13. Closing the semester
Turning the gradebooks into transcript grades, semester GPA (IP) and cumulative GPA (IPK).
Closing
flowchart TD G[All classes graded] --> L[Grades submitted and locked] L --> C[Close Semester] C --> T[Transcript entries, IP and IPK] T --> S[Generate Semester Status] S --> N[Next semester]:::done C -.->|a class corrected later| U[Unlock the class] U -.-> C
At the end of the term, after the grading deadline, the admin picks the year and term on Semester › Course Offerings and presses Close Semester. It runs in the background and shows its progress. For every offering of the term that isn’t closed yet:
- Each student’s final score is taken from their class gradebook. For a course with both lecture and lab, the two are combined by their share of the course in the syllabus (for example lecture 70%, lab 30%). For the thesis course, a passed defense’s score is used instead (Thesis).
- The score becomes a letter and grade point using the campus grade scale.
- One transcript entry is written per student and course: score, letter, grade point, credits and term.
- The offering and all its classes are locked.
Closing is a deliberate admin action, not automatic. Make sure every class has finished grading (Reports › Grade Completion) first. A class corrected later must be unlocked and the semester closed again for it.
Retakes
If a student has taken the course before, the retake grade rule (Academic rules) decides which attempt counts toward the GPA — the highest grade, the latest attempt, or the retake capped at a chosen grade. The other attempt stays on the transcript as history but no longer counts.
IP and IPK
- IP (semester GPA) — the credit-weighted average of that semester’s grades. It never changes later.
- IPK (cumulative GPA) — the credit-weighted average of every grade that counts. A successful retake replaces the earlier attempt here.
Grades converted from approved activities (internship, exchange…) are written by the activity’s conversion and left untouched by closing the semester.
What students see
- My University › Gradebook — the transcript semester by semester: score, grade, whether each grade counts toward the IPK, each semester’s IP and the IPK. Grades converted from an activity carry a Converted badge with the activity’s name.
- My University › Courses › Past semesters — the same grades per semester alongside the courses taken.
When something goes wrong
| Problem | Why | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| A student’s grade is missing on the transcript | The class wasn’t graded when the semester was closed | Unlock the class, finish grading, then close the semester again for it |
| The thesis course grade isn’t the defense score | The defense wasn’t passed (or recorded) before closing | Record the defense result, then close again for that course |
| A retake shows the old grade | The retake grade rule decided which attempt counts | Expected — check the rule in Academic Settings (highest, latest or capped) |