Academic Policies and Standards

Grading Standards

Letter grades are assigned to students according to a 4.0 GPA scale (see table for letter grades and corresponding GPA equivalency).

A single, alphabetical grade certified by the instructor within the deadline published on the academic calendar is assigned to each student and submitted to the Registrar.

Students questioning a grade awarded must follow the Grade Appeal Process section of this chapter.

Grade changes must be submitted in writing to the Registrar by the instructor within two weeks after the start of the term immediately following the term in which the grade was given. An extension of the two week period may only be allowed upon special arrangement by the instructor with the Dean of Undergraduate Studies.

Pass-Fail

Eligibility: No course required for a major degree may be taken as a pass/fail option. Permission to take an eligible course for a pass/fail grade is granted at the sole discretion of the instructor. To request the pass/fail course option, a student must have a current academic standing of junior or senior status and a minimum cumulative grade point average (CGPA) of 2.5. The student must submit a fully completed request form to the Registrar prior to the end of the add/drop period; otherwise, the student will be graded according to the existing Academic Grading Standards. A student may take no more than one pass-fail course in a given semester and no more than two pass-fail courses as part of their overall curriculum.

Grading: The student’s grade shall be calculated on the same basis as that used for all other students taking the course. The student shall receive a ‘P’ for a grade that exceeds the instructor’s established passing benchmark. The student shall receive an ‘F’ for a grade that falls below the instructor’s established passing benchmark. A passing grade of ‘P’ will not affect the student’s cumulative grade point average (CGPA) and will be excluded from any GPA calculations. However, a failing grade of ‘F’ will negatively affect the student’s CGPA by the applicable course credit being included in the calculation of the semester grade point average and the CGPA.

Incomplete

At the student’s request, an instructor may agree to award an incomplete grade (‘I’) at the end of an academic term if the student has failed to meet a course requirement due to illness or other reasons beyond their control.

Students are authorized a maximum of two weeks into the following semester to rectify a grade of incomplete. If the incomplete is not rectified within that period, the incomplete is automatically converted to a failure (‘F’).

An extended period to submit a final grade may be allowed by the instructor upon approval of the Dean of Undergraduate Studies. The instructor shall submit a recommended grade to the Registrar within 48 hours of the extended period allowed above.