Important: new policy on grades for non-engaged students
Dear VCU faculty:
We would like to announce an interim policy beginning spring 2024 to maintain federal financial aid compliance for our students. The interim policy is applicable to undergraduate, graduate and professional students.
The interim policy was approved by the President’s Cabinet with the intent of becoming a permanent policy. Your assistance is required starting the spring semester. The interim policy is in alignment with protocols from the VCU Integrity and Compliance Office.
VCU must be able to demonstrate to the Department of Education if a student has not begun attendance while enrolled in VCU classes. VCU faculty may use academic engagement activities to determine class attendance as defined in 34 CFR 600.2.
Beginning spring 2024, students who are not demonstrating academic engagement within class activities must be assigned a newly created UF grade notation at the ‘midpoint’ class calendar date by faculty as part of the midterm grading process in eServices.
Students who are demonstrating academic engagement within class activities are excluded from being reported within this policy. Only students with no academic engagement within class activities must be reported with the new UF grade notation. Since the vast majority of students are able to demonstrate some form of academic engagement within class activities, few students overall are expected to be reported.
Please familiarize yourself with the interim VCU policy. Once you have read the document, Bernard Hamm, university registrar and director, or Norm Bedford, associate vice president for student financial services, can be contacted if you have questions.
The VCU Integrity and Compliance Office will provide the campus with an opportunity for public comment during spring semester to make this policy permanent. I encourage you to submit policy feedback when public comment becomes available. Thank you for helping VCU maintain federal financial aid compliance within this process.
Sincerely,
Hernan Bucheli, Ed.D.
Interim vice president for strategic enrollment management and student success
Andrew T. Arroyo, Ed.D.
Interim senior vice provost for academic affairs