Grades
Grades, with numerical values corresponding to these letters, are recorded as follows:
| Grade | Description |
|---|---|
| A | Excellent, 90-100. |
| B | Good, 80-89. |
| C | Average, 70-79. |
| D | Passing, 60-69. |
| F | Failure, below 60. |
| FN | Failure (Non-Attendance), below 60. |
| CR | Credit. Indicates successful credit by examination or credit received in courses that do not meet the normal or traditional framework of course scheduling and do not lend themselves to letter grading. |
| NC | No Credit. Indicates unsuccessful credit by examination or no credit received in courses that do not meet the normal or traditional framework of course scheduling and do not lend themselves to letter grading. |
| I | Incomplete. Assigned at the discretion of the instructor. |
| P | Pass. Assigned when a student has selected the pass/fail grading option. Equivalent to a “D” or higher. |
| W/WX | Withdrawal. Indicates that the student has officially dropped or withdrawn from the University. |
| F | Dropped: given when a student impacted by SB 1231 has officially dropped a course after the midsemester point who is not passing or has accumulated six (6) WS grades regardless of the student’s academic standing in the class. |
| WS | Withdrawal (counts toward 6-Drop Policy, under Senate Bill 1231). Indicates student that the student has officially dropped or withdrawn from the University. |
| NG | No grade posted by instructor. Indicates that no grade was posted by the instructor teaching the course. |
Incompletes
The temporary grade of "I," or Incomplete, may be granted under extenuating circumstances, such as when the student’s academic life is interrupted by a verifiable illness, accident, or personal emergency. The "I" provides additional time for the student to complete the requirements for a course. To be eligible for an "I," the student must be passing the course. The instructor and the student are required to complete the university incomplete contract form for each course in which the temporary grade of "I" is assigned. Students should not enroll in the course for the subsequent term unless the deadline for the completion of outstanding coursework has passed and the student has received a grade of "F."
For the student, outstanding course requirements must be completed within the time specified by the instructor, not exceeding 12 months from the date the "I" was recorded. If the course requirements have not been satisfied by the specified time, the grade of "I" reverts to a grade of "F." Extensions of time, when merited, may be granted by the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs after consultation with the college dean.
When the student completes the work for the course, the instructor submits a change of grade through the chair of the department to the Registrar. Grades of "I" must be completed prior to graduation. "I" grades not completed by the end of the semester in which the student is scheduled to graduate will turn into grades of "F" and will be calculated into the cumulative grade point average.
Change of Grade
After being reported to the Registrar, grades other than I may not be changed unless an error has been made by the instructor.
Students should review their end of semester final grades closely to ensure their accuracy. If an error or discrepancy should occur, the student should contact the appropriate professor and/or the Office of the Registrar immediately to be resolved. It is recommended that those changes occur no later than the beginning of the next semester. Grade changes requested after one calendar year are subject to approval by the Dean of the College.
Grade Appeals
Instructors are responsible for determining the curriculum of a course, for developing appropriate methods of evaluating student learning, for evaluating fairly, for upholding academic standards, and for enforcing policies concerning academic honesty. Decisions made by instructors regarding the quality or honesty of student work – especially decisions about course grades – are, as a matter of routine, accepted as authoritative and cannot be overturned by administrative officers. Students, however, have a right to expect instructors to have defensible course policies and to implement them in a reasonable, equitable manner.
Students who believe that they have grounds for challenging an instructor's decision regarding academic issues – excepting those pertaining to matters of academic freedom – may appeal using the procedure outlined below. Please note, if a student wishes to dispute a course grade due to violations of academic misconduct, they must go through the Academic Misconduct Process only.
Except under unusual circumstances, the entire process outlined below should be completed within 30 days from the student's request for an explanation of the grade or, for final grades, within 30 days from the date the grade was posted to the student's transcript. Grade changes will not be accepted after one academic year. The process is as follows:
- The student should first write an email to the instructor to request an explanation of their reasons for assigning the grade. This begins the 30 day period for the entire process to be completed.
- If the student is not satisfied with that explanation and wants to move forward with an appeal, the student must write letter of appeal to the instructor stating clearly their objection to the grade received and requesting a different grade. This letter should be submitted via email as soon as possible after the decision has been made.
- If the instructor refuses to alter their decision or grade, the student may then submit a written letter outlining their objections to the instructor’s Department Chair or immediate academic supervisor (hereafter, “Chair” will be used to mean either the Department Chair or the immediate academic supervisor). This letter should be submitted via email as soon as possible after the response from the instructor. If the Chair believes that the student’s claims may have merit, the Chair would discuss the matter with the instructor.
- If the student is not satisfied with the Chair’s assessment of the issue, the student may then request a review of the decision by writing to the Dean. The decision of the Dean is final.