- Grading Options
Frustrations with the difficulty in giving two students the same grade (for example, a C) for different overall accomplishment, have led to our twelve-point grading scale that allows you to give pluses and minuses. How you correlate a twelve-point grading system to percentage points is your decision.

Assignments (such as papers or essay exams) that do not easily generate a numerical score may lead some students to ask you to explain why you gave a C to what was clearly a brilliant paper worthy of a Pulitzer Prize. We have found that we get fewer questions when we attach a note to the papers when we return them.

Students are very concerned about understanding the exact criteria you will employ in grading their work. You may ease their concerns by clearly stating your expectations with each assignment you make
One other regulation about your grade records:

The Faculty Handbook requires you to retain grades, tests and assignments as well as any other material you use in determining students’ grades for at least one academic quarter (or until the end of the fall quarter following spring quarter classes).

You may choose to return materials to students, or you may provide an alternate policy to the class at the beginning of the quarter. If you leave Ohio University, you should leave student records with the chair of your department.

- "PR" and "I" Grades
PR stands for progress and may be given in courses in which the work may require more than a quarter to complete (such as a thesis or honors paper). Most courses do not allow the grade of PR. A memo accompanying the grade report form you get at the end of the quarter will give you an explanation of the grade codes so that you can know whether PR is allowed for your course.
The grade of “I” stands for incomplete and should be given only in cases where there are emergencies that prevent the student from completing the course on time (serious illness, death in the immediate family, things like that). Failure to complete the work you assign is not sufficient grounds for a grade of incomplete. Students have until the sixth week of the subsequent quarter to complete the work for a course, although you may want to work out an earlier deadline when you agree to assign an “I”. The grade automatically turns into an “F” if a new grade isn’t turned in by the sixth week. Note: Grades of “I” assigned in Spring Quarter may be completed by the sixth week of Fall Quarter.
You will have to assign students who drop your course the grade of WP (withdrawal passing) or WF (withdrawal failing) to indicate whether they were passing or failing when they dropped the class. The registrar puts the W on the grade sheet for you to indicate students who have dropped. You provide the P or F.

- Grade Changing after it has been submitted
The general rule is that you can’t, except for the grades of progress (PR) and incomplete (I). You can change a grade of A-F only if you made an error when you calculated your grades. It is not acceptable for you to change a grade because a student convinces you dire things will happen if you don’t (such as loss of a scholarship, getting dropped from the university). Besides the rules that forbid it, changing grades after they are turned in just isn’t very smart. You will get the reputation of being a grade negotiator and will be besieged with change requests.
If you have made an error, the departmental secretary can give you a Change of Grade form. Fill in the required information and send the form to the Office of Student Records in Chubb Hall. You will be required to explain the reason for the change of grade on the form itself. If your reason is not acceptable, the registrar’s office will deny the change request.

- Complaints about Student Grades
Your responsibility is to assign the most accurate grade you can. No one can tell you what grade to give. There is an appeal mechanism available to students who think they have been graded unfairly. After having first talked with you, a student may appeal to the chair and then to the dean. If the dean thinks there is no reason to pursue the matter further, that is the end of the appeal. If the dean thinks the student has sufficient grounds for the appeal, the dean will appoint a five-member faculty committee (including the chair of your department) to look into it. If a majority of the committee think the grade should be changed, the committee can authorize the registrar to change the grade.