Grading Standards

Here are the percentage cutoffs that I use for determining letter grades.
Average CIS 100 Major Course
93-100 A A
90-93 A- A-
87-90 B+ B+
83-87 B B
80-83 B- B-
77-80 C+ C+
73-77 C C
70-73 C- C
67-70 D+ D+
63-67 D D
60-73 D- D-
below 60 F

Percentage grades are rounded off to the nearest whole number, and if you are just on the edge, you will receive the higher letter grade.

Curving

I don't like grading on a curve, so don't request it. First of all, the classic curve requires me to give as many Fs as As, as many Ds as Bs, and the bulk of the grades will be Cs. Second, the philosophy of curving says that there is no absolute standard of performance, but that as long as you do better than your classmates, you deserve a good grade, even if you have not mastered the material. Instead, I believe that a grade of A should mean excellent performance and complete mastery of the material. Sometimes no one in the class deserves that grade. Sometimes everyone does. Grading on a curve says that about 3 percent do, regardless of their absolute performance.

Class-wide Adjustments

I would prefer to stick with this grading policy under all circumstances, but it sometimes happens that a class does much worse than expected. Rather than fail a large number of students, I may slide all the grades up by the same number of points. However, you should note that this is an undeserved mercy, and you should neither expect it nor request it.

Mistakes

I try hard to be consistent and fair, but I am not infallible. If you think that I (or the teaching assistant) have made a mistake in grading a homework, program, test, or whatever, come and discuss it with me. You must logically argue that it is a mistake or is inconsistent, and not just wheedle for extra points. I reserve the right to re-grade your entire test if I feel you are just wheedling.

Such discussions must be done in private in my office. I don't discuss individual grades during class, even if we are going over a test or anything else I have just handed back.

Graded Work

You should keep all your graded work until after the semester is over and you have received your final grade. It sometimes happens that I mis-record one of a student's grades, and if you have kept your graded work, such clerical errors can be fixed. Please do not count on my memory ("Don't you remember that on assignment 2, I got a ..."); keep your graded work.

Interim Performance

Students often ask how they are doing during the semester. In a way, this question puzzles me: you know what the grading standard is, you know the grades you've gotten so far, so you can calculate your current grade yourself. If you don't know how to calculate your grade, read this.

Since the Fall of 1998, I have been using an online database for recording your grades. This database has a web interface, so you can check your grades over the web. Since you can check your grades at any time, I expect you to keep track of how you're doing. Be sure to read the directions.

Extra Credit

Students who are doing badly often ask me for an extra credit assignment. I would rather not give additional work to someone who is already behind. Furthermore, I feel it's important to be fair by allowing all students access to the extra credit, so I really have to make up an additional assignment for the whole class. I would rather not do that. The way to improve your grade is to study hard and do better on the upcoming tests and assignments.
Scott D. Anderson
Last modified: Tuesday, August 29, 2000