Canvas: Creating a Penn State-Compatible Grading Scheme

Grading in LionPATH requires a specific set of letter grades to comply with the Penn State Faculty Senate Policy 47-00 on Grading (specifically 47-40 Grading System and 47-60: Definition of Grades):

A, A-, B+, B, B-, C+, C, D, or F

For LionPATH to successfully pull grades from Canvas, you must first create a grading scheme in Canvas with these same letter grades, then you must activate that grading scheme prior to using LionPATH to pull grades from Canvas. If you use the default grading scheme in Canvas or any other letters (e.g., C-) in a scheme, LionPATH will not successfully pull grades from your course.

Create a Penn State-Compatible Grading Scheme

Follow these steps to create a Penn State-compatible Grading Scheme in Canvas.

1. Open your Canvas Course.
2. Select Settings in the Course Navigation Menu.
3. Select the Course Details tab.
   
4. Select the Enable course grading scheme checkbox.
   
   
   Figure 1: Select the Enable course grading scheme option.
   
   
5. Select the new grading scheme link.
   
   
   Figure 2: The New Grading Scheme link.
   
   
6. Name your grading scheme as desired (e.g., Penn State-compatible Grading Scheme).
   
   
   Figure 3: Enter a name for your grading scheme.
   
   
7. Modify this scheme so the following letters are in the scheme: A, A-, B+, B, B-, C+, C, D, F. Delete the C-, D+, and D- by clicking the trash button to the far right of the appropriate letter.
   
   
   Figure 4: Deleting a letter grade from your scheme.
   
   
8. Your grading scheme should appear similar to the one below at this point:
   
   
   Figure 5: Sample grading scheme.
   
   
9. Change the minimum percent value for each letter grade as desired. For example, you may wish to change the minimum for an A from the default 94% to 92%.
10. Click the Save button.

Activate a Penn State-Compatible Grading Scheme

1. Click Settings in the Course Navigation Menu.
2. Click the Course Details tab.
3. Scroll to the Grading Scheme section and select the scheme you want to use from the drop-down menu.
   
   
   Figure 6: The Grading Scheme dropdown menu.
   
   
4. Scroll to the bottom of the page and click the Update Course Details button.

Your Penn State-compatible grading scheme is now in effect for the course.

Other Grades

LionPATH cannot pull in any of the following grades from Canvas. They must be entered within LionPATH itself.

• SA (Satisfactory)
• UN (Unsatisfactory)
• NCP (Non-credit Pass)
• NCF (Non-credit Fail)
• W (Withdraw)
• LD (Late Drop)
• R (Research)
• DF (Deferred Grade)
• AUS (Audited, Regular/Satisfactory Attendance)
• AUU (Audited, Unsatisfactory Attendance)
• CRX (Credit by Examination)

NOTE: Now that you have created a Penn State compatible grading scheme in Canvas, please see Canvas: Prepare Final Grades for LionPATH.