Faculty Guide
Overview: This guide provides essential information for faculty on Student Services Online (SSOL), First Class Attendance Policy, Columbia Business School's grading procedures, course management and managing waitlists, and academic policies.
Student Services Online (SSOL) for Faculty
Accessing SSOL
- Login: ssol.columbia.edu (use faculty UNI and password)
- Navigate to 'Faculty Services' for course management tools
Managing Course Enrollments
- View courses, meeting times, and locations under 'My Courses.'
- Access student information on specific course pages
Waitlist Management
- Manage waitlists through course detail pages
- Self-managed for mandatory first-class attendance courses; otherwise, automatic
First Class Attendance Policy
Policy Overview
- Mandatory attendance for all students (enrolled, waitlisted, or hoping to add)
Course Management Implications
- Option to select mandatory first-class attendance during scheduling
- Manual student addition based on attendance and waitlist position for mandatory attendance courses
Grading Policies and Procedures
Web Grading & Support
- Submit all grades via SSOL's Web Grading System
- Faculty may assign TAs or other administrative staff to enter grades as proxies but each professor must make the final submission. Once approved, the grades are posted overnight for students to view.
- If you encounter issues, please use the following help link: Manage my UNI or contact CUIT at (212) 854-1919. View the full Columbia University Guide to Web Gradings.
Grading System
Your class roster may comprise both Business School and Non-Business School (Cross-Registrant) students. Therefore, we provide both grading systems (and their corresponding equivalencies) below to help determine final grades.
Grading Curves (applicable to MBA/EMBA courses only)
The curve may be applied to each section individually or across all sections of the course that you teach. Additionally, if your course includes Non-Business School (Cross-Registrant) students, they must be included in the required grading curve distributions.
Core Courses (applicable to MBA/EMBA courses only, not applicable to MS and PhD courses)
The required grade distribution for MBA/EMBA Core Courses is as follows:
- H: 25-30%
- HP: 55-65%
- P1 or below (LP, F): 10-15%
+/- grades may be applied to grades with the following restrictions:
- No H+ grades may be given in core courses.
- The number of pluses (+) must be equal to or less than the number of minuses (–) across all grades in the course.
For core courses please do not post grades in Canvas. Grades will not be released to students until they meet the specified curve.
Elective Courses (applicable to MBA/EMBA courses only, not applicable to MS and PhD courses)
The required grade distribution for MBA/EMBA Elective Courses is as follows:
- H+ AND A+: No more than 2%*
- H+/H/H- AND A+/A/A-: <= 50%
+/- grades may be applied to grades without restrictions.
*Note: For courses with less than 50 students, you may assign no more than one H+ OR A+ grade.
The recommended grade distribution for Elective Courses is as follows:
- P/LP/F AND C/D: >= 5%
+/- grades may be applied to grades without restrictions.
As a reminder, courses that do not adhere to the required guidelines will not be accepted. Establishing clear guidelines for all types of student work will assist in increasing grading variation. The Samberg Teaching Resources page shares some examples that may be useful for increasing grading variation.
Grade Changes
Instructors are responsible for initiating grade changes via Student Services Online (SSOL). To change a grade, click on the "Change Grades" button from the Web Grading menu option.
Write-In Grades
If you do not see a particular student listed on the grade roster, the web grading system provides a space to Write-In the student's name, credentials, and grade. The Write-In portion of the Grade Roster is kept as an electronic record for the instructor, department and Registrar to view in the event that the student becomes properly registered. The Write-In grade does not automatically feed onto the student transcript but must be manually entered by the Registrar once the student is registered.
Exchange students not on your grade roster should NOT be included in your grade distribution. The grading scheme for non-CBS students is A/B/C/D/F.
Independent Study Grading
- Submit grades for Independent Study courses via Student Services Online (SSOL)
- The grading scale is the same as with other electives (though not subject to a curve and H+ is not permitted for an MBA or EMBA independent study course).
Grade Changes and Write-in Grades
- Use "Change Grades" in SSOL for grade changes
- Use the Write-In option for students not on the roster as their grades are reported to and recorded at their home schools.
Policy on Incomplete Coursework (for MBA students)
In cases of incapacitating illness, serious family emergency, or in circumstances of comparable gravity, instructors can grant an "incomplete" (IN) grade until a student's coursework is completed. The instructor and student must agree on a date by which the coursework will be completed. The incomplete must be resolved by 1) the degree conferral date or 2) six months from the date the incomplete grade was earned, whichever is earlier. If a final grade is not submitted by this date, the entry of IN will revert to F (Failure).
MBA students must submit an application for an incomplete to the Office of Student Affairs prior to receiving an incomplete.
Course Evaluations and Teaching Resources
Please visit Arthur J. Samberg Institute for Teaching Excellence for useful resources for instructors.
Grade Suppression for Missing Course Evaluations
Students who do not complete end-of-course feedback for a course will have their course grade withheld until one week after the grading deadline.
The window for providing feedback typically lasts 5 days, beginning on the day of the final class session. Students receive daily reminders by email and in Canvas regarding any incomplete feedback form. Once a form is closed, it will not be opened again for individual students. The Samberg Institute (email: [email protected]) oversees the course evaluation process.