It’s not always easy for students to maintain full awareness of how they’re doing in their classes. The Midterm Grading Pilot project is intended to help shrink that awareness gap.
Grades given will be D (includes C-) and F only. This streamlined approach to grading minimizes extra work for instructors, simplifies interpretation of the grade for students, and keeps the focus on the students most in need of help.
The goal of midterm grading is to prompt students to take appropriate action–whether by developing strategies for success in the remainder of the course, or by withdrawing to protect their GPA. The Midterm Grading Pilot is organized by the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Dean’s Office as part of the Gateways to Success dimension of UMS TRANSFORMS, which is funded by the Harold Alfond Foundation.
To find out more, check a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page below.
FAQs
You probably have some questions about all of this. We’ve assembled FAQs for the different cohorts impacted by this project.
Students
For the fall 2026 and spring 2027 semesters, midterm grades will be given in some sections at UMaine as part of a pilot project. The project will be assessed to determine whether midterm grading helps students improve their academic performance and GPA. Students in these sections who have a class average of C- or below will receive a midterm grade. The project is organized by the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (CLAS) Dean’s Office and funded by the Harold Alfond Foundation through UMS TRANSFORMS.
Midterm grading can provide students with valuable information about their academic standing in a class so that they can take appropriate action. Often, students will be able to improve their grade so that they are en route to a passing grade at the end of the semester. If that is not possible, they may consider withdrawing from the class (see #12 and #13 below).
Black Bear Early Alerts (BBEA) and midterm grades are similar in that both notify students about concerns that they may not be on a path to success in a given course, and both use Navigate for communication. However, midterm grading occurs after early alerts, provides more specific grade information, and includes any student who is not earning a C or higher (BBEA focuses on first-year students).
The courses involved have larger enrollments and are typically prerequisites for other courses, or are required for some other reason. A specific section being selected is not, in any way, a reflection on the students in the class or on the instructor.
In most cases, only a subset of sections of each participating course will be included.
Midterm grade reporting will occur approximately 8 weeks into the semester, before the deadlines for withdrawing from a class with a W. See the student records website for W deadlines.
Your grade will be recorded in MaineStreet as a D (for C-, D+, D, or D-) or an F, and alerts will be sent to you via Navigate as text and/or email. You will be contacted by Madelyn Kohr, a graduate assistant (GA) in the CLAS Dean’s Office, who will offer guidance, support, and connection with resources to improve your academic performance. Your faculty or staff advisor may also contact you.
While a C- is technically a satisfactory grade, it cannot necessarily be used as a prerequisite or to fulfill a requirement. Students who earn a C- may need to retake the course. In addition, if you have a C- at midterm, another low exam or assignment grade could bring your average down to a D or even an F. Recording the C- as a D at midterm communicates to the student that they should try to improve their academic performance, but even more importantly, it connects them with support to do that. You should consult your advisor if you are not sure what minimum grade you need in order to use your course for the intended purpose.
No! Only those students who have an average of C- or below will receive a midterm grade. C- grades will be reported as D’s. There are no – or + grades, only Ds or Fs. In short, the instructor will give a D to any student whose average is C-, D+, D, or D-; and an F to any student with a grade below D-. Students whose midterm average is C or above are not part of the MGP project.
The purpose of midterm grading is to engage students with professors, advisors, and resources to improve academically or make an informed decision to withdraw. Midterm grading can provide you with valuable information about your situation in a class so that you can take appropriate action. Often, you will be able to improve your grade so that you are en route to a passing grade at the end of the semester. If that isn’t possible, you may consider withdrawing from the class to protect your GPA; see 12 and #13 for important information about withdrawing. Students who receive a midterm grade as part of the pilot will receive extra support from Madelyn Kohr, a Graduate Assistant (GA) funded by the project, as well as from advisors and instructors.
- Don’t panic!
- Get in touch with your instructor to make sure you understand why you received a midterm grade and to get their advice on how to improve your situation in the course. If your grade was recorded as a D, remember that it covers all grades from C- to D-. Ask your instructor if you aren’t certain what your actual grade is.
- Check for an email or text from Madelyn Kohr inviting you to connect with her for further support and connection with resources relevant to your course. You can also reach out to Madelyn (madelyn.kohr@maine.edu) at any point.
- Visit UMaine’s Student Success Hub for a comprehensive list of our university’s student support resources.
W, F, and L grades all appear on the transcript. A W indicates that the course has been taken but not completed. It does not affect a student’s GPA, unlike an F or an L. An L indicates that the student left the course without withdrawing from it. It is equivalent to an F (zero grade points) for GPA purposes. Depending on your individual financial aid package, any of these grades may affect your bills and eligibility for future financial aid differently. For guidance on how a W, F, or L grade might matter to you financially, contact the Office of Student Financial Aid.
When a student is not going to be able to achieve a passing grade in a course, they can protect their GPA by withdrawing from the course before the deadline. See the Student Records website for deadlines. A W will not negatively affect the GPA, whereas an F or an L will. Before you decide to withdraw from a course, confer with your instructor to make sure that you have a full understanding of your situation in the class and your options to improve your grade. In addition, check with the Office of Student Financial Aid. Some types of scholarship aid or loans may require a minimum number of credits in a semester.
It depends on the course and the reason you are taking it. For example, ENG 101 fulfills the university’s writing requirement only with a grade of C or higher. If you are taking MAT 126 as a prerequisite for MAT 127, you will need a C in MAT 126. If you are taking MAT 126 just to fulfill the core (general education) requirement for quantitative literacy, any passing grade (D- or higher) will suffice. Some majors that require MAT 126 stipulate a minimum grade, usually a C; other majors accept any passing grade. Other courses may be used in a variety of ways with different applicable minimum grades. So: ask your advisor unless you are 100% sure what minimum grade you need.
You can make an informed decision regarding withdrawal from your class. Check #12 and #13 above. If you decide to withdraw from a required class, make sure you talk with your advisor about how you will complete the requirement.
The grade will remain in your record in MaineStreet. However, it will not appear on your transcript or be calculated into your GPA. Only you and people with access to your MaineStreet record (such as your advisor) will be able to see it.
That means that your midterm average in the course is a C or above. Good for you!
Please email GA Madelyn Kohr (madelyn.kohr@maine.edu). If she doesn’t know the answer, she will find out or connect you with someone who does.
Instructors
The Midterm Grading Pilot (MGP) project is part of the Gateways to Success (GTS) initiative at UMaine. The goal of GTS is to increase student academic success and degree progress in the first and sophomore years by focusing on “Gateway” courses and other large courses with a similar student-success profile. The purpose of the midterm grading pilot project is to assist those students who are struggling with course material and have a class average of C- or below, and to determine whether the results of the pilot would warrant broader implementation. The project began in fall 2025 and will run through spring 2027. It is organized by the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (CLAS) Dean’s Office and funded by the Harold Alfond Foundation through UMS TRANSFORMS.
Gateway courses have issued a D, F, W, or L grade to ≥ 3% of the combined first-year and sophomore students on campus during one of the past three years. Gateway courses are prerequisites for other courses, or are required for some other reason, and are typically large, multi-section courses. In AY2025-26, the MGP involved six of the Gateway courses (CHY 121, CMJ 103, ENG 101, MAT 126, PSY 100, and STS 132) and a couple of follow-on courses (CHY 122, MAT 127). In AY2026-27, the pilot is expanding to include other large classes with DFWL rates of 15% or higher, including several classes outside CLAS.
Instructors in the selected Gateway courses were asked to participate if they were teaching at least two sections in the same modality, so that one section could serve as a control. Your section being selected is not, in any way, a reflection on your teaching methods or your former students’ performance.
For active sections, instructors will record midterm grades on MaineStreet. They will also reach out to the students receiving midterm grades; a template will be provided for instructors to use if they wish. For control sections, instructors will determine midterm grades in the same way, but will report them to the Office of Institutional Research and Assessment (OIRA) to be used in assessing the pilot. They will not communicate midterm grades to the students in the control sections, except to the extent that they would have done so if they were not participating in the MGP. Instructions for reporting grades to OIRA will be sent to participating instructors via email. Please return the grades as instructed, and do not email grade rosters to OIRA.
No! Only those students who have an average of C- or below will receive a midterm grade. C- grades will be reported as D’s. You should not use any – or + grades, only Ds or Fs. In short, you will give a D to any student whose average is C-, D+, D, or D-; and an F to any student whose average is below D-. Students whose midterm average is C or above are not part of the MGP project.
While a C- is technically a satisfactory grade, it cannot necessarily be used as a prerequisite or to fulfill a requirement. Students who earn a C- may need to retake the course. In addition, for students with a Cat midterm, another low exam or assignment grade could bring their average down to a D or even an F. Recording the C- as a D at midterm communicates to the student that they should try to improve their academic performance, but even more importantly, it connects them with support to do that. Students should consult their advisor if they are not sure what minimum grade they need in order to use their course for the intended purpose.
The purpose of midterm grading is to engage students with professors, advisors, and resources to improve academically or make an informed decision to withdraw. Midterm grading can provide students with valuable information about their academic standing in a class so that they can take appropriate action. Often, students will be able to improve their grade so that they are en route to a passing grade at the end of the semester. If that is not possible, they may consider withdrawing from the class to protect their GPA. Students who receive a midterm grade as part of the pilot will receive extra support from Madelyn Kohr, a Graduate Assistant (GA) funded by the project, as well as from advisors.
First, any student in a participating section will receive a midterm grade if their average is C- or below. In contrast, the BBEA program is limited almost entirely to first-year students. Second, the MGP project offers extra support in the form of the GA’s coaching and personalized connection with relevant resources. Finally, midterm grading occurs at mid-semester, a couple of weeks after BBEA ends.
Midterm grade reporting will occur approximately 8 weeks into the semester, before the deadlines for withdrawing from a class with a W. See the Student Records website for W deadlines. You will receive instructions and specific dates via email.
Yes, for active sections only. You should have received an email with an example of language to use in your syllabus and on Brightspace. Here it is:
This semester, our class will be participating in a pilot project to notify students at the midterm of a low grade. Before week 10 of the semester, if you have an average of C- or below, you will receive a midterm grade of D (includes C-, D+, D, and D-) or F in MaineStreet. You will be notified of this grade via Navigate and you will be contacted by someone in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Advising and Academic Services Center to offer guidance and resources. Through this process, students who may be struggling with content will receive assistance to utilize the resources available for academic success, or to make an informed decision to withdraw. Midterm grades are not calculated into students’ GPA. I also urge any student with questions or concerns about grades to contact me directly.
Because students in the control section will not be affected in any way, they should not receive any notification about the pilot.
Communication for this project will be facilitated by the CLAS Dean’s office and Advising and Academic Services Center (AASC). The Dean will send out informational correspondence to instructors and administrators. You will be provided with sample communication that you can use to notify students that they received a midterm grade. GA Madelyn Kohr (madelyn.kohr@maine.edu) will follow up with students to connect them with relevant campus resources and provide additional support. Each college’s advising center will receive a list of students with midterm grades so that they can contact students as they see fit.
When a student is not going to be able to achieve a passing grade in a course, they can protect their GPA by withdrawing from the course before the deadline. See the Student Records website for W deadlines. A W will not negatively affect the GPA, whereas an F or an L will. A student should definitely confer with you before they withdraw to make sure they have a full understanding of their situation. If they are not going to be able to pass the class, you might recommend that they consider withdrawing. It’s also very important for them to check with the Office of Student Financial Aid. Some types of scholarship aid or loans may require a minimum number of credits in a semester.
The grade will remain in the student’s record in MaineStreet. It will not appear on their transcript or be calculated into their GPA.
Please email GA Madelyn Kohr (madelyn.kohr@maine.edu). If she doesn’t know the answer, she will find out or connect you with someone who does.
Advisors
The Midterm Grading Pilot (MGP) project is part of the Gateways to Success (GTS) initiative at UMaine. The goal of GTS is to increase student academic success and degree progress in the first and sophomore years by focusing on “Gateway” courses and other large courses with a similar student-success profile. The purpose of the midterm grading pilot project is to assist those students who are struggling with course material and have a class average of C- or below, and to determine whether the results of the pilot would warrant broader implementation. The project began in fall 2025 and will run through spring 2027. It is organized by the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (CLAS) Dean’s Office and funded by the Harold Alfond Foundation through UMS TRANSFORMS.
Gateway courses have issued a D, F, W, or L grade to ≥ 3% of the combined first-year and sophomore students on campus during one of the past three years. Gateway courses are prerequisites for other courses, or are required for some other reason, and are typically large, multi-section courses. In AY2025-26, the MGP involved six of the Gateway courses (CHY 121, CMJ 103, ENG 101, MAT 126, PSY 100, and STS 132) and a couple of follow-on courses (CHY 122, MAT 127). In AY2026-27, the pilot is expanding to include other large classes with DFWL rates of 15% or higher, including several classes outside CLAS.
Instructors in the selected courses were asked to participate if they were teaching at least two sections in the same modality. A section being selected is not, in any way, a reflection on the instructor’s teaching methods or the students enrolled in the section.
No! Only those students who have an average of C- or below will receive a midterm grade. C- grades will be reported as D’s. There are no – or + grades, only Ds or Fs. In short, the instructor will give a D to any student whose average is C-, D+, D, or D-; and an F to any student with a grade below D-. Students whose midterm average is C or above are not part of the MGP project.
While a C- is technically a satisfactory grade, it cannot necessarily be used as a prerequisite or to fulfill a requirement. Students who earn a C- may need to retake the course. In addition, for students with a Cat midterm, another low exam or assignment grade could bring their average down to a D or even an F. Recording the C- as a D at midterm communicates to the student that they should try to improve their academic performance, but even more importantly, it connects them with support to do that. Students should consult their advisor if they are not sure what minimum grade they need in order to use their course for the intended purpose
The purpose of midterm grading is to engage students with professors, advisors, and resources to improve academically or make an informed decision to withdraw. Midterm grading can provide students with valuable information about their academic standing in a class so that they can take appropriate action. Often, students will be able to improve their grade so that they are en route to a passing grade at the end of the semester. If that is not possible, they may consider withdrawing from the class to protect their GPA. Students who receive a midterm grade as part of the pilot will receive extra support from Madelyn Kohr, a Graduate Assistant (GA) funded by the project, as well as from advisors and instructors.
First, any student in a participating section will receive a midterm grade if their average is C- or below. In contrast, the BBEA program is limited almost entirely to first-year students. Second, the MGP project offers extra support in the form of the GA’s coaching and personalized connection with relevant resources. Finally, midterm grading occurs at mid-semester, a couple of weeks after BBEA ends.
Midterm grade reporting will occur approximately 8 weeks into the semester, before the deadlines for withdrawing from a class with a W. See the Student Records website for W deadlines.
Instructors were asked to provide this summary in their syllabus and on Brightspace:
This semester, our class will be participating in a pilot project to notify students at the midterm of a low grade. Before week 10 of the semester, if you have an average of C- or below, you will receive a midterm grade of D (includes C-, D+, D, and D-) or F in MaineStreet. You will be notified of this grade via Navigate and you will be contacted by someone in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Advising and Academic Services Center to offer guidance and resources. Through this process, students who may be struggling with content will receive assistance to utilize the resources available for academic success, or to make an informed decision to withdraw. Midterm grades are not calculated into students’ GPA. I also urge any student with questions or concerns about grades to contact me directly.
Instructors should also notify students if they receive a midterm grade. Grades will be visible to students in their Student Center in MaineStreet, though they will not receive any automatic notification via MaineStreet. Finally, Madelyn Kohr (madelyn.kohr@maine.edu), the project GA, will reach out via Navigate to every student who receives a midterm grade.
Each college’s advising center will receive a list of its students with midterm grades. The list will include advisor contact information so that the center can notify advisors in each college. In MaineStreet, you will be able to see the midterm grade if you look at your advisee’s Student Center. In Navigate, you will be able to see that Madelyn Kohr, the project GA, contacted the student about their midterm grade; just click on “Conversations.” For students who do not respond to her outreach, Madelyn will create an ad hoc alert in Navigate, which will generate an email to you as the student’s advisor and a member of the student’s success team.
When a student is not going to be able to achieve a passing grade in a course, they can protect their GPA by withdrawing from the course before the deadline. See the Student Records website for W deadlines. A W will not negatively affect the GPA, whereas an F or an L will; students may or may not be aware of this difference, so you could consider discussing it with them. A student should confer with their instructor as well as with you before they withdraw, to make sure they have a full understanding of their situation. If they are not going to be able to earn the grade they need, you might recommend a withdrawal. It’s also very important for them to check with the Office of Student Financial Aid. Some types of scholarship aid and loans may require a minimum number of credits in a semester.
The grade will remain in the student’s record in MaineStreet. It will not appear on their transcript or be calculated into their GPA.
Please email GA Madelyn Kohr (madelyn.kohr@maine.edu). If she doesn’t know the answer, she will find out or connect you with someone who does.
