Grading
system
Courses are
graded as follows:
- A—excellent;
- B—good;
- C—acceptable;
- D—poor
but passing;
- F—failure;
- WF—withdrawn
failing;
- INC—incomplete;
- I—incomplete
calculated as F; and
- IP—in
progress.
A notification
of "NGR"—no grade reported—is used until a
final grade is available.
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. A student may also elect the "S/U" grading
option in no more than 16 credit hours in a baccalaureate degree
program (beyond those hours graded "S/U" only). 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. More than 12 semester hours of
"S/U" grades may increase the grade point average needed
for graduation with honors. Courses taken under advanced placement,
credit by exam, CLEP, etc., are considered "S/U" and
do not count as letter-graded hours. See Graduation
with honors.
The grade
of "S" is interpreted as falling within the range of
"A" to "C" and carries full credit. A grade
of "U" is interpreted as "D" to "F"
and carries no credit. "S" and "U" grades
do not affect the accumulative grade point average.
A student
who wishes to attend a class without receiving credit for it may
register to audit that course.
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assign a grade of "W" (withdrawn) or "WF"
(withdrawn failing) if a student withdraws from a course after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 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." 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.
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
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", "W" or "WP" 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.
