Grading and Grade Point Average Computation

Grading Overview

Grades are assigned by the course instructor based on an evaluation of each student’s progression towards meeting course objectives as defined in the grading requirements section of the course’s syllabus. Final grades must be submitted in the grading portlet by the corresponding final grade submission deadline, typically 7 days after the end of the course. 

The following matrix shows the complete list of grades with clarification which are assigned by instructors, which appear on an official transcript, and which are considered in various credit totals and GPA calculations.   Of note, grades of D+, D, and D- are not available in the grading scale for graduate courses (e.g., C- is the lowest passing grade in the grading scale for graduate courses.)

Incomplete Grades

An Incomplete (I) grade can be given in cases where exceptional circumstances beyond a student’s control (such as incapacitating illness or a death in the family) prevent their ability to complete the oustanding requirements of a course in which they have completed the majority of the coursework (e.g., 75 percent or more) with a passing grade. The decision to grant an Incomplete grade is at the sole discretion of the instructor. Incomplete grades must be assigned by the instructor in the grading portlet during the final grade submission window.

When an Incomplete grade is assigned, a completed Incomplete Grade Contract must be submitted to the Registrar’s Office within two weeks of the final grade submission deadline.  The contract will specify the student’s alternate grade (e.g., their current grade in the course at the time of the contract), a summary of all outstanding requirements, and the deadline for resolving the incomplete.  An incomplete deadline can be no later than the final grade submission deadline of the following semester.  Once processed, the grade is converted from Incomplete (I) to Incomplete Contract (IC). 

Upon resolution of the incomplete, the instructor must submit a Change of Grade Form to the Registrar’s Office.  In cases where no Change of Grade Form is submitted by that established deadline date, the Incomplete Contract (IC) grade is converted to the alternate grade that was designated by the instructor on the Incomplete Grade Contract.  If no alternate grade is provided on the Incomplete Grade Contract, a failure grade (F) is assigned. 

Credit Pending Grade

A Credit Pending (CP) grade is assigned with advanced approval by the Department Chairperson and the Registrar in cases where a course knowingly extends beyond the end of the semester. Eligible courses can include internships, practicums, independent studies, fieldwork, dissertation, thesis, and/or research courses, and any course that supports an event that does fall in the corresponding semester (ex. SMRT 116: Event Management and Promotions supporting the Hoophall Classic each January). 

Permanent Incomplete Grade

All students who withdraw from the College or any graduate student whose candidacy period expires with one or more Incomplete or Credit Pending grades (e.g.,. I, IC, IE, or CP grades) on their record will have those grades converted to a Permanent Incomplete (PI). This update is considered final with no opportunity to be changed in the future. Students who withdraw and later apply for readmission to the College would need to retake any course considered a Permanent Incomplete and earn a passing grade in order to earn credit for it.

Grade Point Average Computation

A semester and updated cumulative grade point average (GPA) is calculated each semester in which a student is enrolled. GPA calculations are computed by dividing the number of quality points earned by the number of GPA hours for the corresponding courses.  Quality points can be determined by multiplying each eligible course’s credit total by the number of grade points associated with the letter grade earned in that course and adding them together while GPA hours are the total number of attempted credits for courses that generate grade points. 

In cases where a course is repeated, the grade points from the most recent repeat attempt of the course will replace those of the previous attempt regardless of whether the most recent repeat attempt resulted in a higher or lower grade than the previous attempt.  Because there are no additional credits added to the GPA hours when a course is repeated, the previous attempt is no longer factored into the computation of quality points or the GPA.

GPA Computation Example: