FACULTY CENTER RECORDING GRADES REFERENCE GUIDE

INTRODUCTION

Grade rosters are used to enter and/or approve grades for a particular class. They are part of the SOLAR
SA module and are housed within the Faculty Center. Access to grade rosters is automatic once youve
been assigned to a class. This access is set at the department level. Contact your department if access
is not correct.

Users with Approve access will be able to enter and approve grades.
Users with Grade access will be able to enter and save the grades, but not approve them.

Note:

The system timeouts after 10 minutes of inactivity and does not automatically save your
entries. Make sure that your pop-up blocker is configured to allow pop-ups or you will not see the
time-out warning when it displays. Save early and often.

A current browser should be used. A list of compatible browsers can be found at:
http://www.csun.edu/sites/default/files/browsers.pdf

Pop-up blockers should be disabled. Some warnings or errors appear as pop-up windows so
make sure to disable your browsers pop-up blockers or risk not being able to see them as they
appear.

Faculty Senate policy states that final grades must be submitted within five working days
after the final exam.

Accessing the Faculty Center

1. Go to: http://www.csun.edu
2. Select the MYNORTHRIDGEPORTAL link,
3. Log In to the myNorthridge Portal with your username and password.
4. Select the Login button.

Figure 1 myNorthridge Portal Login

Recording Grades Page 1 of 9

01/10/17
 5. On the Faculty tab, from the Student Administration pagelet, select Faculty Center.

Figure 2 Faculty Center Link

Recording Grades

The Faculty Center - My Schedule page displays.

1. Verify that you are looking at the correct term. If not, select the Change Term button at the top of
the page to select the correct term.

If a grade roster is available for input, the Grade Roster icon is visible (Figure 3).

2. Select the Grade Roster icon.

Figure 3 My Schedule Page: Grade Roster Icon

Recording Grades Page 2 of 9

01/10/17
 3. The Grade Roster displays (Figure 4).

Figure 4 Grade Roster

4. In the Grade Roster Action field, select the appropriate Approval Status from the dropdown
menu.

Not Reviewed Use this option to enter, edit or save grades.

Approved Use this option to submit the grades for Approval. Only approvers will have
access to this menu item. Grades should already be saved prior to using this option.

5. Verify the navigation options at the bottom of the page. If you have several students, select the
View 100 link to view 100 students at a time.

The system times out after 10 minutes of inactivity. To protect your work, make sure the
Approval Status is set to Not Reviewed and save every few minutes by selecting the
green Save button at the top or bottom of the page.

Recording Grades Page 3 of 9

01/10/17
 6. For each student listed, select a grade from the Roster Grade dropdown menu. You may also
enter the grade manually by typing it in or uploading grades into SOLAR from a properly
formatted spreadsheet.

If you have a large number of students in your class and want to upload grades from a
spreadsheet into SOLAR, please review the SOLAR Grade Roster Upload Quick Guide
located at: http://www.csun.edu/sites/default/files/faccenter-solar-grade-upload.pdf and
then proceed with the approval process noted in this guide.

If you prefer, a mass update feature is available. This is used to enter a particular grade
for a group of students. To use this feature, choose a grade from the dropdown (see
below), select the students to receive this grade, and then select the < - add this grade
to selected students button. This adds the same grade to all of the students selected.

Conversely, if most of the class is receiving the same grade, you may use the Select All
link to select all students, select a grade from the dropdown, and then select the < - add
this grade to selected students button. This assigns the same grade to all students. If
a few of those students need a different grade, then change them individually.

Figure 5 Grade Roster: Mass Update Option

SPECIAL NOTE REGARDING INCOMPLETE GRADES:

If submitting an I grade (Incomplete) for the semester, you must complete the Incomplete Contract in
SOLAR before grades can be submitted. You must also submit the appropriate Incomplete hard copy
forms to your department office. For instructions on completing the online component in SOLAR, please
view the section in this guide titled Completing the Incomplete Contract from the Grade Roster.

Saving & Approving Grades

The Save button, at the top and bottom of the page, is used to Save or Approve the grades depending
on the Approval Status selected.

If the Approval Status = Not Reviewed, then the Save button will save the grades that
have been entered.

If the Approval Status = Approved, then the Save button will save and submit the grades
for approval. However, grades should be saved first before using this option.

Recording Grades Page 4 of 9

01/10/17
 7. Once the grades have been entered and reviewed for accuracy, select Not Reviewed from the
Approval Status and then select the Save button. Grades should ALWAYS been saved before
submitting them for approval. Additionally, save often throughout the process to avoid losing your
work.

8. After saving the grades, change the Approval Status to Approved and then select the Save
button to approve and submit the grades.

Note: Users who do not have Approved as a status option, are graders and do not have access to
approve grades. If you feel this is an error, contact your department to correct this.

Completing the Incomplete Contract from the Grade Roster

An incomplete grade should be assigned only when the faculty member concludes that a substantial
portion of the work has already been completed and that only one or two assignments have not been
finished. The student should be able to complete the remaining work independently within one year with
minimal assistance from the instructor. Executive Order 1037 requires faculty to create a contract when
assigning an I (Incomplete) grade. This contract should include the conditions required for removal of
the Incomplete.

When submitting an I grade (Incomplete), you will be required to add an Incomplete Contract from the
grade roster itself.

To add an Incomplete Contract from the Grade Roster:

1. Select the appropriate option from the Approval Status field (Approved - to approve the
grades) or (Not Reviewed - to edit or save the grades).
2. From the grade roster, select the I Incomplete option from the dropdown menu for the student in
question.
3. Enter the other grades as you normally would.
4. Select the Save button. You will be told that an incomplete contract is required. Click through the
message.
5. An additional column titled Incomplete Contract displays in the grade roster and includes an
Add link in the row for the student who has an I grade. Select the Add link.
6. The Incomplete Contract page displays in a new window.

Recording Grades Page 5 of 9

01/10/17
 7. Complete the following fields:

a. Reason Code (Faculty should use his/her own judgment on which code to use).

Extenuating
Medical
Other

b. Grade Without Further Work Enter the grade that the student would earn if the
missing work is not completed. Grades entered here are for documentation purposes only;
these grades will NOT be applied to a students record. You may type a grade in or use
the Magnifying Glass icon to select from a list of available options.

c. Deadline for Completion Enter a date or use the Calendar icon to select a date.
Although students can be encouraged to finish work earlier, the official time limit is one
year from the last day of the term in which the grade of Incomplete was assigned. This
date cannot be altered by entering an earlier date.

d. Description Enter a description.

e. Completed Checkbox When the work is completed, the instructor is expected to

return to this panel in order to mark the Completed checkbox and enter the completion
date. The instructor will then sign a completed grade change form (a manual form that is
available from your department) and route the form through the academic department for
proper handling and submission to Admissions & Records.

f. Date Completed Select a date.

Recording Grades Page 6 of 9

01/10/17
Note: Additional rows can be added (if needed) to the description field by selecting the + or buttons.

8. Select the Apply button to apply the changes.

9. Close out the Incomplete Contract window.
10. Return to the grade roster, which should still be open, and complete the save/approve process by
selecting the Save button.
11. Instructors should continue the practice of filing separate, incomplete forms with their department
office in addition to the steps outlined here.

Changing a Grade

Grades can be changed as long as the Grade Roster Type does not say Posted.

Making changes to grades that have not been posted:

1. Go to the grade roster.
2. Change the Approval Status to Not Reviewed, and then select the Save button next to it, to
open up the grade entry fields.
3. Make the necessary changes.
4. Change the Approval Status to Approved.
5. Select the Save button to re-submit the grades.

Making changes to grades after they have posted:

Once posted, changes cannot be made online. Obtain a Correction of Grade Report form from your
department, complete the form and submit it to Admissions & Records.

Posting Grades

At the end of finals week, approved grades are posted to the students record nightly. Students will see
their grades at that time.

FAQs

Q. I dont see my grade rosters.

A. Grade rosters become available about a week before finals. Once available, the Grade Roster icon
will appear next to the class on the My Schedule page. If you are looking for them before that time, they
may not be available yet. Another possible reason is that you have not been assigned to the class as the
instructor of record. To verify this, please contact your department to verify your access. Also, it is
important that you are working with the correct term. If not, select the Change Term button in the
Faculty Center My Schedule page to select the correct term.

Q. I am clicking on the grade roster icon but nothing happens.

A. Please make sure you are selecting the grade roster icon next to the class itself. NOT the icon noted
in the legend area which is just an example of what the icon looks like.

Recording Grades Page 7 of 9

01/10/17
Q. I do not see Approved in the Approval Status dropdown.

A. If you do not see this option, you have not been given approver access by your department. Contact
your department directly so they can change your access accordingly. Without this access, you will only
be able to enter and save grades.

Q. I have a large class and only some of my students are visible. Where are the rest?

A. Use the navigation buttons at the bottom of the grade roster to view the first 100 students. Use the
arrow buttons to scroll back and forth through pages.

Q. My class is very large. Can I upload grades from a spreadsheet into the grade roster?

A. Yes. Grades can be uploaded from a properly formatted spreadsheet. To take advantage of this
option, view the SOLAR Grade Roster Upload Quick Guide located at:
http://www.csun.edu/sites/default/files/faccenter-solar-grade-upload.pdf and then proceed with the
approval process.

Q. I need to take a break but I dont want to lose my work. What do I do?

A. With the Approval Status set to Not Reviewed, you can select the Save button to save your work
at any time.

Q. Ive approved my grades. When will the grades post?

A. At the end of finals week, approved grades are posted to the students record nightly. Students will
see their grades at that time.

Q. A student stopped attending class but the roster will not allow me to submit grades
without entering a grade for the student. What do I do?

A. Students who stop attending class without formally withdrawing should be given an F or a WU
(unauthorized withdrawal). For Credit / No Credit, the appropriate grade is NC (no credit).

Q. I need to change a grade, what do I do?

A. If the grades have not posted (as noted in the Grade Roster Type field of the roster), set the
Approval Status to Not Yet Reviewed, save, and make the necessary changes. When done, change
the Approval Status back to Approved and then select the Save button to re-submit the grades for
approval.

If the grades have been posted, a Correction of Grade Report must be submitted to Admissions &
Records to correct a grade. This form can be obtained from your department.

Q. The Grade Roster page is not displaying correctly. What should I do?

A. A current browser should be used. If the roster does not display correctly or buttons do not seem to
work, then try another browser. A list of compatible browsers can be found at:
http://www.csun.edu/sites/default/files/browsers.pdf. If you require assistance downloading a browser,
contact the IT Help Center at (818) 677-1400.

Recording Grades Page 8 of 9

01/10/17
Q. Where are grading policies noted for withdrawals?

A. The Undergraduate policy on withdrawals can be found at:

http://www.csun.edu/senate/policies/undergrad_withdrawals.pdf

The Graduate policy on withdrawals can be found at: http://www.csun.edu/catalog/policies/withdrawals-

graduate-policy/

NEED HELP?

Contact the IT Help Center by phone (818-677-1400), online at (http://techsupport.csun.edu) or in person

in (Oviatt Library, First Floor, Learning Commons).

Recording Grades Page 9 of 9

01/10/17