McMaster University registrar outlines causes for delayed grade postings amid student concerns

Darran Fernandez, McMaster University registrar, has addressed student concerns regarding the delays in posting final grades for the Fall 2024 term to Mosaic. Speaking in response to frustrations shared by students on social media, Fernandez outlined the university's grading process and provided context on current delays.

According to Fernandez, McMaster typically requires final grades to be submitted and posted within seven days of the end of the exam period. This process is supported by a structured plan communicated to faculty each term. However, exam schedules that align closely with holidays or breaks can sometimes impact the timeline.

"On the administrative end, we have a date that we convey to faculties and departments. A date that we expect for all grades to be in and for students to be fully graded [and] we follow up with [them] should there be any missing grades," Fernandez explained in an interview with The Silhouette.

On the administrative end, we have a date that we convey to faculties and departments. A date that we expect for all grades to be in and for students to be fully graded [and] we follow up with [them] should there be any missing grades.

Darran Fernandez, University Registrar
McMaster University

Fernandez emphasized that McMaster's grade submission policy aligns with national standards. "On average, it's a five to seven day window provided to instructors," said Fernandez. As chair of the Association of Registrars of the Universities and Colleges of Canada, Fernandez highlighted that McMaster is well-informed of general practices and normally adheres to them.

Acknowledging the challenges delayed grades pose for students, Fernandez outlined the university's efforts to minimize disruptions. For students requiring Fall term grades as prerequisites for Winter 2025 courses, McMaster ensures that students are not immediately removed from their courses due to pending grades.

Fernandez also noted that some Canadian graduate programs accept applications during the first weeks of January and that many institutions are understanding of minor delays in transcript submissions. "We do advise that [students] check their grade record to see that the grade is there before they make [a transcript] request," said Fernandez.

He encouraged students encountering issues to contact their faculty offices for support, describing these offices as the primary resource for resolving grade-related concerns.

Looking ahead, Fernandez expressed confidence in McMaster's ability to maintain its usual consistency in grade processing.

"By way of our practices, I get the impression that people are very diligent in submitting according to the deadline . . . but that still doesn't make these outlier situations go away. There's obviously every intent on our end to make sure that a student can progress seamlessly between courses, in particular when prerequisites are involved."

There's obviously every intent on our end to make sure that a student can progress seamlessly between courses, in particular when prerequisites are involved.

Darran Fernandez, University Registrar
McMaster University

While he described the typical grade submission process and steps to mitigate the impact of delays, Fernandez indicated that he was not fully aware of the specific outliers or why they have taken so long to be resolved.

Fernandez expressed empathy for the stress students may experience due to delayed grades, acknowledging that additional stress on top of challenging courses is unwelcome and expressed confidence that the issues will be rectified.

Students are encouraged to monitor their grades on Mosaic, consult faculty advisors for support and report any concerns to their respective faculty offices.

Students waiting for updates from the university as some final grades for the Fall 2024 semester remain unreleased

As of January 10, 2025, some McMaster University students are expressing frustration as some final grades for the Fall 2024 term have yet to be uploaded to Mosaic, the university's student information system.

The delay, which has extended weeks past the end of the exam period, has created challenges for students relying on these grades for academic planning. Namely, students taking prerequisite courses.

Unresolved grades would affect the ability to enroll in required courses for the Winter 2025 term, such as CHEMENG 2F04, COMPSCI 2AC3 and CHEM 2OB3 which rely on prerequisites like CHEMENG 2D04, COMPSCI 2C03 and CHEM 2OA3, respectively. The course enrolment and changes deadline is January 14, 2025, leaving students limited time to address any issues.

Students applying to graduate programs may also face difficulties, as many programs require official transcripts early in the Winter 2025 term. Some programs, such as McMaster's MA in health and aging, MA in Indigenous studies, and MSc in neuroscience, have fast-approaching transcript submission deadlines that may be affected by these delays.

Alexander Wu, a second-year computer science student, expressed concerns about the delay in grades for COMPSCI 2C03 (Data Structures and Algorithms), a key prerequisite for subsequent courses in his program.

"I knew what I got already because my exam and assignment grades are on Avenue 2 Learn . . . But some people might be close to failing and there's a rumour about a curved grade. Those students don't know if they need to apply for a prerequisite waiver, which adds to their stress" said Wu.

. . . some people might be close to failing and there's a rumor about a curved grade. Those students don't know if they need to apply for a prerequisite waiver, which adds to their stress.

Alexander Wu, Second-Year Computer Science Student
McMaster University

On the main Reddit page for McMaster, one student commented, "I finished one of my courses four weeks ago and still haven't gotten my final grade yet." Another remarked, "Still haven't received grades for 2 of my classes."

According to the webpage for the Office of the Register, McMaster typically makes final grades available to students approximately a week after the exam period ends.

While the university administration has not yet provided a formal explanation for the delays, students are looking for clarity and resolution as key academic deadlines approach.