Workshopping a Model for Developing a Grade Alignment Policy Across (Multi-section) Courses

How can multi-section courses balance coordination with instructor autonomy while ensuring students experience fairness and consistency? This interactive session introduces a new Model of Grade Alignment Policy Development, designed to help units and instructors navigate the complexities of grade alignment with intention and flexibility. Developed from research on student and instructor perspectives, the model considers key factors such as policy design, implementation supports, authenticity, ethics, inclusion, and broader institutional norms. Participants will engage in critical discussions, explore potential unintended consequences of grade alignment policies, and workshop the model as a practical tool for scaffolding decision-making. Through small-group activities, we will unpack our assumptions and questions about grade alignment efforts, evaluate one model’s usefulness, and broadly discuss course coordination as an ongoing, collaborative process.

• By the end of this session, participants will be able to:Critically discuss grade alignment policies from multiple perspectives.
• Evaluate the effectiveness of a model for supporting grade alignment policy development.
• Consider course coordination as an ongoing cycle of collaboration.

“This session will serve simultaneously as a discussion-based workshop for participants, as well as a focus group for research purposes. I have received BREB approval to treat notes and artifacts (like small group flipcharts) we create together as data to inform the development of this model as an act of research. All participants in this workshop will be asked to provide informed consent. The data will be anonymous—no identifiers will be recorded. Please see the consent form (linked here) for more details. If you’d like the handouts without participating in the workshop as research, please email me: Catherine Rawn, cdrawn@psych.ubc.ca”

Facilitator:

• Catherine Rawn, Professor of Teaching and the Associate Head, Undergraduate Affairs in the Department of Psychology, UBCV

Note to Non-UBC Participants:

In order to register for this program, non-UBC faculty, staff, and students will need to create a UBC Basic CWL. To do this, please go to the CWL page and scroll down to the accordion tab that reads “Basic”. Follow the instructions there for creating and activating a Basic CWL, then please return to this page to register for the program.