Office of the Registrar - Michigan State University
Instructor Systems - Frequently Asked Questions
If you are a college or department administrator, visit the Administrator Information page for specific administrator information.
Contact the department offering the course.
How is one identified as an instructor for a specific course?
Each department identifies instructors in the Course Load, Instruction, Funding and Modeling System (CLIFMS). CLIFMS supports the University's internal evaluation and resource allocation, instructional costing and analysis, and state, federal and institutional reporting. The Office of the Registrar uses CLIFMS data to identify instructors of specific course sections. Individual colleges and departments are also using CLIFMS for their own analyses. CLIFMS is administered by the Office of Planning and Budgets. For an instructor to be identified by the system, the following must occur.
Can Teaching Assistants (TA) have access?
Yes, they can be given access. Contact the department offering the course.
Can Office Assistants gain access?
College Security Administrators grant access to other academic personnel as appropriate.
Can Undergraduate Assistants have access?
No.
Various units on campus with a need-to-know about student academic progress have requested this information.
Why do they need this information?
Units will use the information you furnished to assist in assessing an individual student's progress.
Why were these students picked? What is the population?
The students were picked because they met the selection criteria as requested by the units.
Why was this email sent to me?
You have been identified by the department of the course as the instructor or teaching assistant.
This email was sent to me incorrectly. I am not the instructor for this course. What should I do?
Contact the department offering the course.
Do I need to answer all questions? What if I don’t know or am unable to answer a question?
Those students with
in the Current Grade
column require you to select a current grade for the student. If a grade has not yet been
determined for the student, choose NR (No Record). All other fields are optional.
Students with a check box
in the
Current Grade column only require you to check the box if the student is in
danger of receiving a final grade less than a 2.0 in the class. If the student is not
in danger, leave the box blank.
What if I have an APR for a student who has informed me that he/she has already dropped the course?
For those students with in the Current Grade
column, choose NR (No Record) and indicate in the comments box that the student
has dropped your class.
For those students with a check box in the
Current Grade Column no entry is required.
Who do I contact if I entered the wrong information?
Contact the Office of the Registrar at reg@msu.edu.
What do I do if I miss the deadline?
This process happens twice a semester on the 5th and 11th week of the term for selected students, and all forms must be submitted electronically by the deadline.
Will this form and my answers be shared with the student?
The information you provide will be shared on a confidential, need-to-know basis with individual students by the campus office concerned about their academic retention.
A flag of "H" (Honors) will display under the HNR (HONOR) heading for the student.
A student is attending my class, but is not on the class list. What should be done?
The student should be advised to enroll formally in the class by contacting the department offering the course. University Policy does not permit students to attend class unless they are officially enrolled with the appropriate fees paid. A student’s name will appear on your class list when that has been done.
A student dropped my class, but is still appearing on the class list, who should I contact?
You may email the student and suggest he/she contact the Office of the Registrar at reg@msu.edu or call 355-3300.
How often are the class lists updated?
Class lists are updated 5 times a week after each business day.
I'm having problems printing the student images for my class. What should I do?
Problems printing student images may be a result of browser settings, browser limitations and/or printer capability. Browser preferences should be set to allow images to be displayed in order to print. Older browsers (Netscape and Internet Explorer) may not be able print images due to data caching limitations. Upgrading to the latest available browser is the recommended solution. Printers may also unable to print images due to printer memory limitations. Try printing to a group printer that has increased memory capabilities. For additional help, please contact your department technical support.
You must either use the Web Grade Reporting Form or the Grade Upload process in the Instructor System. There will not be paper Grade Reporting Forms.
When is the first and last day that I can enter grades in this system?
See the Grade Reporting Schedule.
Can I submit some grades now and the rest later?
To enter final grades in one of your course sections, click on the appropriate section to display the Grade Reporting Form. You must choose from the grades displayed. You may enter some of the grades and select “Save for later”. Grades are saved for you to finish at a later time, but before the deadline. Final submission of grades cannot be accomplished until a grade is entered for every student. By selecting the “Submit final grades to the Office of the Registrar” the grades will be sent to the Office of the Registrar.
A student has been attending my class, but is not on the Grade Reporting Form. How do I submit the grade?
The student is not eligible to receive a grade. University Policy does not permit a student to attend class unless they are officially enrolled with the appropriate fees paid.
A student has previously dropped my class, but is still on the Grade Reporting Form. I am required to enter a grade. What should it be?
If a student officially dropped the course after the middle of the semester, the course should already be graded. If the student did not officially drop the course and if the student did not complete the requirements for the course, you should record a failing grade of 0.0 or N if a P/N graded course.
A student is attending my section of the course, but is enrolled for another. How do I submit the grade?
The instructor of the enrolled section will submit a 0.0 grade (or N if a P/N graded course) for the student since the student did not attend the section. An Administrative Action Form will have to be completed in order to change the enrollment and submit the correct grade.
Where can I view the grades that have been submitted for my class?
Grades are displayed in the Graded Class List section of the Instructor menu within 2 business days of submission.
I submitted all the grades for my class but the grades are not displaying on the Graded Class List. What happened?
If you clicked on the “Submit Final Grades to the Office of the Registrar” button at the bottom of the page and received an email confirmation from the Office of the Registrar, then allow two business days for the Graded Class List to be updated.
What do I do if I submitted the wrong grade(s)?
An Administrative Action form will need to be submitted with the reason for the request as well as the required approvals of the Instructor, the Department Chairperson, the Associate Dean of the Offering Course, and the Associate Dean of the Student’s College.
What will happen if I do not submit my Grade Reporting Form to the Office of the Registrar by the deadline?
If grades are not turned in on time, students will receive a grade marker of NGR (No Grade Reported) for the course, graduation could be denied, transcripts will be incomplete and reports such as ASUS (Academic Standing of Undergraduate Students) may be inaccurate.
How would I submit my grades if I miss the grade deadline?
When grades are not submitted by the deadline, students will receive “No Grade Reported” (NGR) for the course. Instructors must complete the Late Submission of Grades form in the Administrative Action Form System. After the instructor has completed the online form, it will be reviewed by the Department Chairperson and the Associate Dean of the Course. The Office of the Registrar will only accept late grades via this form.
I'm trying to enter grades for my class, but it says "Temporarily unavailable". What does this mean?
Either another authorized user is entering grades for the class or the Grade Reporting Form for the class was not exited properly.
In the first case, you will be able to enter the Grade Reporting Form for the class once the other user exits. However, if the other authorized user submits the final grades to the Office of the Registrar, the status will change from "Temporarily unavailable" to "Grades have been submitted" and you will not be able to adjust/enter grades.
If the Grade Reporting Form for a class was not exited properly (i.e. not using the "Save for later" button, the "Submit final grades to the Office of the Registrar" button or the browser back button), all users will be locked out of the class for 30 minutes. This is a security precaution.
I'm having problems logging in. What should I do?
If you cannot remember your MSUNet ID and/or password, visit the MSU NetID Site for information and instructions. For other login problems, please read about common login problems.
Is this a secure (encrypted) and private system to input grades?
All information in the Instructor System is secure (encrypted). Only users with the proper authorization can view and/or input data.
Why doesn't part of the page print?
If you can see the data on your screen, please check your printer. Check the printer's toner level, as it may be low. Otherwise, you may need to increase your printer's memory. Contact your department's computer support office for assistance.
The right side of the page cuts off when I print. What do I do?
You need to adjust (shrink) your margins. This can be set in the "Page Setup" area of your web browser.
Technical Pointers
For security purposes, your connection to the system will terminate after 20 minutes if there has been no activity. "Activity" means changing screens/pages within the system. You will be warned, with pop-up boxes, as you get closer and closer to timing out.
To end your session in the Instructor System, be sure to "logout " of the system. You can logout from the main menu. As an added security measure, especially for users working in a public setting, close all browser windows.
Cookie Use: Cookies are simply used to track your access as you move through the Instructor System. If your browser is not set to accept cookies, you must turn them on. Consult the help files for your browser for instructions.
Specific pointers for entering grades online
Beware of the system timeout (20 minutes). If you do not save/submit the grades within 20 minutes, your data will be lost. Keep in mind that if you are warned of a time out and not ready to submit your final grades, you can always "save for later" and come back to the Grade Reporting Form.
It is highly suggested that all other programs on your PC are closed while you are entering grades.
It is also suggested that you enter your grades as soon as possible. If the system becomes too 'crowded' on the last day to enter grades, the system may be slow and you may not be able to enter all of your grades on time.
If you are trying the Grade Upload for the first time, you may want to attempt to upload only one section at a time. The instructions for grade uploading can be found on the Grade Upload page. If you do not understand the grade upload process, you must use the Grade Reporting Form on the menu.
If you are a college or department administrator, visit the Administrator Information page for specific administrator information.
General Access and System Information
The Instructor System provides instructors and academic administrators a secure interface with the Office of the Registrar and other administrative units. The system includes: Academic Progress Reports Forms and Results, Class Lists and Graded Class Lists, Class Lists with Student Images, Email Students in a Class, Grade Reporting Form, Grade Upload, and Grade Submission Summary.
- As an Instructor, how do I get access?
- How is one identified as an Instructor of a specific course?
- Can Teaching Assistants (TA) have access?
- Can Office Assistants gain access?
- Can Undergraduate Assistants have access?
Academic Progress Reports
An Academic Progress Report is a collection of information concerning a student's performance in your class at a specified time during the term.
- Who needs this information?
- Why do they need this information?
- Why were these students picked? What is the population?
- Why was this email sent to me?
- This email was sent to me incorrectly. I am not the instructor for this course. What should I do?
- Do I need to answer all the questions? What if I don’t know or am unable to answer a question?
- What if I have an APR for a student who has informed me that he/she has already dropped the course?
- Who do I contact if I entered the wrong information?
- What do I do if I miss the deadline?
- Will this form and my answers be shared with the student(s)?
Class Lists and Graded Class Lists, Class Lists with Student Images, Email Students in a Class
You can view and download class lists for authorized course sections for the current semester and graded class lists for past semesters. An email function is available to contact all or a specific subset of students in your authorized course sections. Another option allows you to view or download class lists with student images.
- How can I tell which student is a member of the Honors College?
- A student is attending my class, but is not on the class list. What should be done?
- A student dropped my class, but is still appearing on the class list, who should I contact?
- How often are the class lists updated?
- I'm having problems printing the student images for my class. What should I do?
Grade Reporting Form
For a detailed explanation of the University’s grading systems, consult the General Procedures and Regulations section of Academic Programs and scroll down to Grading Systems.
- Do I have to use this system? Can I submit grades another way?
- When is the first and last day that I can enter grades in this system?
- Can I submit some grades now and the rest later?
- A student has been attending my class, but is not on the Grade Reporting Form. How do I submit the grade?
- A student has previously dropped my class, but is still on the Grade Reporting Form. I am required to enter a grade. What should it be?
- A student is attending my section of the course, but is enrolled for another. How do I submit the grade?
- Where can I view the grades that have been submitted for my class?
- I submitted all the grades for my class but the grades are not displaying on the Graded Class List. What happened?
- What do I do if I submitted the wrong grade(s)?
- What will happen if I do not submit my Grade Reporting Form to the Office of the Registrar by the deadline?
- How would I submit my grades if I miss the grade deadline?
- I'm trying to enter grades for my class, but it says "Temporarily unavailable". What does this mean?
Grade Upload
Grade Upload is a means of securely transferring a basic text file containing grades to the Instructor System. Grade Upload should only be used by persons who are comfortable with creating, exporting, and sorting text files.
Technical Questions and Pointers
- What are the minimum browser requirements to use the Instructor Systems? Why won't the page load?
- I'm having problems logging in. What should I do?
- Is this a secure (encrypted) and private system to input grades?
- Why doesn't part of the page print?
- The right side of the page cuts off when I print. What do I do?
- Technical Pointers
- Specific pointers for entering grades online
General Access and System Information
As an instructor, how do I get access?Contact the department offering the course.
How is one identified as an instructor for a specific course?
Each department identifies instructors in the Course Load, Instruction, Funding and Modeling System (CLIFMS). CLIFMS supports the University's internal evaluation and resource allocation, instructional costing and analysis, and state, federal and institutional reporting. The Office of the Registrar uses CLIFMS data to identify instructors of specific course sections. Individual colleges and departments are also using CLIFMS for their own analyses. CLIFMS is administered by the Office of Planning and Budgets. For an instructor to be identified by the system, the following must occur.
- The assignment of the instructor to the class must be entered in CLIFMS.
- The instructor must have a valid faculty or TA appointment.
- The instructor must have a valid MSUNet Id and password.
Can Teaching Assistants (TA) have access?
Yes, they can be given access. Contact the department offering the course.
Can Office Assistants gain access?
College Security Administrators grant access to other academic personnel as appropriate.
Can Undergraduate Assistants have access?
No.
Academic Progress Reports
Who needs this information?Various units on campus with a need-to-know about student academic progress have requested this information.
Why do they need this information?
Units will use the information you furnished to assist in assessing an individual student's progress.
Why were these students picked? What is the population?
The students were picked because they met the selection criteria as requested by the units.
Why was this email sent to me?
You have been identified by the department of the course as the instructor or teaching assistant.
This email was sent to me incorrectly. I am not the instructor for this course. What should I do?
Contact the department offering the course.
Do I need to answer all questions? What if I don’t know or am unable to answer a question?
Those students with
in the Current Grade
column require you to select a current grade for the student. If a grade has not yet been
determined for the student, choose NR (No Record). All other fields are optional.
Students with a check box
in the
Current Grade column only require you to check the box if the student is in
danger of receiving a final grade less than a 2.0 in the class. If the student is not
in danger, leave the box blank.
What if I have an APR for a student who has informed me that he/she has already dropped the course?
For those students with
in the Current Grade
column, choose NR (No Record) and indicate in the comments box that the student
has dropped your class.
For those students with a check box
in the
Current Grade Column no entry is required.
Who do I contact if I entered the wrong information?
Contact the Office of the Registrar at reg@msu.edu.
What do I do if I miss the deadline?
This process happens twice a semester on the 5th and 11th week of the term for selected students, and all forms must be submitted electronically by the deadline.
Will this form and my answers be shared with the student?
The information you provide will be shared on a confidential, need-to-know basis with individual students by the campus office concerned about their academic retention.
Class Lists and Graded Class Lists, Class Lists with Student Images, Email Students in a Class
How can I tell which student is a member of the Honors College?A flag of "H" (Honors) will display under the HNR (HONOR) heading for the student.
A student is attending my class, but is not on the class list. What should be done?
The student should be advised to enroll formally in the class by contacting the department offering the course. University Policy does not permit students to attend class unless they are officially enrolled with the appropriate fees paid. A student’s name will appear on your class list when that has been done.
A student dropped my class, but is still appearing on the class list, who should I contact?
You may email the student and suggest he/she contact the Office of the Registrar at reg@msu.edu or call 355-3300.
How often are the class lists updated?
Class lists are updated 5 times a week after each business day.
I'm having problems printing the student images for my class. What should I do?
Problems printing student images may be a result of browser settings, browser limitations and/or printer capability. Browser preferences should be set to allow images to be displayed in order to print. Older browsers (Netscape and Internet Explorer) may not be able print images due to data caching limitations. Upgrading to the latest available browser is the recommended solution. Printers may also unable to print images due to printer memory limitations. Try printing to a group printer that has increased memory capabilities. For additional help, please contact your department technical support.
Grade Reporting Form
Do I have to use this system? Can I submit grades another way?You must either use the Web Grade Reporting Form or the Grade Upload process in the Instructor System. There will not be paper Grade Reporting Forms.
When is the first and last day that I can enter grades in this system?
See the Grade Reporting Schedule.
Can I submit some grades now and the rest later?
To enter final grades in one of your course sections, click on the appropriate section to display the Grade Reporting Form. You must choose from the grades displayed. You may enter some of the grades and select “Save for later”. Grades are saved for you to finish at a later time, but before the deadline. Final submission of grades cannot be accomplished until a grade is entered for every student. By selecting the “Submit final grades to the Office of the Registrar” the grades will be sent to the Office of the Registrar.
A student has been attending my class, but is not on the Grade Reporting Form. How do I submit the grade?
The student is not eligible to receive a grade. University Policy does not permit a student to attend class unless they are officially enrolled with the appropriate fees paid.
A student has previously dropped my class, but is still on the Grade Reporting Form. I am required to enter a grade. What should it be?
If a student officially dropped the course after the middle of the semester, the course should already be graded. If the student did not officially drop the course and if the student did not complete the requirements for the course, you should record a failing grade of 0.0 or N if a P/N graded course.
A student is attending my section of the course, but is enrolled for another. How do I submit the grade?
The instructor of the enrolled section will submit a 0.0 grade (or N if a P/N graded course) for the student since the student did not attend the section. An Administrative Action Form will have to be completed in order to change the enrollment and submit the correct grade.
Where can I view the grades that have been submitted for my class?
Grades are displayed in the Graded Class List section of the Instructor menu within 2 business days of submission.
I submitted all the grades for my class but the grades are not displaying on the Graded Class List. What happened?
If you clicked on the “Submit Final Grades to the Office of the Registrar” button at the bottom of the page and received an email confirmation from the Office of the Registrar, then allow two business days for the Graded Class List to be updated.
What do I do if I submitted the wrong grade(s)?
An Administrative Action form will need to be submitted with the reason for the request as well as the required approvals of the Instructor, the Department Chairperson, the Associate Dean of the Offering Course, and the Associate Dean of the Student’s College.
What will happen if I do not submit my Grade Reporting Form to the Office of the Registrar by the deadline?
If grades are not turned in on time, students will receive a grade marker of NGR (No Grade Reported) for the course, graduation could be denied, transcripts will be incomplete and reports such as ASUS (Academic Standing of Undergraduate Students) may be inaccurate.
How would I submit my grades if I miss the grade deadline?
When grades are not submitted by the deadline, students will receive “No Grade Reported” (NGR) for the course. Instructors must complete the Late Submission of Grades form in the Administrative Action Form System. After the instructor has completed the online form, it will be reviewed by the Department Chairperson and the Associate Dean of the Course. The Office of the Registrar will only accept late grades via this form.
I'm trying to enter grades for my class, but it says "Temporarily unavailable". What does this mean?
Either another authorized user is entering grades for the class or the Grade Reporting Form for the class was not exited properly.
In the first case, you will be able to enter the Grade Reporting Form for the class once the other user exits. However, if the other authorized user submits the final grades to the Office of the Registrar, the status will change from "Temporarily unavailable" to "Grades have been submitted" and you will not be able to adjust/enter grades.
If the Grade Reporting Form for a class was not exited properly (i.e. not using the "Save for later" button, the "Submit final grades to the Office of the Registrar" button or the browser back button), all users will be locked out of the class for 30 minutes. This is a security precaution.
Grade Upload
File Specifications
Files are accepted in CSV-Simple, Fixed Text, and CSV-Class List formats.
View file specifications and examples.
Please take care to note the file layout and sort orders as listed in the
file specifications. Files not containing the correct file layout and/or
not sorted in the correct order will result in an unsuccessful upload.
Please
note: The first row of the upload file must be field names as specified. Only
sections belonging to the same course may be uploaded in the same file. Distinct
courses must be uploaded separately.
Administrator use of grade upload
If you are an administrator loading grades for an instructor, you may not be able to
"Submit final grades to the Office of the Registrar", due to missing information. Instead, choose "Save for later". The
instructor will be able to view the saved grades and supply any missing information by entering through the
Grade Reporting Form on the main menu. Once the instructor has supplied all missing information, the instructor will
be able to "Submit final grades to the Office of the Registrar".
Technical Questions
What are the minimum browser requirements to use the Instructor Systems? Why won't the page load?
Due to the use of Secure Sockets Layer (SSL), for encryption and security, and
Cookies, which track your access as you move through the Instructor System, the
following are the minimum browser requirements:
- Internet Explorer 6.0 and above
- Netscape Navigator 7.1 and above
- Mozilla 1.4 and above
- Firefox 1.0 and above
- 7.1 and above
- Mozilla 1.4 and above
- Firefox 1.0 and above
- NOTE: Microsoft no longer supports Internet Explorer for Macintosh. The user of Internet Explorer on a Macintosh should be avoided.
I'm having problems logging in. What should I do?
If you cannot remember your MSUNet ID and/or password, visit the MSU NetID Site for information and instructions. For other login problems, please read about common login problems.
Is this a secure (encrypted) and private system to input grades?
All information in the Instructor System is secure (encrypted). Only users with the proper authorization can view and/or input data.
Why doesn't part of the page print?
If you can see the data on your screen, please check your printer. Check the printer's toner level, as it may be low. Otherwise, you may need to increase your printer's memory. Contact your department's computer support office for assistance.
The right side of the page cuts off when I print. What do I do?
You need to adjust (shrink) your margins. This can be set in the "Page Setup" area of your web browser.
Technical Pointers
For security purposes, your connection to the system will terminate after 20 minutes if there has been no activity. "Activity" means changing screens/pages within the system. You will be warned, with pop-up boxes, as you get closer and closer to timing out.
To end your session in the Instructor System, be sure to "logout " of the system. You can logout from the main menu. As an added security measure, especially for users working in a public setting, close all browser windows.
Cookie Use: Cookies are simply used to track your access as you move through the Instructor System. If your browser is not set to accept cookies, you must turn them on. Consult the help files for your browser for instructions.
Specific pointers for entering grades online
Beware of the system timeout (20 minutes). If you do not save/submit the grades within 20 minutes, your data will be lost. Keep in mind that if you are warned of a time out and not ready to submit your final grades, you can always "save for later" and come back to the Grade Reporting Form.
It is highly suggested that all other programs on your PC are closed while you are entering grades.
It is also suggested that you enter your grades as soon as possible. If the system becomes too 'crowded' on the last day to enter grades, the system may be slow and you may not be able to enter all of your grades on time.
If you are trying the Grade Upload for the first time, you may want to attempt to upload only one section at a time. The instructions for grade uploading can be found on the Grade Upload page. If you do not understand the grade upload process, you must use the Grade Reporting Form on the menu.