Assessment Policies
P1 - Corrected Grades

Policy

GCAC-403 Corrected Grades

Procedure

Grade Changes Within 12 Weeks and Prior to Degree Conferral

When a change in grade is deemed appropriate in accordance with GCAC-403, the instructor may initiate and approve the change using their Faculty Center in LionPATH if the following conditions are satisfied:

1. The instructor is identified in LionPATH as an instructor of record for the course. 
2. The instructor is authenticated to the Faculty Center using both their Penn State Access account (userID and password) and the two-factor authentication. 
3. No degree has been conferred for which this course is being used to meet the degree requirements.
4. The grade change is recorded within 12 weeks after the end of the semester in which the course was taken. 

Grade Changes After 12 Weeks and Prior to Degree Conferral

Grade change requests more than 12 weeks after the end of the semester in which the course was taken may not be made directly by the instructor in LionPATH. Such requests may be considered as an exception on a case-by-case basis. The grade change request must:

1. Be submitted as an exception request via the Graduate Request Management System (GRMS).
2. Include a signed memo from the instructor explaining the extenuating circumstances, academic justification for the change, and the timing of the change (i.e., after the allowable 12-week period has expired).
3. Include the Registrar’s Grade Change Authorization Form.
4. Be reviewed and approved by Graduate Enrollment Services.

Grade Changes After Degree Conferral

Once a student has had their graduate degree conferred, retroactive actions cannot be made to their academic record unless a documented error has been identified and verified. If an instructor attempts to enter a grade change in LionPATH after the degree has been conferred, they will be directed to submit the request through Graduate Enrollment Services. Requests for changes to the academic record after conferral of a graduate degree must:

1. Be submitted as an exception request via the Graduate Request Management System (GRMS).
2. Include the Registrar’s Grade Change Authorization Form.
3. Include a signed memo from the instructor explaining the extenuating circumstances, academic justification for the change, and the timing of the change (i.e., after the allowable 12-week period has expired).
4. Include a signed memo from the head of the student’s graduate degree program indicating their support for this change.
5. Include a signed memo from the administrator for graduate education in the college from which the student’s graduate degree was conferred indicating their support for this change. If the course was offered by a different college, both college administrators for graduate education must indicate support for the change.
6. Be reviewed by Graduate Enrollment Services to verify that degree requirements are not impacted and approved by the Dean of the Graduate School.

If approved, the request will be forwarded by Graduate Enrollment Services to the Office of the University Registrar for final processing.

Revision History

Approved by The Graduate School, September 11, 2023