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Changes to Retroactive Actions
Berkeley Division Regulation A201C states that all grades 'are considered final when submitted by an instructor on the end-of-term report.' The only exceptions are in progress (IP) and incomplete (I) grades. Changes to the permanent record are permitted only when there is evidence of non-academic bias in the assigning of grades (A207).
In an effort to improve our implementation of Academic Senate regulations, effective fall 2006 the College of Letters and Science will no longer entertain requests for retroactive changes—specifically, adds, drops, variable unit and grading option changes—to students’ class schedules after the end of the term in question. There will be no grandfathering for courses taken prior to fall 2006.
Students will still have the option of meeting with a dean to request a retroactive withdrawal from an entire semester. Similarly, the College will continue its practice of approving transcript corrections in cases of documented University error. University errors are those caused by staff or faculty or by a system malfunction. Transcript corrections fall within the jurisdiction of the Associate Dean in consultation with the Dean of the Undergraduate Division.
How will this change affect you as a faculty member? The impact on faculty will be twofold: a) unless you can attest to an administrative error, it will no longer be necessary for you to write letters of support for students requesting retroactive changes to their class schedules; b) there may be an increase in the number of students approaching you for an Incomplete grade.
The vast majority of students have never requested a retroactive change to their record. However, for those who have come to rely upon this option in the past, the upcoming change in practice could be significant. For this reason it is imperative that students understand the importance of monitoring their class schedules and take action to resolve enrollment errors right away. In order to make this happen, we need your help.
How you can help:
- Get the word out by announcing the deadlines to add, drop, change variable unit courses, and change grading option in one’s classes.
- Encourage students to check their enrollments through Bear Facts early in the semester.
- Check your class rosters on Bear Facts or Course Web to ensure that students attending your classes are officially enrolled.
- Where appropriate, avail yourself of the Instructor Drop functionality provided by Tele-BEARS or Course Web.
- Refer students who may be experiencing academic and or personal difficulties to the Office of Undergraduate Advising as soon as possible.
In general, taking an active and preventative approach to students experiencing difficulties will help us all to avoid more serious problems down the road. If we can offer support and advice early on, we will better ensure our students’ chance of success.
For questions concerning this change, please contact Lourdes Miranda (642-9432, lourdesm@berkeley.edu).
-Lourdes Miranda, Director of Student Policy
Spring 2006
