4.31 GRADES

Effective: August 15, 2024

Purpose: To provide the grading structure for University courses.

Scope: This policy applies to University courses campus wide.

Responsible Office: Academic Affairs

Policy Statement:

Plus/Minus Grading System

Grades are assigned the following meaning:

• A – (Superior)
• B – (Good)
• C – (Average)
• D – (Poor)
• F – (Failure)
• XF – (Failure due to academic dishonesty)
• W – (Withdrawal)
• I – (Incomplete)
• IP – (In Progress)
• N – (No Credit)
• P – (Pass)
• S – (Satisfactory)
• U – (Unsatisfactory)
• T – (Class in progress)
• Y – (No grade given by instructor)
• V – (Visitor or Audit)

Grade points will be computed on the following scale:

• A=4.0
• A-=3.7
• B+=3.3
• B=3.0
• B-=2.7
• C+=2.3
• C=2.0
• D=1.0
• F=0
• XF=0

The grades “P”, “W”, “I”, “IP”, “V”, “N”, “S”, “T”, and “Y” are not counted in the grade point calculation.

Grades will be assigned by the course instructor to best represent the student’s work quality as appropriate for each course. The criteria for grade determination will clearly be stated in the course syllabus.

Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory Midterm Grade Options

Classes which currently have computer system letter grade options shall include: “S” (Satisfactory) and “U” (Unsatisfactory) with the “A” (Superior), “B” (Good), “C” (Average), “D” (Poor), “F” (Failure) midterm grade alternatives.

In Progress (IP) Grade

In Progress (“IP”) grade extensions are used in graduate and undergraduate classes identified by the college/school as requiring graduate or undergraduate work that extends beyond one semester. IP grades may be extended each semester at the discretion of the faculty member in charge. A final course grade must be submitted for the course(s) by the end of the semester the student graduates. Upon the graduate student’s completion of a non-thesis degree program, any thesis credit hours for which a grade has not been received will be transformed from “IP” grades to “W” grades. The University Registrar’s office will notify the academic unit’s supervisory administrator of students with “IP” grades. The supervisory administrator of each academic unit will contact the faculty member issuing the “IP” grade(s) to determine if the “IP” grade(s) needs to be extended for an additional semester.

Pass – No Credit

The basic purpose of the pass-no credit option is to encourage students to elect interesting courses of a broadening nature from which they might otherwise be dissuaded through fear of mediocre performance and consequent jeopardy to grade point average.

The student electing the pass-no credit option will receive credit hours toward graduation and the grade of “P” if they successfully complete the course with a grade of “D” or above. If the student fails to successfully complete the course, the course will appear on the student’s transcript with the grade designation of “N” and 0 hours credit earned toward graduation. Credit hours of “P” and “N” are not to be computed in the student’s grade point average.

Any undergraduate student may elect any course on a pass-no credit basis with the following exceptions:

• Courses taught in the area in which the student is seeking a major, minor, or teaching field, or courses used for a Bachelor of Integrated Studies degree contract.
• Courses, including general education courses, used to satisfy requirements in the student’s particular curriculum. The student may elect the pass-no credit option in a course taken to satisfy a general education requirement provided such course is of higher level than the course or courses specifically required or recommended to satisfy such requirement and provided such option is approved by the student’s advisor.
• Courses specifically excluded by academic units from the pass-no credit option.

Students who are undecided or who change majors, minors, or teaching fields, and who have previously taken courses on a pass-no credit basis in such majors, minors, or teaching fields may petition the appropriate academic unit to allow such courses to be used in answering major, minor, or teaching field requirements. Students should recognize that such approval will not be automatically granted and might not be granted at all. In any case, no academic unit shall allow any student to count more than two (2+) courses of pass-no credit work toward satisfying major, minor, or teaching field requirements.

A student is limited to twenty-five percent (25%) of their total course hours credit toward graduation in pass-no credit courses.

In order to avoid confusion, the terms “pass” and “no credit” shall be applied to this program only and not to any other.

The use of the pass-no credit grade for certain course areas, both undergraduate and graduate, is permitted providing that:

• The academic unit initiates such request.
• Such request is considered as a curricular modification and has received approval through the established curricular modification procedure.
• In such designated courses, no student may be awarded a letter grade.

Examples of courses eligible for consideration under this policy include seminars, independent study, research projects, research problems, and thesis.

Midterm Grades

It is the instructor's duty to inform students of their academic performance in class. Each instructor shall, by the end of the eighth (8th) week of each regular semester, evaluate undergraduate students' progress and make midterm grades available to undergraduate students and their academic advisors via the software designated by the University. For undergraduate classes taught in less than a full regular semester, the instructor shall make the evaluation available to the student in time to allow the student to withdraw before completion of 5/8 of the course. An instructor teaching a graduate-level course has the option of evaluating graduate students by the end of the eighth (8th) week of each regular semester. The instructor who is teaching a graduate-level course has the option to provide midterm grades via the University-designated software.

Final Grades

Grades will be posted on the University website for student access at midterm and at the end of each semester. Faculty will post grades awarded via the University’s designated portal.

Incomplete Grade

The grade “I” (Incomplete) is given only for personal emergencies which are verifiable and when the student has done passing work in the course. The student has the responsibility to take the initiative in completing the work and the student is expected to make up the incomplete as soon as possible during the following semester.

Except for graduate research, thesis, or the equivalent, all incomplete work must be finished by the end of the following full semester (summer sessions are not considered a full semester for purposes of this deadline). During the initial extension period, a student may submit a written petition for an extension of one additional semester during which an incomplete grade may be removed. In the most exceptional cases, the faculty member with the written approval of the academic unit’s supervisory administrator, may grant the request for an extension. An extension beyond two semesters will require the approval of the dean of the school or college in which the course was offered. The granting of an extension will not be routine. Individual instructors may establish earlier deadlines for completion of the work. Students who do not complete the unfinished work by the established deadline will have the grade of “F” entered on the transcript and will be required to re-enroll to earn credit in the course.

Change of Grade

If a faculty member finds it necessary to change a grade after the grade has already been submitted, they may do so by submitting a Faculty Grade Change request electronically. After one calendar year has passed since the original grade was assigned, a Faculty Grade Change request shall only be processed with the permission of the dean of the college or school in which the course was offered. Any grade change submitted by a faculty member becomes part of the student’s permanent record.

A student-initiated grade change from “XF” to “F” should follow the policies and procedures governing Academic Dishonesty.

Within the guidelines established by the policy on Incomplete Grades, incomplete grades may also be changed to the appropriate final grade by the instructor submitting a Faculty Grade Change request.

Definitions: All words and phrases shall be interpreted utilizing their plain meanings unless otherwise defined in another University or Board of Regents policy or by statute or regulation.

Procedures: All procedures linked and related to the policies above shall have the full force and effect of policy if said procedures have first been properly approved by the University’s administrator in charge of Academic Affairs.

[Academic Affairs procedures - coming soon]

Related Policy Information: 4.71 – Academic Dishonesty;