Checking in at the Midterm

Checking In With Your Student at the Midterm

October signals the halfway point of the semester. For your student, this could mean the onset of anxiety regarding midterm tests and papers, excitement for fall break, and any combination of emotions surrounding the posting of midterm grades. Midterm grades are given for all 100 and 200 level classes. Your student should receive feedback in these classes by mid-to-late October.

One important point to keep in mind is that “midterm” can be a misnomer. Although we are at the midpoint of the term, the midterm grade may reflect only one test or small quizzes and papers. In that case, most of the points available to be earned in the class are still up for grabs, so students have a good opportunity to raise their grades. If students receive midterm grades they are concerned with, direct them to their syllabus to see how many points are left in the semester. If they have only completed one midterm test or paper, chances are they have at least one more large-scale project, plus the final exam, which can impact their performance. If your student has concerns, encourage them to speak with their professor or reach out to the Shepard Academic Resource Center. All first-year students with a midterm grade of C- or lower will be contacted by the Shepard Academic Resource Center and invited in for an appointment.

So, how can you know your student’s midterm grades? The first and best way is to ask them and then follow up with intentional questions. Questions could include:

  • Have you checked your midterm grades in Self Serve?
  • What grades are posted?
  • If you’re a first-year student and have a grade of C- or lower, have you taken up the Shepard Academic Resource Center on their offer to meet with you?

Additionally, if your student has added you as a Proxy through Self-Serve for the student information view, you have permission to view their grades. You can access grades online via the Banner Self Serve Proxy system.


If your student is a first-year student, remember that they had four years to study as a high school student. They’ve had only a few weeks to figure out how to study as a college student, so midterm grades may bring some surprises. The key is for students to be aware of their current grades and of the many resources that are available on campus to assist them in having a successful first semester, including the wealth of support and services offered through the Shepard Academic Resource Center.


“We can’t say enough good things about the Shephard Academic Resource Center (SARC). One of our children experiences a learning difference and they were fantastic at helping them navigate the various challenges that college presents. Our student was experiencing a low point, sinking in their studies, and not feeling good about themselves. The SARC was able to meet with them and worked out various approaches which inevitably led to changing their major.  The SARC was also able to present them with some strategies to expand their self-advocacy in light of the fact that they were coming off accommodations at their high school. We tell everyone we know that they can trust their students to the good folks at the Shepard Academic Resource Center at UP. It was also a big factor in subsequently sending our other student to UP.”

– Amy Moreland ’91, UP Grad and Proud UP Mom