May 9–15, 2007, Number 443
Spring Commencement was Saturday, May 5. Photos and highlights are listed on the Commencement website.
Final Grades
The 2006–2007 school year has come to a close, and if your students are anything like me, waiting for final grades can be a pretty nerve racking time. Even though I know I did fairly well, I still worry about how well I actually did. The online system, Banweb, is used to view the grades. In case your student doesn’t know how to find them, go to student records and click on final grades.
Many students can calculate their approximate grade range before the grades are even posted. Professors often have the points breakdown right in the syllabus that is handed out at the beginning of the year. This of course doesn’t work well if your student was depending upon a certain score on their final; in this case, they will just have to wait.
Students who earn a 3.5 or higher GPA will be placed on the Dean’s List. Many departments hang up sheets of students who made the list and often send letters to those students. Being on the Dean’s List is also a real accomplishment and is often seen on student’s resumes.
There is another side to the coin though, and Michigan Tech is known for really pushing students intellectually. Poor grades do occur, and for many students, the grades occur during their first year. This is due to the fact they are still finding their niche, and figuring the best ways to study and thoroughly learn the material. The main thing is to let your student know this is not the end of the world; instead encourage them to build from this.
If your student receives a grade of CD or less in a class, they do have the option of retaking the class. By retaking the class, the new grade will replace the original and will be used in calculating the GPA. The comprehension of the information usually increases the second time a class is taken and a better grade is earned along with a better understanding of the material. Often times, the material isn’t even the problem, but it was just the way the professor presented it. If your student feels this is the case, recommend they take the class with a different professor.
For students who have a semester, departmental or cumulative GPA less than a 2.00 (C average), they will receive letters stating they are on academic probation. Academic probation is a harsh warning that students are not performing to the expectations of the University. They are given a probationary semester to achieve good academic standing. If this is not achieved during the probationary semester, an academic suspension may occur. This means the student has to take the following semester off. For further information about academic probation, suspension and dismissal, go to the MTU Academic Standards.
If there are ever any topics that you feel should be addressed, please send me a personal email and I will try my best to include them in my future articles.
Until next week,
- Michigan Technological University
- 1400 Townsend Drive, Houghton, MI 49931-1295
- 906-487-1885