I just want to quickly go over some common questions. All of this information can be found in other places across the lab site, but I thought it would be useful for many of you if I compiled the list of FAQs below.
What is the minimum grade to pass a lab course?
60%, if you are in a graded course. For pass/fail courses (SSS, BC-PRD, CES), you'll pass if you meet the imaginary 60% quality benchmark. If you aren't sure, please email me.
Will I get a grade on this assignment?
Some assignments are graded, and some are pass/fail. If you are in a percentage graded course, you can expect that all of your assignments will receive a percentage grade, with the exception of in-class exercises and the OSK assignment booklet - if you are in OSK, please refer to your Courses page.
Will I get a grade for this course?
The underlying question here is, are you taking a pass/fail course or a percentage graded course? If you check the Monday posts, you'll see I specify this information for each course. As a general rule, a one week course is pass/fail and a two+ week course is percentage graded, but there are exceptions. If you are taking a percentage graded course, you will receive a grade expressed as a percent.
What's your percent to letter grade conversion?
We don't use letter grades on our transcripts, but if you want a rough breakdown, this is how I was marked in my undergrad:
GRADE % RANGE GPA9 GPA4
A+ 90-100 9 4
A 85-89 8
A- 80-84 7
"An A+, A, or A- is earned by work which is technically superior, shows mastery of the subject matter, and in the case of an A+ offers original insight and/or goes beyond course expectations. Normally achieved by a minority of students."
B+ 77-79 6 3
B 73-76 5
B- 70-72 4
"A B+, B, or B- is earned by work that indicates a good comprehension of the course material, a good command of the skills needed to work with the course material, and the student’s full engagement with the course requirements and activities. A B+ represents a more complex understanding and/or application of the course material."
C+ 65-69 3 2
C 60-64 2
"A C+ or C is earned by work that indicates an adequate comprehension of the course material and the skills needed to work with the course material and that indicates the student has met the basic requirements for completing assigned work and/or participating in class activities."
Failing grades:
D 50-59 1 1
"A D is earned by work that indicates minimal command of the course materials and/or minimal participation in class activities that is worthy of course credit toward the degree."
F 0-49 0 0
I Incomplete 0 0
What sort of feedback can I expect on a pass/fail assignment?
Usually, none. This is standard end-of-course procedure at post secondary. The exception here is, of course, the CES resumes and cover letters when submitted during the week; after the course ends, however, you will not receive further feedback on your final drafts.
What sort of feedback can I expect on a percentage graded assignment?
If the assignment has a marking rubric, I try to provide the filled in sheet to you. Online, this isn't always possible. If you are curious about the breakdown, send me an email. I'm always happy to discuss your grades.
In that case, I want to discuss my grades.
Sure! Check the Announcements tab to see if I've posted information about upcoming office hours. Send me an email and we'll set up a time for a Teams meeting.
What sort of feedback can I expect if I send an assignment early to be looked over?
If you ask specific questions, I am happy to look it over and provide suggestion or correction based on your concern. If, however, you send me a document without specific questions, I will not provide feedback. For me, this ends up meaning I mark assignments multiple times, and I do not have enough hours in my life! I'm only going to mark it once - but I'll glance at it and give you a simple yes/no as to whether you're on the right track. More importantly, giving you an indication of your mark is "pre-marking" and violates academic integrity at the post-secondary level.
Where can I check my grades?
On ECampus! The button will be in the directory panel on the lefthand side of your screen. You can also email your instructor if you've been waiting. Click here for a video demo.
When should I expect my grades to show on ECampus?
Usually, we try to get your grades up within two weeks. At that point, feel free to reach out to ensure everything is fine.
How do I know if I pass?
Minimum pass percentage for lab courses is 60%. If you fail, I will email you.
How much effort should I put into "pass/fail" assignments and courses?
This is always a really weird question for me to answer. As your instructor, my answer is: as much as you would put into a percentage graded assignment. As a person, my answer is: this is your integrity, your reputation, your learning, your grades, your career, your money - do what you want. As a student myself, my answer is: if your program is $15000 for 10 months, for instance, you are paying about $75 per class day to the college for your instruction, resources, softwares, licenses, administrative and support staff, etc etc. So, $75 worth of effort every day, whatever that means to you.
What do these weird grading codes mean on ECampus?
IP = In Progress = Marks have not been submitted and/or confirmed.
P = Passed = You completed a pass/fail course.
F = Failed
I = Incomplete
[Updated 4th August 2021]
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