3 Grading

  • Alternate grades
    How will spring term subjects be graded?

    In view of the global pandemic, its effect on our students, instructors, and all the members of our community who support our educational programs, and after extensive consultation and deliberation, it has been decided that the "Alternate Grades" (PE, NE, and IE) defined in Section 2.64 of Rules and Regulations of the Faculty must be used for all undergraduate and graduate full-term and second-half term (H4) subjects this semester.

    Can I give some students in my class regular grades and others alternate grades?

    No. All full-term and H4 classes must be graded as outlined above. H3 classes can be graded either using regular grades or alternate grades, but not a mix of both.

    Will the alternate grades satisfy academic requirements?

    Yes. Subjects in which a student receives a grade of PE will count for all Institute, major, and minor requirements.

    Will alternate grades satisfy the Communication Requirement?

    Students should be reassured that PE grades will satisfy all Institute requirements, including GIRs, the Communication Requirement, and departmental requirements.

    Will the alternate grades be included in GPA calculation?

    No. None of the alternate grades will be used in GPA calculation.

    Will the alternate grades be visible on the official transcript?

    Grades of PE and IE will display on the official transcript. NE grades will not. In addition, the following statement will be on every student's transcript:

    “Semester significantly disrupted starting 3/13/2020 due to Coronavirus COVID-19 outbreak. Mandatory Alternate Grades in effect.”

    Can I change a PE grade to a regular letter grade once the disruption is over?

    No. The Faculty Officers have determined that, except for H3 classes, only the alternate grades can be used this semester and no petitions will be considered which seek to change a PE to a regular grade.

    I registered for a subject as Junior-Senior P/D/F or P/NR under the CUP Experimental Grading Policy. Will the alternate grading apply to those subjects too?

    Yes. Alternate grades will be used in these cases too. Students receiving PE grades in such a subject will now receive credit towards General Institute Requirements, major, or minor requirements where they might not have previously (for example, in the case of junior/senior P/D/F). These designations will count towards your limit for the chosen grading option.

    Will cross-registered subjects at Harvard be graded using the alternate grades?

    Yes. Students cross-registered at Harvard will receive the alternate grades of PE, NE, and IE.

  • Incompletes & thesis grades
    Does an IE for a graduating student have to be resolved prior to graduation?

    No. The usual rules around the completion of Incomplete grades by undergraduates have been suspended so that IE grades do not need to be resolved prior to graduation.

    How should a previous term’s IE grade be resolved?

    As under normal circumstances, the student has the opportunity to complete the outstanding work in consultation with the instructor by a deadline (to be determined) set by the Chair of the Faculty.

    Any work completing an IE grade given this semester should be given a PE or NE grade, and the student’s grade will be changed to show IE/PE or IE/NE.

    May I give all of the students in my class a grade of IE?

    This is strongly discouraged to avoid situations in which a student has multiple Incompletes pending at the end of the semester, and in view of the uncertainty around how the pandemic will affect future semesters.

    If a student completes the outstanding work for an Incomplete or an O from a prior semester, should I use the alternate grading?

    For students who received an I or an OX in a previous semester and are completing those subjects this semester, instructors should make their very best efforts to assign a letter grade, with an aim to err on the generous side (e.g., if a student is borderline C/B, they would be given a B).

    Under rare circumstances, alternate grades may be given. Exception requests may be sent to the Chair of the Faculty at facultychair-reply@mit.edu.

    Can I still give an O grade during this term?

    Yes. The O grade is still an option.

    Can a student retake my subject if he or she receives an NE grade?

    Yes. A student may retake a subject for credit in which they have previously received an NE grade.

    How will Master’s-level and SB theses be graded this spring?

    Non-PhD students who complete their theses in the spring will receive alternate grades of PE or NE. For these students, thesis registration in prior terms will also reflect these final alternate grades (J/PE or J/NE).

    Can I still use J or U grades for thesis?

    Yes. J and U grades are still available for thesis work this semester.

  • Providing feedback to students & entering grades
    Can I give students letter grades as feedback on assignments and examinations?

    Yes, although you are not required to do so. Qualitative feedback or qualitative translation of numerical scores may be good alternatives. In any case, instructors should provide feedback to students in whatever form is most pedagogically helpful in their subject, taking into account the circumstances of this semester. That feedback should be sensitive to the fact that students will be impacted differently in their opportunity to demonstrate performance this spring.

    Can I indicate a letter grade for a student as part of a letter of recommendation?

    No. Consistent with the mandatory requirement for alternate grades, specific letter grades should not be indicated in a letter of recommendation. However, instructors may craft letters that provide an evaluation of a student’s level of achievement in words, without referring to a letter grade, and which reference the challenging circumstances a student may have overcome or experienced this semester.

    How will grades be reported at the end of the semester?

    Faculty will be presented with a drop-down menu of grades according to whether their subject is full term, H4, or H3 or whether the subject is designated to use J, U, or T grades.

    For most full term and H4 subjects, faculty will select from PE, IE, NE, or O.  For a small subset of subjects (e.g., thesis, independent research, etc.), the additional grades of J, U, or T will also be available.

    For H3 subjects, instructors must choose between standard grades and alternate grades for the entire class. The system will not allow instructors to mix the grade types for different students in a class.