Grading
system
Courses are graded as follows:
A—excellent
B—good
C—acceptable
D—poor but passing
F—failure
W—withdrawn
WF—withdrawn failing
INC—incomplete
I—incomplete calculated as F
IP—in progress
S—satisfactory
U—unsatisfactory
NC—no credit
A
notification of "NGR" – no grade
reported – is used until a final grade is
available. If no grade is reported by March
1, Aug. 1, and Nov. 1 for the fall, spring,
and summer semesters, respectively, then the
notation of "NGR" is removed and
replaced with a grade of "WF."
A
student who wishes to attend a class without
receiving credit for it may register to audit
that course.
All
grades, including "W" and "WF,"
are noted and remain as part of the official
record.
S/U
grading
Certain courses (including student teaching,
some internships and remedial courses) are
graded "S/U" only and are so indicated
in the course descriptions. "S"
means satisfactory and indicates course credit
was earned. "U" means unsatisfactory
and indicates no credit. Courses taken under
credit by exam and portfolio assessment are
considered "S/U" and do not count
as letter-graded hours.
A
student may also elect an "S/U"
grading option in no more than 16 credit hours
in a baccalaureate degree program (beyond
those hours graded "S/U" only, as
described in the previous paragraph). Any
"S/U" hours beyond this limit will
not count toward graduation. The grading option
must be declared no later than fourteen calendar
days after the beginning of classes for a
semester. Many departments do not accept courses
taken under the "S/U" option for
credit in major or minor requirements; students
should consult departmental officials.
Students
should carefully consider the following before
electing the S/U grade option:
- Within
the S/U option, work at the level of "C"
or better is needed to pass (that is, earn
an "S"); within the letter grade
option, by contrast, a "D" is
a passing grade;
- Instructors
do not know if a student has elected the
S/U grading option; all work is evaluated
by a common standard, regardless of grading
option;
- A
grade of "WF" may be assigned
within the S/U option (for instance, if
the student stops attending);
- If
a student receives an "S" in an
elective course, but then changes majors,
the new major may require the course be
taken for a grade. In those cases, the student
may appeal retroactively for a change in
grade option (and therefore receive a letter
grade).
- More
than 12 semester hours of "S/U"
grades may increase the grade point average
needed for graduation with honors. See Graduation
with honors.
Because
of these and other considerations, students
should consult an advisor before electing
the S/U grading option.
"No
Credit" grading
In the event that the grade option is "A/B/C/NC"
or “S/NC,” all grades will appear on the student's
record, though a grade of “No Credit” will
not affect the accumulative grade point average.
A student may receive a grade of "WF"
in courses with the "No Credit"
grading option.
Impact
of course drops and withdrawals on grading
Instructors assign a grade of "W"
(withdrawn) or "WF" (withdrawn failing)
if a student withdraws from a course after
the last day to drop (see Drop/add
policy) but before (1) the 10th week of
a course in the fall and spring semesters,
(2) the twenty-fifth calendar day of the eight-week
summer session, or (3) the nineteenth day
of a six-week summer session. For flexibly
scheduled courses, the instructor assigns
a "W" or "WF" if a student
withdraws after completing at least 13% but
not more than 60% of the course. During the
specified time intervals, "W" is
assigned if the student is passing at the
time of withdrawal or if the instructor determines
there is insufficient evidence to judge the
student's progress at the time of withdrawal.
"WF" may be assigned if the instructor
determines the student is failing at the time
of withdrawal.
A
grade of "WF" also is assigned if
the student withdraws after the intervals
described above, stops attending (including
failing to take the final exam) without processing
a withdrawal, or has never attended and fails
to process a withdrawal.
A
student who officially withdraws from the
University receives a "W" in all
courses for the semester, unless the student
has previously withdrawn from a course with
a "WF."
These
provisions apply to all grading options, including
"S/U."
See
Incomplete
marks, below.
See
Withdrawal
from the University.
Grade
point average
For calculating the student's grade point
average, the following quality points are
assigned to each letter grade:
For each hour of A, 4 points
For each hour of B, 3 points
For each hour of C, 2 points
For each hour of D, 1 point
For each hour of F or WF, 0 points
For each hour of I, 0 points
The
grade of "WF" is used with zero
quality points in computing the grade point
average; "W' is not used in computing
the grade point average.
For
courses graded S/U, grades falling within
the range of "A" to "C"
are interpreted as "S" and earn
course credit. Grades in the range of "D"
to "F" are interpreted as "U"
and do not earn course credit. In any case,
"S" and "U" grades do
not affect the accumulative grade point average.
For
courses graded “A/B/C/NC,” grades of “A,”
“B,” or “C” are calculated according to assigned
quality points. A grade of “NC” does not earn
course credit and does not affect the accumulative
grade point average.
A student's grade point average is obtained
by dividing the total number of quality points
earned by the total number of hours taken,
excluding courses in which the marks "S,""U,""IP,""INC,"
“NC,” or "W" are recorded. The hours
for which a mark of "INC" is recorded
are excluded from grade point average computation
until the deadline for removal.
As
an example, suppose a student receives the
following grades for a semester:
Biology
(a 4-hour course) B
English (a 3-hour course) B
French (a 4-hour course) C
Health (a 3-hour course) A
First,
determine the number of quality points earned
for each course. For example, each hour of
B is worth 3 points and a 4-hour B is worth
12 points (3x4).
Therefore,
the above grades translate into quality points
as follows:
Now,
divide the number of quality points by the
number of hours taken for a letter grade.
The grade point average for this sample schedule
is (41/14=2.92). Grade point averages are
not rounded up to the nearest hundredth of
a point.
Incomplete
marks
The mark of "INC" (incomplete) is
given when, for some acceptable reason, a
student fails to meet a definite requirement
in a course as established by the instructor.
The mark of "INC" may be removed
and a grade (if taken for a grade) or the
letter "S" (if taken "S/U")
may be substituted for it by a student making
up the deficiencies to the satisfaction of
the instructor.
Unless
an extension of time is granted by the academic
dean, a mark of "INC" must be removed
by March 1, Aug. 1, and Nov. 1 for the fall
and spring semesters and summer session, respectively.
For courses taken "S/U," any mark
of "INC" not removed by these deadlines
will change to "U." For courses
taken for a letter grade, any mark of "INC"
not removed by these deadlines will change
to "I" and be calculated as "F"
in the cumulative grade point averages of
all undergraduate students, with or without
an extension of time. The student who has
been granted an extension, however, will have
the opportunity to have his or her grade point
average recalculated and the "I"
changed to the grade assigned.
Grade
appeals
Students have a right to appeal decisions
on grades. The student should first contact
the department from which the grade was received.
A member of each department, who is not a
major departmental administrator, is designated
to hear complaints, gather information, talk
with both students and faculty, mediate disputes
or identify appropriate channels for solving
problems. If the dispute cannot be resolved
at this level then the student should state
the full particulars of the appeal in writing
and submit them to the department chair or
policy committee. If the matter is not resolved
at the department level, the student may request
a hearing before the academic arbitration
board of the appropriate school or college.
However, the sole responsibility and authority
for determining grades rests with the faculty
member who assigned the grade. This appeals
procedure also may be used if a student believes
an opportunity should be provided to make
up work missed during absence from classes.
The
grade appeals procedure must be started by
the end of the fifth week of the spring semester
for grades received during fall semester and
by the end of the fifth week of fall semester
for grades received during the spring semester
or during the summer session. All actions
for grade changes must be completed during
the semester in which the grade is appealed.
Grade and absence grievances may not be appealed
beyond the college level.
