A $10 fee penalizing Florida State University professors for each grade they turn in past their deadline is not being considered for UF faculty.
FSU's plan, described at a Wednesday meeting by FSU's Interim Registrar Kim Barber, charges professors for every grade that is not turned in by FSU's deadline, according to a report from The Chronicle of Higher Education.
Most of FSU's faculty members now cooperate with the deadline, the article stated. The bill is sent to each college's dean, who can decide to pay it with college budget or bill the professor.
Barber could not be reached for comment.
Janie Fouke, UF provost, wrote in an e-mail that UF does not penalize professors who turn in grades late.
She wrote that UF's faculty are aware of the problems students could face if grades are not available on time, such as missed deadlines for scholarships or financial aid, and most professors take that responsibility seriously.
Mary Ann Hagler, UF assistant registrar, said UF does not have a widespread problem with professors turning in grades late, but a few tardy turn-ins are dealt with.
"It just seems to me that you're dealing with professionals," Hagler said. "Professors are professional - they ought to be able to get these things done."
Instead of being entered into Grade-A-Gator, an electronic system UF professors have used since spring 2000 to submit final grades to the Office of the Registrar, late grades require paper forms that have to be completed by hand, Hagler said.
UF's grades are always due the first Monday at noon following final exams and graduation ceremonies, Hagler said.
For some professors who have hundreds of 10-plus page papers to grade before the clock strikes noon on "Grades Monday," the deadline could present a challenge to grade each assignment fairly.
Anastasia Ulanowicz, a UF assistant English professor, said she has not had a problem with turning in grades by the deadline. But Ulanowicz admitted that it's difficult to read each student's paper with the amount of justice it deserves.
"Professors are under enormous amount of pressure to turn in those grades on time," she said. "You kind of assume that they're grading in good faith."
She said she would be against a penalty for professors who don't make UF's deadline.
"If ultimately the purpose of grades is to assess student work with the ultimate amount of fairness, then that should be the No. 1 priority over deadlines or bureaucrat concerns," Ulanowicz said.
