FAQ: Reporting Grades, NA Placeholders and Last Dates of Attendance

Contact ITServicedesk@montgomerycollege.edu , or call the IT Service Desk at 240-567-7222 (x77222 when calling from within the College).

This usually indicates a technical problem. Contact ITServicedesk@montgomerycollege.edu or call the IT Service Desk at 240-567-7222 (x77222 when calling from within the College).

You may submit your grades on a paper copy of your class roster. Enter the grades for each student, then sign and date the class roster. You may email it or submit it to the Office of Records and Registration on your campus. Contact ITServicedesk@montgomerycollege.edu for login issues related to MyMC.

For Banner users, ZFAGRAD is no longer an option for submitting grades, as this form was not able to support the last date of attendance reporting requirement. All original grade entries must be submitted through MyMC.

No. “W” and “AU” each indicate a registration status.  Only the Office of Records and Registration may enter a “W.”  The best practice is to print and review your class roster at least three times: on the first day of class, at the end of the first week of classes, and at the end of the third week of classes.  It is also encouraged to check your class roster after drops for nonpayment have been processed.

Please also check for students registered as Audit on the first day of your course, as some students register for audit by mistake. If a student registers for audit by mistake, sign and date a Credit Registration/Schedule Change form (PDF, ) and refer student to the Office of Records and Registration by the 20% meeting date of your course.

As an instructor you will receive an e-mail reminder about  grade submission deadlines. This e-mail notice will provide the deadline(s) for submitting grades, procedural information, and instructions. NOTE: After the deadline, the Office of Records and Registration submits reports showing outstanding missing grades to department chairs and deans. Deadlines for midterm and final grade reporting are also posted on the Important Dates and Deadlines page.

Do not enter and save a grade until it is FINAL.  In this instance, it is better to enter no grade than to enter an incomplete, unless there is a bona fide emergency situation. Grades are rolled to a student’s academic history beginning the first day that grades are due each term.

After grades have been rolled, you may no longer change a grade and must follow grade change procedures. (See: How Do I Submit a Grade Change?)

There are two possibilities. The course may not be assigned to you in the Banner system, or, if the course was team taught (i.e. more than one instructor taught the course), you may not be assigned as the primary instructor in the Banner system. Only the assigned primary instructor may enter grades for the course. Check with your administrative aide or department chair in both of these situations. If neither situation applies, still check with the administrative aide in your department first and then check with your campus registrar. NOTE: Grades are not entered into Banner for the laboratory component of most lab courses.

From your MC e-mail address only, select the appropriate address below and send an e-mail including this information to the Office of Records and Registration: the student’s name, M-number, term (ex. 202030), CRN, course, new grade and old grade.

rockvillegrades@montgomerycollege.edu 
tpssgrades@montgomerycollege.edu 
germantowngrades@montgomerycollege.edu 

Never include the student's name or M-number in the subject line of the e-mail.     

To find out if grades have been rolled to a student’s academic history, return to the roster. If an "N" appears in the "Rolled" column or if the column is blank, grades may still be changed. If however, there is a “Y” in that column, grades may not be changed, as a "Y" indicates that the grade has rolled.  Another way of determining if a grade has rolled is to look at the Final Grade list in MyMC.  If they can no longer enter a grade because the grade box has disappeared, and only the grade given is displayed, then the grades have rolled.

Starting the first day of scheduled final exams, grades are rolled to students' academic history records. All grades saved to the academic history record become a part of the academic history and may only be changed manually by the Office of Records and Registration. NOTE: The grade change(s) will appear only on Student Academic History. The change(s) will not be reflected on either INB (Banner desktop) or on SSB (online Banner) class rosters.   

Rosters only show the original grades that were submitted for a class. All grades changed by the Office of Records and Registration are made directly to a student’s academic history record. The changes will not appear on your roster. To verify that a grade has been changed, log-on to Banner non-Web, access the ZHATERM form, enter the M-number for the student and then click on the Academic History tab. Students are able to see the updated grade through MyMC.

When you report an “F” (credit) or “U” (developmental) as a final grade, you will be required to record the student’s last date of attendance. If the student never attended your class, you should report an "NA" midterm grade prior to the 20% meeting date of your course. (See: What Do I Do if a Student Never Attends Class?)

The use of an "I" grade is limited to students who have been participating in and attending classes for the majority of the semester and experience bona fide emergency situations that occur at the end of a semester which prevent students from completing all course requirements in a timely fashion. Given the emergency nature of the situation, either the instructor or the student in consultation with the instructor may initiate the request for an "I" grade. It is the responsibility of the instructor to specify the exact work to be completed to meet course requirements. (Faculty Handbook, page 54).

Instructors should report an "I" grade on their roster and submit the incomplete form by the final grade deadline. This form should specify outstanding coursework that needs to be completed, and the date by which it should be completed.  The expiration date should be before the fourth week of the next fall or spring semester, at which point the “I” grade will be converted to an “F” if no other grade change is provided.  The student should provide their signature (if available).  The instructor and Dean or Department Chair/Designee should sign this form.  Then, the form is returned to the Office of Records and Registration for processing and filing.

Faculty can also assign an “IC” grade on their final grade roster by the final grade deadline and in consultation with the student in cases where COVID-19 has interrupted the student’s work. The student must complete the work by the end of the spring 2021 semester. The same incomplete form is used for “I” and “IC” grades.

Incomplete forms should be submitted to the Office of Records and Registration from your MC e-mail address only, and with the subject line “Incomplete Grade Notification.” Send your request to the appropriate address below:

rockvillegrades@montgomerycollege.edu 
tpssgrades@montgomerycollege.edu 
germantowngrades@montgomerycollege.edu 

Do not include the student's name or M-number in the subject line of the e-mail.

If an extension to complete coursework is needed past the original deadline given, faculty can email the appropriate address above with the student’s name, M number, term, course number, CRN, and expiration date.  Or, complete the form again, check the box that states “Check if this is an extension to a previously request I grade,” and submit to Records and Registration.

Once the student has completed their outstanding coursework by the specified deadline, you can then email the appropriate address above requesting a grade change with all applicable information.

Grades may have already rolled to the student’s academic history. The system cannot distinguish between grades entered for graduates and those entered for non-graduates. You must submit a grade change. (See: How to Submit a Grade Change)

Students can view their grades online the day after the grades have been entered provided they have been entered by 7:00 p.m. Grades entered after that time will be available the second day.

Grade reports are not mailed to students’ homes. They are available via MyMC. Please advise your students that they may access their grades by logging onto MyMC and clicking on “My Grades” under Student Quick Links. Grades should never be disclosed via phone or to a non-MC e-mail address.

Students may request an Official Transcript through MyMC if they need to provide an official grade report to a transfer institution or employer. For more information, direct students to montgomerycollege.edu/transcripts.

The federal definition of attendance for the purpose of Title IV funding is as follows:

Attendance ― academic attendance or ―attendance at an academically-related activity — must be:

• Physically attending class
• Submitting academic assignment
• Taking exam, interactive tutorial or computer-based instruction
• Attending school assigned study group
• Participating in online discussions about academic matters and/or initiating contact with faculty to ask questions about subject matter

Attendance does NOT include—

• Logging into an online course without active participation
• Academic counseling

Student’s certification of attendance without school documentation is not acceptable.

Reporting students that never attended ("NA") and stopped attending (last date of attendance):

• Guarantees federal financial aid compliance, which will allow Montgomery College to continue to receive Title IV funding to assist students
• Ensures accurate, accountable reporting to the State and County for funding purposes
• Ensures accuracy of official class rosters through a systemic procedure, which will reduce confusion and potential mistakes in midterm and final grade reporting and lessen the amount of faculty and staff time involved in back-and-forth communication dedicated to the clean-up of individual rosters
• Eliminates the potential for adverse findings of auditors in College’s enrollment reporting
• Reduces total of outstanding receivables for the College each term by classes not paid and financial aid funds disbursed and then reversed due to non-attendance or all "F"s
• Decreases the quantity of students who are sent to collections each term which correspondingly decreases time spent on related tasks for students, records and registration staff, financial aid and business services staff
• Reduces academic appeal requests for retroactive withdrawals
• Reduces refund appeal requests 

If a student fails to attend class prior to 20% of class meetings, you should enter an "NA" [Never Attended] placeholder on your midterm grading roster, which is available the first day your class meets.  The "NA" midterm grade must be recorded by 20% of class meetings and is limited to the midterm grade roster only.  The 20% meeting date is dependent upon your specific CRN.  You can check this date, along with additional drop dates, by logging into MyMC, then go to > Faculty Tools > Enter Grades > Faculty Schedule w/Drop Dates > Select Term > click Submit > Last Day to Drop screen will show.

Likewise, entering an "NA" after 20% of class meetings does not meet the standard set for federal reporting requirements.  Note: This placeholder is only for students who have never showed up, or never attended.  Students who come the first day, never to return, should not be assigned this grade.  If they showed up the first day and fail to drop, or you do not request for them to be dropped due to stopped attendance, they should be assigned an "F" or "U" final grade with a last date of attendance recorded.

You will notice that once you report an "NA" for a student who has never attended your course, the student will be dropped from your class roster within two (2) business days.

If a student has stopped attending your class, you may officially drop him/her by emailing your Campus Registrar with the student’s name, M number, semester and year, course number, CRN, and last date of attendance. The request must be made to the Office of Records and Registration by the 73% meeting date of the course. If you do not do this, you will be expected to enter an "F" or "U" for the student’s final grade along with a last date of attendance.

If a student is reported as stopped attending and is dropped after the 20% mark but before the 73% mark, a W will be recorded. Records and Registration will not drop a student if the request to drop due to stopped attendance is after the 73% mark. If it is after 73% of class meetings, you will need to assign the student an "F" or "U" as the final grade and also include the last date of attendance. If you do not drop the student for non-attendance if they have never attended, you will be expected to input an "F" or "U" on the final class roster and provide the class start date as the last date of attendance.

Excessive absence is defined as one more absence than the number of classes per week that it meets (with the number of absences to be prorated for accelerated sessions).

If the student has excessive absences, you can request the student be dropped from your class by sending an email from your Montgomery College email address to your Campus Registrar that includes the student’s information, course information, and student’s last date of attendance.  To drop the student, the request must be made by the 73% meeting date of your class.

In MyMC, go to the faculty tab and click on "Faculty Schedule w/ Drop Dates." You will see a table that is in the same format that students see. If the student drops the course by the 6% meeting date, they will receive a full refund. If the student drops the class by the 20% meeting date, they will receive no grade and no refund. If the student drops the course by the 73% meeting date, they will receive a W grade and no refund.

Last dates of attendance should be entered for all students who attended your class at least once AND who are earning an "F" or "U" for a final grade. 

Last dates of attendance are reported through the Banner Web Class roster in MyMC. Using online Banner, record the grade of "F" or a “U” in the Grade column and then record the date the student attended in the Last Attend Date column. For online courses this would be the date the last assignment was received.

You must use the format MM/DD/YYYY. 

Last date of attendance should not:

• Include hyphens or dashes
• Be entered prior to reporting final grades
• Be used in the midterm grade field
• Be reported for any grade other than "U" or "F"   

Only students who receive an “F” for a credit course or a “U” for a developmental course.

Once grades have been rolled to academic history, you cannot make changes.  From your MC e-mail address only, select the appropriate address below and send an e-mail including this information to the Office of Records and Registration: the student’s name, M-number, term (ex. 202030), CRN, course, and last date of attendance.  Be sure to note in the subject line "Last date of attendance."

rockvillegrades@montgomerycollege.edu 
tpssgrades@montgomerycollege.edu 
germantowngrades@montgomerycollege.edu 

Never include the student's name or M-number in the subject line of the e-mail.

Record the last date of the class or the last date he/she attended, which ever applies.

No. Reporting a last date of attendance should only be done during final grade reporting. It is inappropriate to include a last date of attendance in the mid-term grading screen, and has led to system error for faculty members in prior terms. You are strongly advised to only report last date of attendance for students in the final grade roster and ONLY for student earning "F" or "U" grades. If a student is not getting an “F” or “U”, update the grade and REMOVE the last date of attendance from the grade sheet.

Text was entered into the last date of attendance field. Remove the text and enter only the last date of attendance in this format: DD/MM/YYYY. Remember to “Submit” after the changes have been made.

A final grade must be entered when using the last date of attendance. Each last date of attendance must have a grade of “F” or “U”.

The campus registrars will remind faculty to enter the NA midterm grade placeholders. Please read these important e-mails.

Faculty are not required to notify students; as it stands, there is no automatic notification in place to alert students that they have been dropped for never attending.

The assumption is that these students will not come to class, and therefore, mention on the syllabus is not necessary. However, attendance policies are encouraged to be included on the instructor’s syllabus.