Late Grades Frustrate Students

More than a week after grades began being posted online, anxious students are logging on to the registrar’s website only to find incomplete reports.

Arlene Becella, the registrar for the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, said slow professors were responsible for the delay, and said grades are made available “as soon as they come in.”

The registrar’s website announced that grades would be posted by January 29 at noon. Becella said her office has been updating grades each morning since then.

“Every morning, you will see your updated grade report. We are caught up 99 percent of the time,” she said.

While Becella was unsure of the number of students awaiting complete transcripts, she doubted that it was any larger than in other years as this problem with the web reporting system seems to occur annually. She said her office could not force the faculty to abide by the established deadlines.

She added that professors often change their reported grades and that her office tries to keep those updated as well.

With final exams ending on Jan. 22, some professors and teaching fellows were given only a week to grade tests and papers and to report final grades to the registrar’s office.

The tardiness of the online grade reports is causing problems for students who need transcripts to apply for scholarships or jobs. Others are merely frustrated.

Mathew J. Ferrante ’05 said he needed a transcript to switch concentrations to History and Science, an honors-only concentration.

But his transcript was not available until the last day of shopping period, the day of the deadline for changing concentrations.

“I was so frustrated that I gave up,” Ferrante said.

Becella said her office has been pressuring professors when students in their classes have required transcripts.

“We contact them and say students are awaiting transcripts. If a student really needs a grade he should contact a faculty member,” Becella said.

Some large classes, such as Mathematics 23a, have not yet submitted grades, leaving students annoyed.

Vivek A. Rudrapatna ’06 said he received all of his other grades on January 29, but is still waiting for his Mathematics 23a grade.

“It just takes forever with the professor,” he said.

Paper grade reports will be mailed to students the week of February 17, three weeks into the second semester, Becella said. These grades—unlike those online now—will be final.