Navigating Grades and Graduation at UCF

Understanding the grading system and graduation procedures is crucial for a successful academic journey at the University of Central Florida (UCF). This article will explain various aspects of UCF's grading policies, including grade forgiveness, final grade submission, and baccalaureate honors, as well as provide details regarding commencement ceremonies.

Grade Forgiveness: An Opportunity for Improvement

UCF offers a Grade Forgiveness policy that allows students to retake a course and have the second grade replace the original grade in their GPA calculation. This provides an opportunity to improve their academic record.

Eligibility and Requirements

Grade Forgiveness can only be requested for a course in which the original grade was a “C-” or lower. If a student needs to repeat a course because their degree program requires a grade of “C” or higher, they can also request Grade Forgiveness.

How to Request Grade Forgiveness

Obtain a Grade Forgiveness form from the Registrar’s Office or online.
A list of enrolled classes will appear.
Click on the "Select" box for the course being retaken for Grade Forgiveness.
A note will appear listing the previously taken course, the term it was previously taken, and the original grade.
If the information is correct, click the "Submit" button.
In some cases, a student may need to fill out a paper form. The completed form must be submitted to the Registrar’s Office by the Grade Forgiveness Deadline of the term the course is being repeated.

For specific questions, students can use the contact form available online. It's important to note that Grade Forgiveness is a lengthy process.

Final Grade Submission: A Guide for Instructors

To submit grades to the Registrar, instructors will use myUCF. Students with an “F” grade receive special scrutiny from the Registrar, so instructors will be asked to indicate the last date the student attended class. Some courses and departments allow instructors to report “NC” (no credit) in place of a “D”. Higher than an “F” and lower than a “C”, this grade is only for courses that have met certain requirements and must be pre-approved. The “I” (incomplete) grade is usually used in the event of a last-second emergency, such as unexpected hospitalization, so that a student had to miss the final exam. If no such unexpected event occurs, the “F” grade is more appropriate.

Student Perception of Instruction (SPI)

Instructors of Record are evaluated once per semester by their students through the Student Perception of Instruction (SPI) process. Two weeks before the final scheduled day of class in a given semester, SPIs open to students. Students will see a popup each time they log in to the Student Center section of myUCF during the open SPI window.

Improving Teaching Through Feedback

Faculty are strongly encouraged to adopt a mindset of continuous improvement with regard to their teaching in the face of SPI reports and pay attention to trends in the SPI results over multiple semesters, whether all the numbers move in lockstep or there are particular outliers. Student comments to the free-response questions can be particularly revealing. Faculty are encouraged to consider soliciting feedback from students much earlier in the semester, while there is still time to make changes in the current term. Be transparent about why you are asking students for their feedback. Vary your teaching methods to make the content more understandable and engaging for the most students possible, and encourage questions.

Resources for Faculty

Faculty are encouraged to connect with the Faculty Center to request individualized, private consultations or perhaps arrange for a peer observation. Some students may not see the system-generated reminder to complete SPIs if they don’t otherwise have a reason to visit the Student Center during the SPI window. While the Student Center is where they register for classes in future terms, their registration window may not match the SPI window. Setting aside time in face-to-face classes for students to complete the SPI using their own devices can improve response rates.

Anonymity and Integrity

Keeping students anonymous is central to the integrity of the SPI process. It is important to note that asking students to generate a screencap of their finished process will not work, due to the same need for anonymity.

Department-Specific Policies

The Student Perception of Instruction process is governed by the Faculty Senate and the Faculty Excellence office. While many campus policies and procedures are universal, there are sometimes significant differences between departments and programs on campus.

Read also: Final Transcript Submission

Preparing for Graduation: A Step-by-Step Guide

Graduation is a significant milestone, and UCF provides a structured process to ensure a smooth and celebratory experience.

Key Steps for Graduates

Intent to Graduate: File an approved Intent to Graduate application on time.
Regalia: Graduates are encouraged to order their cap and gowns sooner rather than later to allow ample time for them to be delivered to their home. All rental orders placed after March 20 will be assessed a rush fee. There is a late deadline for regalia on April 3. Availability of sizes for official regalia cannot be guaranteed after April 3. If you have any questions regarding returning regalia, please contact the bookstore at 407-882-0365.
Tickets: Graduates do not need to register for or order their commencement ceremony tickets. All graduates who have filed an intent to graduate on time and place a regalia order on time will automatically receive their ceremony tickets during the designated dates/times established for guest ticket and reader card pick up.
Guest Tickets: Guest tickets must be picked up along with reader cards by each graduate at the main campus by the dates specified below. Tickets for adults, children, and infants are required for admittance to the Addition Financial Arena. Guests who do not have tickets may watch the live ceremony via a simulcast viewing in the FAIRWINDS Alumni Center and the Student Union. The Alumni Center’s seating is available on a first-come, first-served basis. Tickets are picked up during ticket-pickup week at the FAIRWINDS Alumni Center located near the Addition Financial Arena on the main campus.
Online Students: UCF Online students who have preordered regalia pick up guest tickets at the FAIRWINDS Alumni Center located near the Addition Financial Arena on the main campus during one of the ticket pickup dates. Online students that haven’t ordered regalia yet or need to pick up tickets late, should contact the UCF Bookstore on East Plaza Drive to make arrangements at 407-882-0365.
Third-Party Ticket Pickup: Graduates unable to pick up their guest tickets may designate a third party to do so by providing them with a letter authorizing UCF to release the tickets during ticket-pickup week. Letters must include the name of the designated pick-up person, along with the graduate’s full name, UCF ID, college of major, and their signature on the letter.
Forfeited Tickets: There will be no ticket lottery offered for additional tickets for graduates. Any forfeited tickets will be available on a first-come, first-served basis at the Addition Financial Arena Box Office two hours prior to each individual commencement ceremony. Guests will need to provide a photo ID, as well as their graduate’s name.

Commencement Day Information

Graduates arrive at the Addition Financial Arena. Get your cameras ready, graduates! Strike a pose for portraits at one of the most iconic spots on campus - The Reflecting Pond. Graduates, you’re invited to walk across the commencement stage while loved ones record and photograph this milestone moment in your collegiate career. Each graduate can bring up to 10 guests. ONLY the graduate should be registered in advance. Guests aged 18 and older must bring a valid driver’s license for entry. There are no time slots. Check-in is on a first-come, first-served basis. Regalia is not required to participate. Complimentary parking is available in Garage D, F and H. Mobility impaired individuals may be dropped off in front of the Addition Financial Arena prior to parking. Questions about Grad Walk? Will take place at the UCF Bookstore, John T.

Regalia Guidelines

The tassel on a graduate’s cap must be their college tassel and not the black and gold souvenir tassel. Baccalaureate degree candidates wear tassels on the right; graduate degree candidates wear tassels on the left.

Baccalaureate Honors Recognition

The university shall confer baccalaureate honors recognition on those students who have completed a minimum of 48 credit hours at UCF. Baccalaureate honors awarded will be based on the overall cumulative GPA including transfer credit at the start of the term in which they will graduate. Records for the term of graduation are incomplete at the time the commencement program is printed. For students who earn baccalaureate honors, the honor cords will only be available for purchase at the time of ticket pickup during the designated ticket-pickup week at the Barnes & Noble Bookstore on East Plaza Drive. Honor cords from various honor societies may be worn if they are the designation of an officially recognized group. Graduation announcements cannot be used for admission.

Additional Information for Faculty

Syllabus Requirements

Florida law requires several items relating to syllabi. First, the official syllabus for every class must be housed in Simple Syllabus, an online repository. Faculty may not host a separate syllabus in Canvas; the Simple Syllabus is the ONLY syllabus. Second, all syllabi are made fully public. Third, there are several sections required on each syllabus.

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Preparing for the First Day of Class

The first day of class might seem to be a daunting prospect the first time you teach, but staying organized and planning the day well can make the experience a pleasant one. A few minutes before the scheduled start, be available for student questions. Consider not starting by distributing the syllabus and discussing the course policies. Introduce yourself and mention how you’d like to be called. Lay out a good atmosphere and climate. The first day sets the tone for the entire semester, so structure the first day with the climate you prefer, be it formal, relaxed, or humorous. After introductions and icebreakers, consider starting with your course material directly. Discuss the syllabus at the end of the first class period. Some instructors assign the syllabus as reading for a quiz to ensure it gets read, and others ask their students to sign a paper to signal their receipt of the syllabus. The latter action bolsters the view of the syllabus as a contract with students, which may well be how the syllabus will be treated in questions of disagreement that escalate to department chairs. However, be aware that while stressing the contractual side may elevate student responsibility, it may have undesirable rhetorical side-effects.

Managing Class Rosters

To download your class roster from myUCF: log in to the portal, click on “Faculty/Advisor Self Service” near the top left, and click on “Instructors.” Next, select “View Your Class Schedule.” The three-person icon can be clicked to view the roster, and if you wish to download to Excel, that link is near the top-right of the roster. If a course is listed with “STAFF” as the instructor rather than your name, you may have to ask someone in your department to print the roster for you. You might also request that someone in your department change the database so that you are listed as the instructor of record, and can get your own roster. Note: some instructors set up electronic gradebooks in Excel as soon as they have their rosters. It is possible to view photos of students registered in your class (the photos come from their student ID cards, which are stored digitally). Some instructors like to print the page(s) of photos and bring them along to class, the better to learn student names.

Course Evaluations

It’s good practice to create your own course evaluations and distribute these to students part way through the semester. Students are given the chance to evaluate the instructor with the “Student Perception of Instruction” form, which will arrive in your inbox from your college or department. These are to administered at some point in the final two weeks of class.

Important Deadlines

Adds and Drops are not processed after the start of the second week, so your roster will be stabilized at that time. The deadline for students to withdraw from the course occurs several weeks after the add/drop week. This process does not need to involve you.

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