Wright State to begin offering midterm grades for undergraduate courses in spring semester

Wright State University will offer midterm grades for most undergraduate courses in an effort to embrace a student-first culture and maximize student success and retention.

The new practice will begin in the spring 2023 semester. Instructors will report midterm grades between Feb. 13 and Feb. 26.

“We are excited to roll out this high-impact practice in support of our students and their success,” Provost Amy Thompson, Ph.D., and Susan Schaurer, vice president for enrollment management and student success, said in an email to the Wright State community announcing the new process.

Some undergraduate courses will be excluded from the midterm grading process, including internships, zero-credit courses, research courses, and independent studies.

Midterm grades will not be required for graduate courses, although faculty are encouraged to provide midterm grades for those courses.

Providing midterm grades is a best practice and is critical to the support and success of Wright State students, Thompson and Schaurer said.

“Knowing where they stand in every course is essential to our students’ success. Timely feedback from faculty at the midpoint of the term helps them access campus services and support as may be needed,” they said.

Issuing midterm grades can provide faculty and student success staff the ability to provide students with meaningful interventions while helping students assess where they stand in their courses, receive advising and tutoring, and make appropriate and timely decisions.

During the fall semester, Wright State successfully organized a midterm grading pilot project. Midterm grades were reported in 35% of eligible courses, and a total of 14,623 grades were assigned for 7,481 students.

To assess the impact of the pilot project, the university surveyed faculty and students and held listening sessions with faculty members and student stakeholders.

The Student Government Association also unanimously passed a resolution asking that faculty begin providing midterm grades.

Midterm grades are already a component at many public universities in Ohio, including Bowling Green, Toledo, Kent State, Miami, and Shawnee State, as well as at many private Ohio universities, including the University of Dayton.

Wright State will offer faculty members opportunities to learn more about the midterm grading process during several professional development activities in December and January.

The Center for Faculty Excellence and the CaTS Instructional Technology Services team will offer workshops to faculty on managing midterm grading in Pilot during the unscheduled time blocks on Wednesday, Dec. 7, and Thursday, Dec. 8, during Final Exam Week. The Center for Faculty Excellence has scheduled a peer-led panel on developing early low-stakes assessment activities and assignments for the unscheduled time block on Monday, Dec. 5, of Final Exam Week.

CaTS-IT will also hold open lab times to assist instructors with managing midterm grading in Pilot in early January and before the midterm reporting window opens in the spring semester.

Students are encouraged to stay in close contact with their instructors and advisors about their progress throughout the semester.