Final Grades

Final grades for each semester are due the first Monday after Finals. (For field and summer sessions, grades are due the first Monday after the last day of classes.) All grades must be submitted by 4:00 PM that Monday afternoon. Students will be able to view their final grades on Trailhead at 10:00 AM that Thursday (summer grades are available Wednesday). Refer to the academic calendar for specific dates.

To view final grades through Trailhead, follow these steps:

1. Log into Trailhead
2. Select ‘Student’ in the left sidebar
3. Next, click on ‘Student Self-Service’
4. Select ‘View Grades’
5. Choose the ‘Final Grades’ option

As long as there are no holds on your student account, you may view your final grades. If there are any grades missing, this is because the grade has not been submitted. Please contact your instructor with any questions regarding missing grades or an incorrect grade. Transcripts are typically available 24-48 hours after final grades can be viewed in Trailhead.

Grade Change

Effective fall 2019, the Registrar’s Office no longer accepts Grade Change forms. All official grade changes must be submitted online by faculty through Trailhead.

Grade changes may occur if there was an error in reporting the original grade, instructor deems a change is needed based on course work or final exams, or a student receives an INC (Incomplete) and completes all the course work to earn a final grade.

Faculty should refer to the Faculty Grading page on how to submit a grade change. Once a grade change has been submitted, it will generally be processed within 1-2 business days. Students can view their updated grade/s and GPA information through Trailhead.

INC (Incomplete)

An INC (Incomplete) is a temporary grade which may be given at the instructor’s discretion when reasons beyond the student’s control prevents completion of course requirements by the end of the academic term. An INC is restricted only to cases in which the student satisfactorily completed a significant amount of the course work, including attendance and participation. The complete policy can be found in the catalog.

If you believe these circumstances are applicable, please discuss with your instructor and submit the Incomplete Request form found here: https://www.mines.edu/registrar/incomplete-grade-request/.

CASA is available to assist students with questions regarding the form: casa@mines.edu.

Students who are granted an ‘INC’ grade should NOT re-enroll in the course in another term. The ‘INC’ will revert to an ‘F’ in those instances.

If an instructor grants an INC they must work with the student to complete the remainder of the work. Instructors may grant up to one year for work to be submitted. In most cases, the time limit may be less, to complete outstanding coursework. Once work has been completed, the student should communicate this to the instructor, the instructor then submits the final earned grade. If the student does not complete the required work or if the instructor forgets to submit the final earned grade, the ‘INC’ will be converted to an ‘F’ grade after one year.

Grade Appeal Process

Mines faculty have the responsibility, and sole authority for, assigning grades. As instructors, this responsibility includes clearly stating the instructional objectives of a course, defining how grades will be assigned in a way that is consistent with these objectives, and then assigning grades. It is the student’s responsibility to understand the grading criteria and then maintain the standards of academic performance established for each course in which he or she is enrolled.

If a student believes he or she has been unfairly graded, the student may appeal this decision first to the instructor of the course, and if the appeal is denied, to the Academic Standards Committee of the Faculty Senate. The Academic Standards Committee is the faculty body authorized to review and modify course grades, in appropriate circumstances. Any decision made by the Academic Standards Committee is final. In evaluating a grade appeal, the Academic Standards Committee will place the burden of proof on the student. For a grade to be revised by the Academic Standards Committee, the student must demonstrate that the grading decision was unfair by documenting that one or more of the following conditions applied:

1. The grading decision was based on something other than course performance, unless the grade was a result of penalty for academic dishonesty.
2. The grading decision was based on standards that were unreasonably different from those applied to other students in the same section of that course.
3. The grading decision was based on standards that differed substantially and unreasonably from those previously articulated by the instructor.

To appeal a grade, the student should proceed as follows:

1. The student should prepare an appeal of the grade received in the course. This appeal must define the basis for the appeal and must present all relevant evidence supporting the student’s case.
2. After preparing the appeal, the student should deliver this appeal to the course instructor and attempt to resolve the issue directly with the instructor. Written grade appeals must be delivered to the instructor no later than 10 business days after the start of the regular (fall or spring) semester immediately following the semester in which the contested grade was received. In the event that the course instructor is unavailable because of leave, illness, sabbatical, retirement, or resignation from the university, the course coordinator (first) or the Department Head/Division Director (second) shall represent the instructor.
3. If after discussion with the instructor, the student is still dissatisfied, he or she can proceed with the appeal by emailing a copy of the appeal and a copy of a summary of the instructor/student meetings held in connection with the previous step to the Academic Standards Committee. All information must be submitted to the committee no later than 25 business days after the start of the semester immediately following the semester in which the contested grade was received.
4. On the basis of all information deemed pertinent to the grade appeal, the Academic Standards Committee will determine whether the grade should be revised. The decision rendered will be either:
   1. the original grading decision is upheld, or
   2. sufficient evidence exists to indicate a grade has been assigned unfairly.

In the latter case, the Academic Standards Committee will assign the student a new grade for the course. The Committee’s decision is final. The decision and supporting documentation will be delivered to the Faculty Senate, the office of the Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs, the student, the instructor, and the instructor’s Department Head/Division Director no later than 25 business days following the Faculty Senate’s receipt of the grade appeal.

The schedule, but not the process, outlined above may be modified upon mutual agreement of the student, the course instructor, and the Academic Standards Committee.