Technology

Assign and Approve Final Grades in Faculty Center

Instructors may submit final grades in the Faculty Center. Grades must first be assigned, then subsequently approved by the instructor.

Assign and Approve Final Grades

  • Update grades in Canvas

  1. Select Canvas button from My.IllinoisState.edu
  2. Select a Course
  3. Select the Course Navigation icon and then Grades
  4. Make sure grades are updated for all students 

  • Navigate to grade rosters

  1. Navigate to grade rosters with one of these methods:
    • If in a Canvas course, select Submit Grades from the Course Navigation icon
    • Login to My.IllinoisState.edu via Central Login and select the Academics tab and then Submit Grades
      • For more information about Central Login at ISU, please refer to: Central Login
  2. Log in to Faculty Center via Central Login.
    1. For more information about Central Login at ISU, please refer to: Central Login
  3. Select the grade roster icon next to the class you wish to gradeScreenshot depicting the Grade Roster icon
  4. From the Grade Roster Type drop down, select Final.
  5. Ensure the roster status is in the Not Reviewed status.

Save Often

If you are inactive in the Faculty Center for 20 minutes, you will receive a pop-up message asking if you want to continue your session. After 30 minutes of inactivity, Faculty Center will log you out.

  • Import grades from Canvas

  1. Select the Import Grades from Canvas button
  2. Review the imported grades for accuracy before submitting
  3. If not all grades populate, select the Grade Import Error Log button to resolve errors.
    • Review the article Preparing your Canvas Gradebook for Campus Solutions for error log help.
    • You can update your grades in Canvas and reimport your grades to Campus Solutions until you are ready to approve.
    • Campus Solutions will override a grade that is already there.

  • Assign grades to students individually or change a students grade

  1. Ensure the roster status is in Not Reviewed status
  2. In the student's row, select the grade from the drop-down menu, under the Roster Grade column
  3. Select Save

  • Assign the same grade to multiple students


  1. Select the check mark box next to the students who you want to assign the same grade
  2. Select the grade from the drop-down menu under the full list of students
  3. Click <-Add this grade to selected students
  4. Select Save

  • Assign the same grade to all students


  1. Select the Select All button below the full list of students
  2. Select the grade from the drop-down menu under the full list of students
  3. Click <-Add this grade to selected students
  4. Select Save

  • Assign missing or incomplete grades

Missing (M) and Incomplete (I) grades are mentioned in Non-Passing Grades. Below is more information on these two grade types and in what cases they could be assigned. 

  • I (Incomplete) - Should be assigned when the instructor is allowing additional time for the student to complete the remaining course work. The Incomplete Grade Agreement Form should be submitted by the instructor providing a deadline date and a default grade. 
  • M (Missing) - Should be assigned when the student has completed the course, but the instructor needs additional time to determine the student's grade. M is a temporary grade; the instructor must submit the Grade Change Form providing the student's final grade. 



  • Report a non-passing grade

Non-passing grades include F, I, M, NC, NP, WX, U, and in some circumstances, D. (The D grade is included since a D is a non-passing grade for graduate students, as well as, for undergraduate students enrolled in or later switched to a Pass/No Pass class.) If you assign a D, F, I, M, NC, or U in your roster, please follow the steps below. To avoid losing data, remember to Save often during submission of grades and attendance data:

  1. If a student earned a non-passing grade, the Student Engagement / Attendance column will appear with the following options:
    • Engaged / attended throughout: select this option if the student is currently attending or engaging in the class.
    • Never engaged / attended: select this option if the student never attended or engaged in any way in the class.
    • Stopped engaging / attending: select this option if the student started attending or engaging in the class then stopped
  2. If a student stopped engaging or attending class, we ask about their Last Date of Academic Engagement** which is prepopulated from Canvas* and is assessed by the last time a student:
    • Attended a synchronous class, lecture, recitation, or a field or laboratory activity, physically or online, where there is an opportunity for interaction between the instructor and students
    • Submitted an academic assignment
    • Took an assessment or an exam
    • Participated in an interactive tutorial, webinar, or other interactive computer-assisted instruction
    • Participated in a study group, group project, or an online discussion
    • Interacted with an instructor about academic matters
  3. Save

*If importing from Canvas, the Last Date of Academic Engagement field will attempt to auto-fill with the last date a student participated in Canvas for the course. If the student never participated in the Canvas course, the field will be blank. The Canvas last participation date captures the following student activities: submitting an assignment, posting a new comment to a discussion, and starting or submitting a quiz.

**The Last Date of Academic Engagement should be within the start and end dates of the course.

Notes

Enter free-form comments regarding a student. Multiple notes per student can be added if additional space is needed. If you run out of space, use the + button to continue your note. This information will be visible to the academic advisor and student success staff. Notes should not be used as a means to communicate with the Office of the University Registrar and do not replace the need for applicable forms to be filed (i.e. grade change, incomplete agreements, etc.).  Please contact OUR at (309) 438-2188 if you have any questions or encounter problems with grade submission.


  • Approve and submit grades

  1. To approve grades for your selected class, click the drop-down menu next to Approval Status, and select one of the following values:

    • Ready for Review: if you have finished entering grades, and need the instructor of record to review and approve the grades.

    • Approved: if you are the instructor of record, and are ready to approve the grades.

  2. Click Save. You will receive a message once your changes have successfully saved.

Blank Grades and Required Fields

The system will not allow grade rosters to be approved with blank grades or blank required fields. If receiving an error message while approving, switch the roster status to Not Reviewed to make edits.

Use the 'M' (Missing) grade value for those students to which you cannot accurately assign a grade. Grade change forms will need to be submitted for any M grades which are not corrected by the grade submission deadline.

  • Make an edit after approving

Edits can be made after the roster has been approved:

  1. Sign back in as directed in Navigate to Grade Rosters (steps 1 and 2).   
  2. Click on the green checkmark to return to the grade roster.
  3. Set roster status to Not Reviewed.
  4. Make edits as desired.
  5. Set roster to Approved.
  6. Save.

  • Student view of grades in My.IllinoisState.edu

Students will be able to view the following in My: 

  • Final Grade

Students will not be able to view:

  • Engagement/Attendance
  • Last date of activity
  • Estimated # of Absences
  • Academic concern
  • Notes 

How to Get Help

For questions about the grade submission process, you may contact the Office of the University Registrar at (309) 438-2188, or by email at Registrar@IllinoisState.edu. Walk-in office hours are Monday – Friday 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM.

For technical assistance, you may contact the Technology Support Center at (309) 438-4357, by submitting a help ticket at Help.IllinoisState.edu/Get-IT-Help.

Off Campus Authentication

If you are off campus, Campus Solutions will require MFA.

Federal Regulations on Non-Passing Grades

While the University does not require that instructors take attendance in their courses, the U.S. Department of Education does require (34 CFR 668.22) the Financial Aid Office Administrators to determine if a student who receives financial aid and fails to earn or is currently failing to earn a passing grade in a course has actually attended, is attending, and/or completed the course, or if they withdrew from a course without providing the university official notification.  

The Financial Aid Administrators are also required to adjust financial aid at any point during the semester when a student stops attending and/or engaging in an individual course while also earning a failing grade.

In addition, for students who officially withdraw we are required to document that they also began attending the course(s) from which they withdrew to determine the type and amount of financial aid they may be eligible to retain. Because a student could be a financial aid applicant at any point during the academic year, we must collect this information for all students so that financial aid eligibility can be accurately determined.