financial awards. The College does not confer class rank, dean’s list, or Latin honors.

Faculty are urged to submit a Faculty Academic Alert form, available on the Faculty page in MySLC, to the Office of the Dean of Studies about any student of academic concern whose attendance is irregular or whose work reflects academic difficulty. Upon receipt, the Office of the Dean of Studies follows up with the student and their don as appropriate. This permits the Office of the Dean of Studies to connect students with academic support and available resources. The office will also request progress reports on any student who is on probation or who seems to be experiencing academic difficulty.

Coursework is due by the last day of classes unless the student has requested and been granted an official incomplete by the instructor. Upon approval, students must submit a Request for Incomplete form, available on MySLC. Students are responsible for requesting an incomplete, and the instructor determines whether the student is eligible. An incomplete request may be granted only if the student has already done substantial passing work in the course and the reasons for granting an incomplete are valid (e.g., illness, serious personal crisis, accident, extenuating academic circumstances). Faculty members are under no obligation to grant incompletes unless they feel they are warranted. Students on academic probation must receive approval by the Office of the Dean of Studies prior to making a request for an incomplete.

An incomplete is not necessary in the fall of a yearlong class or if a teacher agrees to an extension that allows the evaluation to be submitted by the required deadline. Coursework for fall-semester incompletes is due by January 15; for yearlong or spring-semester courses, by June 30. If there are exceptional circumstances that warrant an extension of these deadlines, the instructor must gain approval from the Office of the Dean of Studies. Faculty are expected to notify the Registrar’s Office if the work is not submitted by the due date.

Evaluations and grades for fall-semester incompletes are due to the Registrar’s Office from instructors by February 15; for spring incompletes, by August 15. If the faculty member does not submit a final grade, the grade listed on the Request for Incomplete is posted on the student’s official transcript.

Students who wish to contest a final grade must notify the course instructor and the Office of the Dean of Studies within the calendar year following the semester in which the grade was earned. A teacher may be asked to reevaluate the work that was submitted during the semester if the student believes the work was undervalued or there is a demonstrable discrepancy in the final grade calculation relative to the rubric stated on the course syllabus. Additional or revised work may not be submitted after a course has ended either to pass the course or to improve the grade. Only a faculty member can change a grade. Faculty members must notify the Registrar’s Office if they decide to amend a grade, and the change must be approved by the Office of the Dean of Studies before it can be posted.

At the end of each semester, some faculty require students to submit a worksheet for their course, which is available on MySLC. The worksheet is a synthesis of the work accomplished for class and conference and should include readings, fieldwork, field trips, concerts, plays, movies, and lectures attended that are relevant to the course material. Careful preparation of the worksheet serves to pull together, organize, and review the semester’s work. Worksheets may be important for transfer and graduate-school purposes, and copies should be kept for personal reference.

Students are expected to write a course appraisal for each of their courses at the completion of each semester. These appraisals evaluate the contribution of the instructor to the student’s education and to the College. The appraisals are read by the Provost’s Office and are available to the Advisory Committee. Faculty do not have access to the appraisals until all grades and evaluations are submitted to the Registrar’s Office.