Faculty FAQs
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This page exists to address some of the most common questions that the Office of the Registrar receives from faculty members.
Campus Emergencies:
The Office of Public Safety and Emergency Management has published information for faculty relating to incident planning, response, and recovery.
Academic Scheduling:
- How do I request a change to my course, such as day/time, enrollment cap, or assigned room?
- What is a cross-listed cap?
- Why can't I move my class to another room that is empty at the same time my class meets?
- Why can't I access my course in Blackboard?
- How can I reserve a room for a make-up class or review session?
- How can I reserve a room for final exams?
- What is the Reading Day policy?
- What is a "Designated Monday"?
- What if a professor needs ADA accommodations considered when classrooms are assigned?
Course Enrollment:
- Is there a limit to how many students I can sign into my class?
- Why can I not see one of the courses I am teaching in GWeb?
- How do I view my class list in GWeb?
Grading:
- When are grades due to the Office of the Registrar?
- How can a student switch from a graded option to pass/fail or audit?
- How do I submit my final grades online?
- There is no drop-down option to submit grades online, what's wrong?
- How do I request paper grade sheets?
- How do I change a student's final grade after submission?
Recommendations:
Academic Scheduling:
How do I request a change to my course, such as day/time, enrollment cap, or assigned room?
All requests should be submitted through your department chair to the Dean's Office scheduling liaison. If approved, the Dean's Office will submit the request to the Academic Scheduling Office.
If two or more courses are cross-listed, this means that they are taught by the same professor and meet in the same classroom at the same time. Each individual course may have its own cap but the courses combined have one overall cap that can be reached through any combination of the individual caps. Just because one of the cross-listed courses is closed does not mean that the other is closed.
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Why can't I move my class to another room that is empty at the same time my class meets?
All classroom changes must be made in Banner through your Dean's Office scheduling liaison. A classroom may be left empty for a number of reasons including scheduled maintenance or reservations that are planned to take place in that room one or more times during the semester. Just because the room is open one day does not mean it will be open the next. You may request to switch to another room when you contact your Dean's Office, and the Academic Scheduling Office will be happy to check for any future conflicts. Please note that unapproved room changes can result in disruptions to instructional time, as the classroom may be later assigned to another course or event later in the term.
Why can't I access my course in Blackboard?
Only a professor who is listed in Banner as an instructor for a given course can have access to that course as a faculty member in Blackboard. If you are teaching a course but your department still has that course listed as "Staff" in Banner and the schedule of classes, your Dean's Office liaison needs to inform Academic Scheduling that you are teaching the course.
How can I reserve a room for a make-up class or review session?
You can reserve a classroom through our online reservation request form. Please note, this form requires you to create an account with us using your @gwu.edu e-mail address.
How can I reserve a room for final exams?
By the third week of each fall and spring semester, the Academic Scheduling Office makes available the undergraduate final exam schedule. The exam schedule is carefully designed to eliminate any time conflicts for students, who may have as many as six or seven exams scheduled during the exam period. Through the Dean's Office, each academic department is asked to provide feedback on which classes will not be offering a final exam, which classes will require additional time for the exam, and which classes request a larger classroom for the exam. The Academic Scheduling Office will schedule an exam for all undergraduate courses unless informed of specific classes that will not have exams.
Graduate courses do not automatically have final exams scheduled. Once undergraduate exams are finalized and assigned rooms, instructors of graduate courses have the opportunity to request a room for a final exam using the Graduate Exam Request form. These are distributed to all departments once the undergraduate exam schedule is finalized.
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What is the Reading Day policy?
All designated Reading Days are intended for use by students to prepare for final exams. On Reading Days, faculty are not permitted to hold make-up classes or offer exams. If an instructor wishes to request the use of a classroom during the Reading Days, (s)he must state in writing that the activity to be held: 1) will be a voluntary review session, and 2) no new material will be covered.
What is a "Designated Monday"?
A Designated Monday is when the university follows a Monday class schedule on any day of the week other than Monday. This typically happens at the beginning or end of the semester to make up for Monday classes that were missed due to university holidays. On these days, only Monday classes meet.
What if a professor needs ADA accommodations considered when classrooms are assigned?
The Academic Scheduling Office will make every possible effort to meet all ADA accommodation requests approved by the university's Equal Employment Opportunity Office. Individual faculty members should work with the EEO Office to receive approval for requested accommodations. Once approved, the faculty member will need to submit the Special Classroom Request form through their Dean's Office. Please understand that room assignments are made at least one full semester prior to the first day of classes. Timely submission of the Special Classroom Request form is required to make the best possible room assignment.
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Course Enrollment:
Is there a limit to how many students I can sign into my class?
Maximum enrollment numbers for each course are established by the academic department offering the course. These numbers are used in the determination of the appropriate classroom to be assigned to each course. The Office of the Registrar cannot add students into a class beyond the room capacity. It is the responsibility of the instructor to first confirm the total number of students enrolled in a course by reviewing the class list available through GWeb. The instructor must then confirm that the official seating capacity of the assigned classroom exceeds the number of enrolled students for courses taught at either the Foggy Bottom or Mount Vernon campuses before signing a Registration Transaction Form to enroll another student.
If you cannot see one of your courses in GWeb, you have not been assigned to the course as an instructor. Please see your Department Chair to have the assignment made.
How do I view my class list in GWeb?
Instructions are available on the Banner web site for faculty to view both summary and detailed class lists.
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When are grades due to the Office of the Registrar?
Grades should be submitted within five working days following the final exam, or following the last scheduled class meeting if no exam is given. Should a faculty member need more time to grade a significant amount of student work, he or she may contact the Office of the Registrar to discuss an extended deadline.
How can a student switch from a graded option to pass/fail or audit?
The student must complete a Registration Transaction Form to designate the pass/fail or audit option.
How do I submit my final grades online?
Please refer to our Faculty Grade Entry instructions for step-by-step instructions and definitions.
There is no drop-down option to submit grades online, what's wrong?
Online grading is made available approximately one week prior to the end of the semester. Only the primary instructor for the course may submit grades online. If your course is being taught by more than one faculty member, you may not be listed as the primary instructor. Contact your department to coordinate the submission of grades from multiple instructors for different students within a course.
How do I request paper grade sheets?
We strongly urge you to use the GWeb system to submit your grades online. This allows for faster grade processing and also offers you the freedom to submit grades from anywhere with internet access. Should you still wish to use a paper form, send your request to regweb@gwu.edu, including the course CRN and your telephone number. The Office of the Registrar will contact you when they are ready. Please be sure to bring your faculty ID when picking up grade sheets.
How do I change a student's final grade after submission?
In order to change a final grade that has already been submitted, a faculty member must obtain a Grade Change Form from the Office of the Registrar, which must be signed by the student's Dean before processing.
Recommendations:
What information am I allowed to include in a student's recommendation?
Information contained in education records may not be disclosed without the student's written consent. Please have any students for whom you are writing recommendations complete the Student Consent for Faculty/Staff Recommendation Form if you plan to include academic information such as individual grades, specific course performance, cumulative GPA, test scores, academic honors, or current academic status.
Statements made from your own personal observations or knowledge of the student do not require a written release.
