How does Ellucian Banner calculate GPA? - sql

Question

I am working with Ellucian Banner, and I am having a hard time calculating the GPA. (Banner is an ERP used at academic institutions.)
The GPA can be found in many of the views that are built into Banner, including AS_STUDENT_DATA. However, these views are very slow and we have a few reports that are run several times where only the GPA is needed. I am trying to extract the GPA, but the values that I am getting don't all match what is in the views.
Please note that I am able to calculate a GPA using one of many sources on the web, however my values don't perfectly match values in Banner views. (In other words, I am not asking how to calculate a general GPA, which is easy and well documented, but asking how this is done in Banner.)
I have this, which gives values that are close but not all correct:
SELECT PIDM,
round(sum(TOTAL_POINTS)/sum(TOTAL_CREDITS), 2) AS GPA,
round(TOTAL_POINTS, 2) AS TOTAL_POINTS, TOTAL_CREDITS, LEVL_CODE
FROM (
SELECT
SFRSTCR.SFRSTCR_PIDM AS PIDM,
sum(SHRGRDE.SHRGRDE_QUALITY_POINTS * SFRSTCR.SFRSTCR_CREDIT_HR) AS TOTAL_POINTS,
sum(SFRSTCR.SFRSTCR_CREDIT_HR) AS TOTAL_CREDITS,
SHRGRDE_LEVL_CODE AS LEVL_CODE
FROM
INNER JOIN SHRGRDE ON SFRSTCR.SFRSTCR_GRDE_CODE = SHRGRDE.SHRGRDE_CODE AND SHRGRDE.SHRGRDE_GPA_IND = 'Y'
WHERE SHRGRDE_GPA_IND = 'Y'
AND SFRSTCR.SFRSTCR_RSTS_CODE IN ('RE', 'RW', 'RR')
GROUP BY SFRSTCR.SFRSTCR_PIDM, SHRGRDE_LEVL_CODE -- , SFRSTCR.SFRSTCR_CRN, SFRSTCR_TERM_CODE
) GT
WHERE GT.TOTAL_CREDITS > 0 -- Prevent x/0 errors
GROUP BY PIDM, TOTAL_POINTS, TOTAL_CREDITS, LEVL_CODE
Has anyone tackled this problem? Any idea how Banner does it?

Answer 1

you can use the built-in function for banner. its under a package called SHKSELS. the function is called F_SHRLGPA_VALUE. the owner of SHKSELS is BANINST1. the inputs for the function are pidm, credit level, indicator type, GPA type, type of request, campus type, term.
here is a break down and then an example use.
input 1 - pidm --self explanatory
input 2 - credit level value -- options are found by using
select * from stvlevl;
input 3 - indicator type -- Options are GPA (calculated GPA) or QP (Quality Points)
input 4 - GPA Type -- Options are found using
select distinct shrlgpa_gpa_type_ind from shrlgpa;
input 5 - type of request -- Options are V (value of input 3) or HA (Hours Attempted) or HE (Hours Earned) or HP (Hours Passed) or H (Hours toward GPA)
input 6 - campus type -- options are found by using
select * from stvcamp;
input 7 - term -- self explanatory
Most inputs can be NULL if you dont want to be that specific.
EXAMPLE:
SELECT SPRIDEN_ID as IS_NUMBER,
SHKSELS.F_SHRLGPA_VALUE(SPRIDEN_PIDM,'01','GPA','I','V',NULL,NULL) as GPA
FROM SPRIDEN
WHERE SPRIDEN_CHANGE_IND IS NULL;
Hope that helps.

Answer 2

Over release banner8..x if the real or final GPA already was calculated, then it was got the final grades from Academic History tables ( SHRTCKN, SHRTCKG, SHRTCKL) then you can get the GPA from SHRTGPA and SHRLGPA tables (calculated at term and level respectly)
If you need to recalculates the GPA then you will use the
shkcgpa.p_term_gpa with pidm and term by parameters. Therefore both GPA are recalculated.

Answer 3

Here's a guess. Hopefully it's closer.
SELECT
PIDM, LEVL_CODE,
round(sum(TOTAL_POINTS) / sum(TOTAL_CREDITS), 2) AS GPA,
sum(TOTAL_POINTS) AS TOTAL_POINTS, sum(TOTAL_CREDITS) AS TOTAL_CREDITS
FROM (
SELECT
SFRSTCR.SFRSTCR_PIDM AS PIDM, SHRGRDE_LEVL_CODE AS LEVL_CODE,
sum(SHRGRDE.SHRGRDE_QUALITY_POINTS * SFRSTCR.SFRSTCR_CREDIT_HR) AS TOTAL_POINTS,
sum(SFRSTCR.SFRSTCR_CREDIT_HR) AS TOTAL_CREDITS
FROM
SFRSTCR INNER JOIN SHRGRDE ON SFRSTCR.SFRSTCR_GRDE_CODE = SHRGRDE.SHRGRDE_CODE
WHERE
SHRGRDE_GPA_IND = 'Y' AND SFRSTCR.SFRSTCR_RSTS_CODE IN ('RE', 'RW', 'RR')
GROUP BY
SFRSTCR.SFRSTCR_PIDM, SHRGRDE_LEVL_CODE
) GT
WHERE TOTAL_CREDITS > 0 -- Prevent x/0 errors
GROUP BY PIDM, LEVL_CODE