“A grade is potentially a feedback tool,” he said. “If you get it as soon as possible, it has the most weight and you can reflect on it as meaningfully as possible.”

But Registrar Michael P. Burke said that the proposed deadline change may be difficult for professors.

“The most challenging burden in setting an earlier deadline falls on the faculty who would have less time to grade,” he said.

Burke said that the administration is working hard to address student concerns about timely grades.

“I understand the desire for students to have grades as early as possible and we’ll do what we can to meet that expectation,” he said.

Harris declined to comment on the proposed deadline change because it has not yet been presented to the Faculty.

—Julie M. Zauzmer contributed to the reporting of this story.

—Staff writer Rebecca D. Robbins can be reached at rrobbins@college.harvard.edu.