As we know, undergraduates particularly see grades as an important communication strategy used by instructors. Likewise, many students are familiar with Canvas, the content management system within ICON. 

High schools typically use the Canvas default grading scheme for all courses, and students entering UI sometimes expect similar consistent grading schemes with the same generous demarcations for letter grades.

• CLAS faculty are not required to use the default grade settings in ICON.
• Please review your ICON gradebook settings, making sure these reflect your syllabus statement on grades.

If you have inadvertently chosen the default Canvas grading scheme for this semester and if it does not match the standards and grading system as stated in your syllabus, update either Canvas or your syllabus.

• If a disparity between your syllabus and the ICON gradebook exists, you must use the most generous of the two systems so students are not hurt by this error.
• Discuss your grading system with students to be sure that they understand the reason for the change and that it benefits students.
• Be sure to enter grades as soon as possible so students understand their current class standing.

More information about the grading scheme in Canvas and how to change it is available on these pages; each also has helpful videos.

• What are grading schemes?
• What are Grades and the Gradebook?

As with any tool, there are limitations to choices made to a Canvas grading-scheme, so thank you for your patience and for your willingness to use this tool to better help our students.