GradingIn-class and take-home exams are graded by the professor on a "blind" basis, which means that the students indicate their examination identification number on the exams but not their names. This helps promote objective and non-biased evaluation of the students' work. In advocacy and paper courses, grades are returned by the professor according to students' names. The professor determines how the students' grades for exams and/or papers, and for the course generally, are determined. Thus, for example, you should decide the extent to which class participation, a mid-term paper, and the course final examination each will count towards the students' overall course grades. Students should be generally apprised at the outset of the semester as to how each component will be weighted. You will be provided with a Grade Roster by thru FacNet, which will identify your class' students by exam number. Graduating students will be identified on your Grade Roster as "3D" or "4E;" L.L.M. students will listed as "LLM" and highlighted in color. When you submit the grades for your class at the conclusion of the semester, you must advise the Registrar whether computation and weighting is appropriate. For example, if you have decided that class participation and class attendance comprises 20 percent of the students' grades, and the take-home final examination comprises 80 percent of the students' grades, you should so state in a cover letter to the Registrar, specifying the class participation and class attendance scores for each student by name, and the final examination scores for each student by student number. Alternatively, you may wish to score class participation by indicating to the Registrar how students' scores should be adjusted for their final grades. For example, you could submit a list of the students' names with indications as to whether their grades should be raised or lowered and to what degree. A grade of "incomplete," noted as "INC" on the student's transcript, indicates that the student has not completed the course's requirements. A grade of "incomplete" must have the approval of the Dean or the Assistant Dean for Student Affairs. The Law School follows a grading curve that is mandatory for first year students. The curve applies to the final course grades (i.e. after adjustments for class attendance and participation are taken into account. 10 to 20 percent of the class may receive a grade of A- to A+ (with no more than 10 percent receiving a grade of A and with A+ grades reserved for exceptional circumstances; and no more than an aggregate 10 percent may receive grades of A and A+); 40 to 50 percent may receive grades of B+ to A+; the ratio of B- to B grades must be one sixth to one half; and 3 to 10 percent must receive a grade of C- to C+. There is no specified standard of the percentage of students who may receive grades of D and F (click on form below to download). The grading curve is not mandatory for upper-class courses, but the school has a policy that the curve is followed absent an exceptional reason for doing so. The policy is intended to promote uniformity and a consistent approach from which prospective employers may draw reasonable inferences about students’ relative performance. As well, such an approach discourages students from selecting courses based on the grades or who choose courses with more rigorous grading. In addition to submitting your course grades, you will furnish the Registrar with a completed Grading Report, which specifies the percentage of the class that received each grade.
LLM Curve for Examination-Only and Drafting Courses, please click here for more information. Fordham Law FacNET (https://facnet.lawnet.fordham.edu/bg/) is our online grading application which will allow you to submit grades electronically to the Registrar’s Office from the convenience of your office or home computer. This system will assist you to achieve curve compliance for both JD and LLM students, and allow you to export your grades to excel so that you may perform your own analysis. You are strongly encouraged to use the online grading system. If for some reason you are unable to use the system, you may submit your grades by fax or email to the Registrar. More information will be distributed to the faculty on the online grading application in advance of each exam period. All students enrolled in the School of Law are governed by the applicable provisions of both the University Code of Conduct and the Code of Academic Responsibility adopted by the faculty. Students suspected of violating the Code are subject to an investigation; if a finding of probable cause is entered, a preliminary hearing is held by the Dean. If the student does not accept the finding of probable cause and proposed sanctions, he is entitled to a trial on the merits, including a right to counsel. Faculty occasionally refer cases of cheating and plagiarism. Plagiarism is defined as the taking of written work of another, passing it off as one's own without appropriate attribution, and reaping from its use any benefit from an academic institution. If in the course of reviewing a student's written work, you suspect that the student may have engaged in plagiarism, you may find it helpful to search for repeated, extensive, and non-attributed phraseology from another by searching LEXIS/NEXIS, WESTLAW, or other databases. Because graduate students have special requirements relating to their required thesis, if you believe that work submitted to you is also being used for another course by the graduate student or as part of his graduate thesis, please discuss this with the student, and if appropriate, contact the Office of Student Affairs.
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