Grading at Iowa State University – Spring 2025

Spring 2025 Final Grading

Final Grade Submission Deadline: Tuesday, May 20^th at 3:00 PM.

Final grades can be submitted via Canvas or Workday. While instructors can assign final grades at any time, grades will not be visible to students or post to student records until May 21^st. 

The Office of the Registrar recommends Canvas as the primary way instructors submit grades. Please utilize the CELT website for information on how to use Canvas for grading in your courses. Information regarding how to submit final grades in Workday can be found below. 

KBA and Demo for final grading: Workday Student: Submit Final Grades 

Use this link to Submit Final Grades in Workday

Please make every effort to ensure final grades are submitted in a timely manner. Late grade submission can have adverse impacts on university processes and negatively impact a student’s ability to graduate.

FAQ (Final Grades)

Q: I missed the grade submission deadline, how can I submit my grades?

A: Starting May 21^st, you will need to use Workday to change your grades from non-reports, or fix the grades you previously submitted. These changes will automatically route for approval. Ensure you scroll the grade roster to the right to enter the reason for your grade change. More details can be found below in the 'Grade Changes for Fall 2024 and Forward' section. 

Q: Will I receive an email confirmation after submitting? 

A: You will not receive an email confirmation after submitting within Workday. To confirm your submission, return to the 'Assign Final Grades' option on the Teaching Dashboard and review your previous submission. If submitting via Canvas, you will continue to receive email notifications. 

Q: What if I submit final grades in both Canvas and Workday? 

A: We strongly recommend you just pick one system and submit via that method. However, if both are used, the most recent submitted grade will be used. 

Q: I submitted an Incomplete Contract in Workday but the student didn't receive it. Why?

A: Routing of the Incomplete Contract is reliant on the student being selected in the 'On Behalf Of' box. If the student is not selected in the box, it will not route to them to approve and retain a copy of the contract. 

Interim Grade Submission Deadline: Friday, March 14^th at 3:00 PM.

Interim grades can be submitted via Canvas or Workday. Instructors can assign interim grades via Workday at any time and they will become visible to students immediately after submitting. Interim grades assigned via Canvas will become visible to students in the hours after the deadline passes. Once the deadline passes, you will not be able to submit interim grades in Canvas. Please use only one system to submit interim grades. Using multiple systems will result in multiple interim grades being assigned.

For help submitting interim grades via Canvas, please visit the CELT website. To submit in Workday, go to the Teaching Dashboard and select the ‘Assign Interim Grades’ task under the Grading section. You can also use the link below. For additional help submitting interim grades in Workday, review the following KBA and demo.

KBA and Demo for interim grading: Workday Student: Submit Interim (Midterm) Grades 

Use this link to Submit Interim Grades in Workday

Iowa State Universities policy on interim grading requires instructors to submit an interim grade for students with a C- grade or lower. Review the interim grading policy in the 2024-25 Catalog.  

FAQ (Interim Grades)

Q: Do I need to submit interim grades if my course is a half term course or less?

A: No. Interim grades are not required for half term courses.

Q: Do I need to submit interim grades if no one on the course roster received C- or below?

A: No, there is no need to submit interim grades for a course if no students in the course have a C- or lower. 

Q: Why can I only assign a grade of S or F for my course?

A: The interim grade you can assign is determined by both the grading bases assigned to your course and the grading basis a student has used to register into your course. For example, students in a course taught on a Satisfactory/Fail basis can only be assigned interim grades of S or F. Students in a graded course would have the full letter grade scale to choose from. If the grade options are not what you expect to assign for your course, please contact your department.

Q: Will I receive an email confirmation after submitting? 

A: When submitting interim grades through Workday, you will not receive an email. If you want to confirm your submission, return to the 'Assign Interim Grades' task and review your previous submission. If submitting via Canvas, you will continue to receive email notifications. 

Q: What if I submit interim grades in both? 

A: In general, the most recently submitted grade will be used. However, it is recommend you just pick one system and submit via that method to ensure students only receive one interim grade. 

Q: Will there be late grading for Interim grades? 

A: Late interim grades will need to be submitted via Workday after the deadline. Once interim grades are submitted, the instructor will need to notify their students to check interim grades in Workday. Use a secure portal to communicate, or if emailing, use Blind Carbon Copy for the student email and do not put any PII in the email. Use a generic message such as, "Review interim grades in Workday." Ensure FERPA compliance by ensuring students cannot see other students who are receiving the message.

Grade Changes for Fall 2024 and Forward 

Grade changes for courses taught in Fall 2024 and later will be done in Workday. The task is located on the Teaching Dashboard. Information regarding how to change a final grade in Workday can be found below. If you did not submit final grades by the grade submission deadline, you will need to change your grades from Non-Report to the appropriate grade. All grade changes will route for approval within Workday.

KBA on grade changes: Workday Student: Change a Student’s Grade

Grade Change Approver Email: Approve Grade Change PDF

Incomplete Grading 

Beginning in Fall 2024, instructors must assign an alternate grade for Incompletes. The alternate grade is the grade the student will receive if no further work is completed (the lowest possible grade they can earn). In general, failing the final exam or project or not submitting course work as a result of inadequate preparation or learning are not valid justification for an Incomplete.  

Before assigning an Incomplete, ensure that you (the instructor) have completed the Incomplete Contract. The Incomplete Contract is completed and submitted directly within Workday. Instructors should look for this on the Teaching Dashboard under ‘Grading’ or you can access the form with the link below.

Link to Incomplete Contract in Workday (click and select 'Incomplete')

Ensure when completing this form that you enter the students name in the ‘On Behalf Of’ box for them to receive the contract in Workday. The Incomplete Contract will identify the reason the student was unable to complete the work, the requirements to resolve the Incomplete, the deadline to resolve the Incomplete, as well as the alternate grade if no further work is completed.

Please review the policy around Incomplete grades in the 2024-25 Catalog.  

Final Grading Mass Email

A mass email will be sent to all Role 1, Role 1 Co-Instructors, and Role 7 Instructors as a reminder to submit grades in the weeks prior to the grade submission deadline. This email will be sent from the Office of the Registrar twice regardless of submission status. A copy of the email can be viewed below for reference. 

Final Grading Mass Email: Click to view

Grade Changes for Summer 2024 and earlier 

If an instructor needs to change or report the grade for a course that was taught in Summer 2024 or earlier, they will need to use the Grade Report to the Registrar form. The link to this form can be found in Workday on the Teaching Dashboard > Grading > More > Legacy Grade Report to the Registrar. 

Summer 2025 Grading Dates

Final Grades for Summer 2025 courses will be due by August 12^th, 2025 at 3:00 PM. 

Need additional help? 

If you have additional questions that are not addressed on this website, please contact one of the following staff members.