Undergraduate Grading Policy

1. Grades below “C-” earned in the student’s major and minor will satisfy the course prerequisites requirement; however, grades below “C-” cannot be counted in the total number of hours required in the major and minor. The student must either 1) retake the course and earn a grade of “C-” or better or 2) take an elective approved by the appropriate College Dean and earn a grade of “C-” or better, which may be substituted for the grade below “C-“.
2. When a faculty member assigns a grade of “F,” the instructor must record the student’s last date of attendance.
3. Incomplete Grade. If extenuating circumstances result in a student being unable to complete the work in a course, the student may, at the instructor’s discretion, be assigned a grade of Incomplete. If granted, the instructor will complete an Incomplete Grade Form that is signed or verified electronically by the instructor and students and will submit it to the dean and registrar. To qualify for an incomplete grade, the student should have completed at least half of the coursework and with a passing average. The instructor will determine the deadline for completing the coursework, but in all cases, the Incomplete grade must be replaced by a permanent grade within 6 months. Failure to complete the coursework within the prescribed period of time will result in the Incomplete grade being converted to a permanent grade of F. An Incomplete grade earns no quality points. It is the student’s responsibility to seek information about the impact of the incomplete grade on financial aid and/or athletic eligibility.
4. Excused Grade. In order to receive a grade of Excused, students with extenuating circumstances must petition the instructor and the Admissions and Standards Committee by submitting a form by the end of semester immediately following the semester for which the course grade was issued. A grade of Excused (E) will not be approved unless there are documented extenuating circumstances, such as illness, injury or personal tragedy, that have affected the student’s progress in the course. The student must state a specific reason for requesting an Excused grade, and the instructor’s recommendation must be recorded. The Admissions and Standards Committee will make the final decision and notify the Registrar.
5. In Progress. An “IP” grade may be given in an undergraduate course where a major project or extended research is required and work on that project cannot be completed by the end of the regular grading period. The “IP” must be completed within a year of the time it is assigned. An “IP” may also be given in the undergraduate basic skills course, ENGL 100 . It is given to a student who has put forth serious effort but has not yet attained a level of competence sufficient to be given a letter grade. The student must again register for the class within the next semester in order to receive credit. All “IP” grades not made up within the prescribed time automatically convert to the grade of “F.”
6. Pass/Fail. Courses that are so designated in the catalog are graded on a pass/fail basis. The “Pass” grade is counted in hours toward graduation but does not affect the GPA, whereas a “Fail” is figured into the GPA credit totals and does affect the GPA.
7. Audit. A student who desires to explore their interests and abilities in unfamiliar courses, without affecting their GPA, may choose to audit courses. A student is not held responsible for the work in an audited course and does not need to complete or submit assignments. An audited course receives no credit, no points applied to the grade point average and receives a final grade of “AU”. A course that is audited cannot change to a credit course, nor can a credit course be changed to an audit course after the drop period. A full-time student may audit courses without charge. When enrolled less than full-time, audit courses incur a $100 fee.