The kickoff meeting for the project to integrate the Sakai Gradebook with Online Grade Submission occurred August 3, 2006 with the following agenda:

*Purpose of the changes to SmartSite
*Review the requirements
*Demo the application/Discussion from the group
*Review the milestones on the Project Plan
*Announcement: We will begin weekly meetings on the Gradebook project progress. Who are the participants?
*Adjourn meeting

The basic functionality is a download of grades from Sakai's gradebook to an end-user's desktop. What's downloaded to the desktop is a comma delimited file, much like a spreadsheet. Then the end user uploads the CSV file to Online Grade Submission, at which point the grades will be edited by OGS as usual. Any incorrect grading modes,grade types etc will be flagged by OGS as usual. The end user can then submit grades from OGS per the normal grade submission process which has been in place for the past two years.

Input from the attendees included the following:
*The file that is downloaded from Sakai as the first step in the grading process should have a different name. Attendees agreed that the CourseSite Title as the file name seemed acceptable. This includes the subject code, CRN, section, and termcode.

*Modify Sakai to include all possible grades offered at UCD. This way, the download step should have the correct grade intended. There may still be a difference in grading mode for which a student registered. This difference will be flagged by Online Grade Submission during the upload step.

*Include middle initial in the name for the students in the Sakai download step.

*The Online Grade Submission interface should be simplified per the mock up.

*Provide an opportunity for the faculty to pop open Online Grade Submission with ease while they're in Sakai.

*Review the instruction in Online Grade Submission with the communications specialist.

*It was suggested that we include language in the Online Grade Submission instructions to indicate that submitting grades via SmartSite is for Vet Med faculty only at this time. This was suggested to prevent confusion.

A review of the project plan verified an end date of mid November or possibly earlier for the above described functionality.

The group is looking forward to the next phase for Gradebook in which submitting grades via SmartSite entails fewer step. At this time, our UCD team is constrained by current Gradebook functionality but is working with Berkeley to include Web Services capabilities that will provide a more direct entry of grades into the Online Grade Submission files. The UCD team is in talks with Berkely to set an estimate for a next phase.

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