Web Grading

Blackboard Learn Grade Center (gradebook)

Palm Beach State College highly encourages the use of the Blackboard Grade Center (gradebook) for recording individual student activity scores, calculated and weighted mid-term and final grades, and sharing/providing students access to them continuously throughout the term in a timely manner. Classroom based courses can be supported by ‘Gradebook Only’ (GB) Blackboard support sites and ‘Component’ (WC) support sites. More information about these classroom course support sites can be found at the following link: www.pbsc.edu/elearning/faculty-and-staff (expand the Blackboard Overview accordion/drop-down banner).

Use of Third-Party Online Grading Tools

Palm Beach State College does not support faculty use of third-party Web-based grading tools. Such tools could be a violation of FERPA rules as student records are being stored on a third-party website. In accordance with College policy, faculty must use grade book software tools provided by the College or record grades in a hard copy grade book. Failure to comply may be a violation of college policy.

The general timelines for submission of final courses grades are as follows:

1. The grading window opens one day after the withdrawal period of the class has expired (e.g., last day for withdrawal is 10/24/05; grading window would open 10/25/05).
2. Generally, the primary instructor has five business days to submit the grades once the last class day has passed as recorded on the PantherNet system. The exception to this is for a class that ends less than five days BEFORE the end of the term – in this case, the last day of the term is the last date to submit grades for the class. For example, the last class day is 12/13 and the term ends 12/16 – since this class ends three days before the end of the term, the grades are due at the end of the term 12/16.
3. The last possible time/date to submit grades would be the last day of a term at 6:00 PM.

Classes taught by Non-Palm Beach State College Employees

In the case of classes being taught by non-employees (e.g., contracted instructors, Palm Beach County School District employees, apprenticeship instructors), these instructors are still required to be credentialed through Palm Beach State College’s established process: https://www.pbsc.edu/academicservices/documents/AMSectionB2019-20.pdf.

These instructors should be processed using the guidelines posted at the following link so that they may be credentialed, added to the Palm Beach State College email, and added to the class they will be teaching: https://www.pbsc.edu/academicservices/information-and-reference/faculty-credentialing-tools.aspx

Late Grade Processing

For classes that miss the deadline for grading, late grades will automatically be issued by the PantherNet system. These grades are very detrimental to students in placing them in classes during the next term, for students transferring and in state reporting of student performance.

It is the responsibility of the associate dean to ensure that all late grades are followed up on as soon as possible with each primary instructor. Once a late grade has been issued, the primary instructor must indicate on a printed class roster the actual grade to be issued. This form must be signed by the dean or associate dean before Student Services will update the PantherNet system with the correct grade.

For details on the process of Web grading, please click on the following link: https://www.pbsc.edu/academicservices/information-and-reference/academic-affairs-policies-and-documents.

Enacted July 2005; reviewed July 2010; revised July 2011; revised October 2012; revised 2019