Graduate Grading and Grading Discrepancies

Grading System

Letter grades and their equivalents in quality points are:

Grades mean: A = Excellent, B = Good, C = Fair, D = Poor, F = Failure. Other report abbreviations and their meanings are:

INC Incomplete. Poor academic performance is not, in and of itself, a reason for an INC. Incompletes will be granted only in extreme circumstances and will only be granted based on approval from the course instructor. A student who has long-term medical issues that impact course completion may wish to consider a medical withdrawal. An incomplete must be removed by the halfway point of the following term. At which point, an INC will be recorded as an “F” and averaged into the student’s grade point average.

W Withdrawal. Carries no quality points or credits. A student must withdraw before the last day of classes for the term as listed on the posted academic calendar.

Grade Disputes

Any grade that has been submitted to the Registrar by an instructor is considered final. Grades may not be changed by allowing a student to do additional work (e.g. retaking exams, rewriting papers, extra credit projects, or other assignments not outlined in the course syllabus); by any change in course requirements that did not apply to all students enrolled in that particular class; or for any purpose other than (1) to correct a demonstrated error in calculation or recording; (2) pursuant to a confirmed finding of academic integrity violation (see Academic Expectations of Educational Integrity) or (3) pursuant to a decision in a student academic grievance.

If a student wishes to appeal a grade that the student believes has been erroneously or unjustly determined, the student must [first] try to resolve the issue through informal discussions with the instructor. If no mutually satisfactory resolution is reached and the student wishes to pursue the appeal the student must adhere to the following procedure:

1. No later than 5 days following the end of the term for which the grade in question was recorded, the student must send to the course instructor a written request for a change in the grade. The student must submit evidence that the grade was erroneously assigned. The written communication must contain specific details about the graded work (such as grades received on exams, projects and papers) and must describe the specifics of the potential grade discrepancy.
2. The course instructor must respond within 3 days of receiving the letter to questions raised by the student and correct any grade found to be erroneous or unjust. The instructor must respond in writing to the student noting whether the grade will remain as previously recorded, or will be changed.
3. Within 3 days of the date of receipt of the notice from the instructor, the student may appeal the decision by notifying the Graduate Council.
4. The Graduate Council will confer with the student, course instructor, and such others as may be helpful. Graduate Council will then consider all materials and conversations to determine whether the criteria designated in the syllabus or announced in the course were used for determining the grades and whether appeal procedures specified were followed. The Graduate Council will render a decision within 5 days and will transmit the decision in writing to the student and to the course instructor.
5. The student may (within 5 days of the decision by the Graduate Council) make a final appeal of a grade to the Chief Academic Officer. The decision of theChief Academic Officer shall be final.

If in any of the appeal stages, the course instructor does not respond to the formal request in the time specified, the student may immediately take the next step in the procedure. If at any point, the student does not challenge the grade within the deadline specified, the grade will remain as recorded.