Midterm Feedback in Courses

The Yale College Course of Study Committee recommends to instructors that students have some sort of feedback on their academic situations by around the middle of the term. The purpose of this recommendation is to allow students to have some measure of their progress in a course and of their mastery of its materials, so that if they are doing badly they can take prompt remedial action. In addition to a final examination or a term paper due at the end of the term, the Course of Study Committee strongly recommends that instructors plan some other graded assignments during the term as well, such as a midterm test, an oral report, or a short paper.