Registration, Attendance, and Grading

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Return to: Academic Policies 

• Academic Calendar 
• Academic Load 
• Registration Procedure 
  (Prerequisites and corequisites, changing registration, canceling registration, repeating a course, auditing a course)
• Special Registration Procedure 
  (Advisor’s permission to register, credit to be earned at other institutions, permission to register as a graduate student, graduate course enrollment by undergraduates, special registration for nonenrolled students, enrolling for credit without grade points, Academic Common Market, University Consortium)
• Withdrawal 
• Attendance Policies 
• Final Exams 
• Grading System 
  (Additional grade notations, midterm reports, final grades, transcripts, GPA, change of grade, grade appeals)

Registration for the next semester or summer term begins after mid-semester of fall or spring semesters and is opened to various groups according to priority (graduate students, seniors, juniors, and so on). The Office of the University Registrar assigns each student a time ticket, which is a specific date and time after which a student may register. The time ticket is based on the number of credits earned. Thus, the time ticket will not be the same for all students within a particular priority group. Students should consult registrar.gmu.edu and Patriot Web for information about their registration date and time.

Academic Calendar

The academic calendar may be accessed at registrar.gmu.edu/.  Mason runs on a semester schedule, including an active summer term.

Academic Load

The minimum full-time load for undergraduate students is 12 credits per semester. For graduate full-time classification, see the Graduate Policies  section. For planning purposes, applicants for admission are asked to indicate their preference for full- or part-time status, and day or evening classes; however, they may freely choose between evening and day sections of courses and may change their full- or part-time status.

Although many students must work to meet living expenses, employment must not take priority over academic responsibilities. Students employed more than 20 hours a week are strongly urged not to attempt a full-time academic load. Students employed more than 40 hours a week should attempt no more than 6 credits per semester. Students who fail to observe these guidelines may expect no special consideration for academic problems arising from the pressures of employment.

Although 12 credits per semester represent a minimum full-time undergraduate load, students planning to graduate in four years need to carry an average of at least 15 credits per semester. Written approval must be submitted to the Office of the University Registrar before students can register for more than the maximum allowable credits. Undergraduate and Nondegree Undergraduate students should contact their Dean for permission. Graduate and Nondegree Graduate students should contact their department for permission.

Financial Good Standing; No Holds on Record

Financial good standing and a university record clear of holds are required for students to receive academic services. Services, including, but not limited to, transcript issuance, diploma release, and class registration (add, drop, withdrawal, and such) will not be provided to students with a financial balance due or a hold of any kind on their record. Holds are based on outstanding obligations and may be financial. Examples include fines owed for traffic or parking violations, incomplete immunization records, fines owed to the Mason or consortium libraries, and other administrative holds.

Registration Procedures

Patriot Web will list specific course information before priority registration each semester. Courses listed may be canceled for insufficient enrollment. Mason reserves the right to change the class schedule and adjust the individual section enrollment as necessary.

Registration is usually accomplished using Patriot Web; however, if a section is closed or registration into a selected section is controlled, permission to enroll must be obtained from the academic program offering the course. Various schools and departments have their own processes for granting this permission. For some courses, the student must submit a completed and signed course permit form in person to the Office of the University Registrar.

Students must be present at the first meeting of every laboratory course (lecture and laboratory) to validate their registration. If students cannot attend the first meeting, they must notify the instructor beforehand if they intend to continue in that section. Otherwise, their name may be removed from the class roll in both lecture and lab.

Students are responsible for registering properly and paying by the deadline. Students should confirm the correctness of their enrollments (including drop and add) via Patriot Web. Incorrect enrollments may result in academic and financial penalties.

Students are responsible for tuition payments and grades received for all courses in which they are registered unless registration is canceled administratively because of suspension, dismissal, or termination; the section is canceled; or the student drops the course before the tuition liability begins. See registrar.gmu.edu for deadlines.

Course Prerequisites, Corequisites

Course prerequisites or corequisites state requirements for student entry into courses and reflect necessary preparation for attempting the course. It is the student’s responsibility to be aware of these as stated in the catalog and to have taken prerequisites recently enough to be of value. The administrator of the academic unit in which the course is taught or the instructor of the course may summarily drop students who have enrolled in a course for which they have not met the prerequisites. Graduate course prerequisites are normally met with a grade of B- or better; undergraduate course prerequisites are normally met with a grade of C or better. Individual programs may have higher standards. Questions should be addressed to the academic department or course instructor.

Changing Registration

Registration changes must be completed within the schedule adjustment period defined below. Changes to registration are usually made via Patriot Web.

The last day for adding a 14-week course is eight calendar days after and including the first day of classes. The last day for dropping a 14-week course is five calendar weeks after the first day of classes (including the first day). Courses meeting for fewer than 14 weeks have add, drop, and tuition-liability dates proportional to their length. These dates are published on the Office of the University Registrar’s web site each semester. Students who drop all courses during the drop period will have no entry on their transcript for that semester and will not be considered an enrolled student for that semester. If it is the student’s first semester, the student will not have a Mason transcript and must contact Admissions regarding enrollment in a future semester.

All students are expected to complete their initial enrollment before the first day of classes for the semester. Any additions to that enrollment must be processed by the end of the add period through official registration procedures. Students will not receive credit for courses unless their names are on the official class rosters and final grade sheets. Retroactive credits will not be awarded to students who report that they attended classes but were not on the official rosters. After the last day to add, students will not be added to courses except in unusual circumstances beyond the student’s control; such actions require approval by the chair of the academic department offering the course.

All students are expected to drop (by the end of the drop period) those courses they do not intend to continue. Registration is not canceled for failure to drop courses properly. Furthermore, registration is not canceled for failure to attend classes unless stated otherwise on Patriot Web. All classes in which a student is enrolled past the drop deadline will remain part of the official academic record. For more information, see Additional Grade Notations in the Grading System section of this chapter. After the drop deadline, withdrawal approval is granted only for nonacademic reasons by the student’s academic dean. This approval is typically given for all courses at once, constituting withdrawal from a semester. For more information, see the Withdrawal section of this chapter.

No change of registration transaction is complete until it is submitted through Patriot Web or processed by the Office of Student Accounts and the Office of the University Registrar through in-person procedures.

Students will not receive written confirmation of schedule changes and are responsible for checking their schedules via Patriot Web before the end of the add or drop period to verify that their schedules are correct and they are properly enrolled. Students will not be allowed to remain in classes unless they are properly enrolled. Students are responsible, both financially and academically, for all courses in which they remain officially enrolled.

Canceling Registration

Students who cannot attend classes during the semester for which they have registered should cancel registration using Patriot Web prior to the first day of classes for the semester.

Refunds of tuition on and after the first day of classes are made according to the tuition-liability dates published in this catalog and registrar.gmu.edu.

Repeating a Course

Effective July 1, 2011 Federal Regulations no longer allow federal student aid funds to apply to courses that a student has already taken twice with a passing grade. This limitation does not include courses that are “repeatable for credit,” as described below. Students should contact the Office of Student Financial Aid to determine how repeated course work would affect their financial aid eligibility.

Some courses are annotated in the catalog as “repeatable for credit.” These are courses which students may repeat and receive additional credit for each time the course is taken. The maximum number of credits is specified in the Course Description section of the catalog. Special topics and independent study courses are examples. For all other courses, the following conditions apply:

• Graduate students who have passed a course with a satisfactory grade are not permitted to repeat the course for replacement credit. Grades of B- are considered satisfactory, unless the academic program specifices a higher minimum satisfactory grade. Students must obtain permission from their academic program to repeat a course in which they have earned an unsatisfactory grade. Each department establishes procedures for granting such permission. Duplicate credit is not earned.  When a course is repeated, all credits attempted are used to determine warning, termination, or dismissal; the transcript shows grades for all courses attempted; and only one grade per course may be presented on the degree application.
• Some courses, such as special topics courses, are repeatable for a limited number of additional credits. As long as students do not exceed the maximum allowable credits for repeatable courses, all takings of the course count for credit and in the student’s GPA. In cases where the student has exceeded allowable credits in a repeatable class, the transcript will exclude the grade and credits of the earliest taking of the class.
• For undergraduate classes not repeatable for credit, undergraduate degree students may repeat courses for which they seek a higher grade. Academic programs may restrict repeats of certain departmental or college courses in the major. Excessive repeats may result in termination from the major by a student’s dean. A grade received in a repeated course will replace a grade in prior takings of the same course in the calculation of the cumulative GPA, even if the more recent grade is lower. Duplicate credit is not given. Repeat rules apply to taking the same course and courses designated in the catalog as equivalent. Repeat rules apply throughout a student’s academic history. All instances of courses and their grades remain part of the student’s transcript. No adjustment to the cumulative GPA will be made when the grade in the repeated course is W. A grade in a Mason course will not be excluded from the cumulative GPA based on a subsequent taking of an equivalent course at a transfer institution. The exclusion of earlier grades of repeated courses will not change the academic standing or dean’s list notations for the earlier semester. Note that individual programs may disallow students from retaking certain high-demand courses simply for the purpose of improving their grade. Programs may also require departmental permission for students to repeat certain department, school, or college courses. 

Auditing a Course

Auditing a course requires the instructor’s permission. Audit forms are available at the Office of the University Registrar. A previously audited course may be taken again for credit in a later term. Students may also audit a course previously taken and passed; however, students may not change from credit to audit status nor from audit to credit status after the end of the drop period, as defined above. The usual tuition and fees apply to audit status.

Special Registration Procedures

Advisor’s Permission to Register

All newly admitted students, undeclared undergraduates on academic warning or academic probation, and undergraduates returning from suspension, are required to obtain an advisor’s approval for registration. All students are strongly encouraged to consult with their advisors concerning course registration each semester.

Permission to Study Elsewhere

Students who apply for admission to Mason usually do not seek simultaneous enrollment at another collegiate institution. In those unique situations when a student does seek concurrent enrollment, the student must obtain advance written approval from their academic dean. This process permits a student to enroll elsewhere in a suitable course unavailable at Mason. Catalog numbers and descriptions of courses to be taken elsewhere must be submitted with the request for approval. Students must submit an official transcript for all such course work to the Office of the University Registrar. Note that while credit may be approved for transfer and a minimum grade must be achieved, grades themselves do not compute into any Mason GPA. Students who enroll elsewhere without advance written permission while enrolled at Mason may not receive transfer credit for course work taken at other institutions. The Permission to Study Elsewhere form can be found at registrar.gmu.edu.

Permission to Register as Graduate Student

Registration for courses in a graduate program is permitted only after the student has been notified of admission. Students admitted to degree programs are given preference over nondegree students through the registration process. Dual registration (for example, as a graduate student and nondegree enrollee) is not permitted. The graduate student is responsible for being properly registered and aware of all regulations and procedures required by a program of study. Regulations and degree requirements are not waived nor are exceptions granted because of ignorance of any regulations. Registration in graduate-level courses is restricted to admitted graduate degree students and nondegree graduate students (unless excluded by program). Undergraduate degree students may register for graduate courses only with special approval (see section below). Nondegree undergraduate students may not enroll in courses numbered 500 or above. Courses numbered 800 and above are available only to admitted graduate degree students.

Graduate Course Enrollment by Undergraduates

Courses numbered 700 and above are closed to undergraduates. Undergraduates in degree programs may enroll in graduate-level courses 500 to 699 only with written permission, which must be obtained before registration. Forms are available at the Office of the University Registrar. Written permission is waived for undergraduate students admitted to combined bachelor’s and accelerated master’s programs.

To enroll in graduate courses for credit applicable to an undergraduate degree, undergraduates must have completed all course prerequisites, have exhausted all upper-level undergraduate courses relevant to their educational objectives, and be able to demonstrate the level of maturity required for graduate courses.

Approval to register for reserve graduate credit (earned credit held in reserve to apply later toward a graduate degree) is given only to Mason seniors within 15 credits of completing undergraduate study who have successfully completed all course prerequisites. In addition, this privilege is normally extended only to seniors who have completed at least 12 credits at the university, have a cumulative GPA of 3.00 or better, and have a major in the department offering the course. Approval for reserve graduate credit is limited to 6 credits and does not imply approval for admission into a Mason graduate program or that credit earned will be accepted at another graduate school.

Undergraduates enrolled in graduate courses are eligible to receive only those letter grades applicable to graduate grading. For more information, see the Grading System section. Credit for the same course may not be applied to both graduate and undergraduate degrees.

Special Registration for Nonenrolled Students

Degree-seeking students not enrolled in a credit-bearing course but whose academic department certifies that they are pursuing an activity related to their Mason enrolled program can retain active status by registering for Special Registration (ZREG 200) for a $45 fee. Written approval from the student’s advisor and the academic department chair is required. Special registration allows students to retain library and computer privileges, receive a student ID, and buy a parking decal. Students must have active status to apply for or receive a degree, take an exam, or participate in cooperative education.

Enrolling for Credit Without Grade Points

Courses normally graded as satisfactory/no credit (S/NC) are annotated in the catalog, but students may elect to take credit without grade points. Undergraduates may take up to 6 credits to be graded S/NC; this option applies only to electives outside the field of the major, concentration, minor, general education requirement, or certificate program. Graduate students may elect the S/NC grade option only for courses that do not apply to the degree or certificate requirements. S/NC grading will also be used for courses numbered 998 and 999. For more information, see Additional Grade Notations in the Grading System section.

Academic Common Market

The Academic Common Market (ACM) is a cooperative tuition-reduction program agreement among 16 states, including Virginia, which compose the Southern Regional Education Board. Students who are not legal residents of Virginia but wish to pursue a degree in a selected Mason program that is not available in their home state may be able to participate in the ACM and thereby attend Mason without incurring out-of-state tuition charges. Likewise, legal residents of Virginia may take advantage of programs in other states. More information about this program is available at the Office of the University Registrar or at registrar.gmu.edu/students/domicile/nonresidents.html.

University Consortium

Mason is a member of the Consortium of Universities of the Washington Metropolitan Area, which includes American University, The Catholic University of America, Corcoran College of Art and Design, Gallaudet University, The George Washington University, Georgetown University, Howard University, Marymount University, National Defense Intelligence College, National Defense University, Trinity Washington University, the University of the District of Columbia, and the University of Maryland-College Park. Eligible Mason students may enroll in courses at any of the consortium institutions. The consortium’s cross-registration arrangement permits students enrolled in eligible degree programs at one member institution to take a course at another member institution.

Participation in consortium cross registration is available to degree-seeking juniors, seniors, and graduate students in good standing and currently enrolled at Mason. Participation is limited to courses that are approved by the student’s department chair and dean, apply to the student’s program of study, are not offered during that semester at Mason, and have space available at the visited institution. Additional restrictions apply. Students may take one consortium course per semester, with a career maximum of 6 credits for undergraduates (9–12 if foreign language study is approved) and 6 credits for graduate students. Credit earned through the consortium is considered resident credit, so grades count in the Mason GPA.

Information and regulations, including restricted and excluded courses, for both outgoing and incoming Mason consortium students are available on the web at registrar.gmu.edu/students/consortium/index.html. Information pertaining to all member institutions is available at www.consortium.org/main.asp. Questions may be directed to the consortium coordinator in the Office of the University Registrar at 703-993-2436.

Withdrawal

Selective Withdrawal for Undergraduates

Undergraduates enrolled in degree programs are eligible to withdraw from a limited number of classes without the dean’s approval and at the student’s own discretion. Students may process a maximum of three such selective withdrawals during their entire undergraduate career at Mason. The three classes may have any number of credits. The academic calendar for each semester will include an open withdrawal period beginning the day after the last day to drop the class and extending through the ninth week. For classes shorter than a semester (14 weeks), the period will be set in proportion to the length of the class.

Course Withdrawal with Dean Approval

For graduate and nondegree students, withdrawal after the last day to drop a course requires approval by the student’s academic dean, and is permitted only for nonacademic reasons that prevent course completion. For undergraduate students, withdrawal after the open withdrawal period, for cause within the period, or after a student has used all three selective withdrawals, requires approval by the student’s academic dean and is typically permitted only for nonacademic reasons that prevent course completion.

Semester Withdrawal with Dean Approval

Undergraduates taking three or fewer classes may use the selective withdrawal for all courses for a semester; see the Selective Withdrawal for Undergraduates section of this chapter. Otherwise, students may withdraw from a semester after the end of the drop period without academic penalty only for nonacademic reasons with the approval of the academic dean. Withdrawal forms are available at the appropriate academic dean’s office. Students who stop attending all classes without the dean’s approval and without processing selective withdrawals, if eligible, will receive a grade of F in all courses.

Effects of Course or Semester Withdrawal

Approved or selective withdrawal results in a grade of W on the student’s transcript for the withdrawn course(s). While a grade of W does not affect the GPA, undergraduate students should note that withdrawn courses are part of “attempted credit hours,” which serve as the basis for the student’s credit level. In the university’s undergraduate retention system, GPA standards increase according to credit level. See the Student Retention Categories in the Undergraduate Policies  section.

Attendance Policies

Students are expected to attend the class periods of the courses for which they are registered. In-class participation is important not only to the individual student, but also to the class as a whole. Because class participation may be a factor in grading, instructors may use absence, tardiness, or early departure as de facto evidence of nonparticipation. Students who miss an exam with an acceptable excuse may be penalized according to the individual instructor’s grading policy, as stated in the course syllabus.

Absence for Religious Observances or Participation in University Activities

Mason encourages its faculty to make a reasonable effort to allow students to observe their religious holidays or to participate in university-sponsored activities (e.g., intercollegiate athletics, forensics team, dance company, etc.) without academic penalty. Absence from classes or exams for these reasons does not relieve students from responsibility for any part of the course work required during the absence. Students who miss classes, exams, or other assignments as a consequence of their religious observance or for participation in a university activity will be provided a reasonable alternative opportunity, consistent with class attendance policies stated in the syllabus, to make up the missed work. It is the obligation of students to provide faculty, within the first two weeks of the semester, with the dates of major religious holidays on which they will be absent, and the dates for which they are requesting an excused absence for participation in any university-sponsored activity scheduled prior to the start of the semester, and as soon as possible otherwise. Students requesting an excused absence for participation in a university- sponsored activity must provide their instructor with a letter from a university official stating the dates and times that participation in the activity would result in the student missing class. Faculty members are encouraged to take religious observances into consideration when constructing class schedules and syllabi.

Final Exams

Undergraduate courses usually culminate with a final exam. Except in predominantly laboratory courses, exams may not be given during the last week of classes. Exams may not exceed the scheduled length of two hours, 45 minutes. Changes in location or time of in-class final exams must be approved by the appropriate department chair and dean. A professor who is considering assigning a take-home exam or significant end-of-semester paper or project should inform the students at the beginning of the semester. Such assignments should be distributed by the beginning of the last week of classes so that students can coordinate them with preparation for other exams. Students must not be required to submit exams before the date of the regularly scheduled exam for a course. Retaking final exams is not permitted. Students who have more than one examination scheduled at the same time or more than two examinations scheduled on the same day should consult their instructors to explore whether they can make other arrangements. If campus-wide disruptions to class meeting schedules occur during the semester (e.g., due to severe weather), a revised final exam schedule may be issued. In this event, students and faculty are expected to adhere to the revised schedule.

Absences

Absences from final exams will not be excused except for sickness on the day of the exam or other cause approved by the student’s academic dean or director. The effect of an unexcused absence from an undergraduate final exam shall be determined by the weighted value of the exam as stated in the course syllabus provided by the instructor. If absence from a graduate final exam is unexcused, the grade for the course is entered as F. See the Additional Grade Notations in the Grading System section for information on being absent with permission.

Grading System

University course work is measured in terms of quantity and quality. A credit normally represents one hour per week of lecture or recitation or not fewer than two hours per week of laboratory work throughout a semester. The number of credit hours is a measure of quantity, while the grade is a measure of quality. Faculty of record must assign a grade to all enrolled students at the end of the semester, term or part of term. For grades applicable to graduate courses, see the Graduate Grading section.

The university-wide system for undergraduate grading is as follows:

No credit toward graduation accrues from a failing grade or a grade that is replaced by a retaken course. 

Additional Grade Notations

Satisfactory/No Credit (S/NC): An S grade reflects satisfactory work (C or better for undergraduate students, B- or better for graduate students); otherwise, the student receives no credit (NC). S and NC have no effect on the student’s GPA. Entire courses normally graded S/NC are annotated in the catalog, and include doctoral dissertation courses 998 and 999. Students may also elect to take credit without grade. For more information, see Auditing a Course in the Registration Procedure section of this chapter.

A/B/C/NC: Students who successfully complete English Composition and Introduction to Literature (ENGH 101) or Composition for Non-Native Speakers of English (ENGH 100) are graded A, A-, B+, B, B-, or C. Students who do not attain at least a C in these courses receive no credit (NC). NC has no effect on the GPA.

Incomplete (IN): This grade may be given to students who are passing a course but who may be unable to complete scheduled course work for a cause beyond reasonable control. Unless the faculty member has specified an earlier deadline, the student must then complete all the requirements by the end of the ninth week of the next semester, not including summer term, and the instructor must turn in the final grade by the end of the 10th week.  Faculty members who choose to require an earlier incomplete deadline will be required to file an Incomplete Grade Contract with the local academic unit’s office, detailing the work that remains to be done, the general reason for the incomplete, and the student’s grade at the point of receiving the incomplete. Unless an explicit written extension is filed with the Office of the University Registrar by the faculty deadline, the grade of IN is changed by the registrar to an F. The maximum IN extension is to the end of the same semester in which it was originally due. Students who have filed their intent to graduate have only six weeks from the date of degree conferral to resolve any incomplete grades and have the final grades recorded by the University Registrar’s office.

While a grade of IN remains on the transcript, it is treated as an unsatisfactory grade in determining probation, suspension, termination, or dismissal. Removal of INs from the transcript may result in retroactive elimination of probation, suspension, termination, or dismissal.

Incomplete, extended (IX): IX is given by the Office of the University Registrar after receiving an Incomplete Extension form signed by the instructor and the appropriate dean. The extension gives students additional time to complete work; the amount of time is specified by the instructor. The final grade must be submitted to the Registrar’s office before final exams for the semester in which the IN grade was originally due. A grade of IX affects the academic record in the same way as does a grade of IN.

In Progress (IP): This grade may be given in selected courses, including graduate theses, dissertations, practicums, and internships. IP may also be used when the work of BIS 490 or a course that is graded S/NC or A/B/C/NC is not completed within one semester. IP has no effect on the GPA. With the exception of BIS 490, IP remains on the record until the work is completed and a final grade is assigned. An IP in BIS 490 not changed to a final grade by the last day of classes of the next semester, not including summer term, is changed by the Office of the University Registrar to an F. IP grades will also be awarded in courses numbered 799, 998 and 999 until successful completion, and then they will be changed to S/NC. Upon successful completion of 799, 998 or 999 and submission of the final grade, grades for all prior sections will be changed to S/NC.

Absent with permission (AB): A student who has received permission from the academic dean or director to be absent from a final exam for cause beyond reasonable control may receive a temporary grade of AB. A rescheduled exam must be administered within 10 business days of the original exam date, or the AB will automatically become an F. Final determination of academic status is not complete while the AB remains on the transcript.

Special Provision (SP): The grade of SP may be given by a dean to students who are unable to complete the course requirements because of extraordinary long-term circumstances, such as major illness or military deployment. SP has no effect on the GPA and remains on the transcript until the work is completed and a final grade is assigned.

Midterm Reports

Midterm progress is reported for all full-semester 100- and 200-level classes, and for 300- and 400-level classes at the discretion of the professor. The reporting period extends from the fifth through the eighth week of the semester, allowing flexibility to individual faculty in providing reports for their classes. Students should check with their instructors as to when reports will be complete and available for viewing through Patriot Web. These progress reports, which appear in Patriot Web as “Midterm Grades,” do not become part of the student’s official record. They are not calculated in any GPA, and they do not appear on any official or unofficial transcript.

Final Grades

Semester grade reports are available through Patriot Web. Students may print a grade report for their own records or to issue to a third party.  Students may also order an official transcript through the Office of the University Registrar.

Transcripts

Official transcripts include all credit course work attempted at the university. Official transcripts will not be issued when unsatisfied financial obligations to the university exist. Unofficial transcripts may be printed by the student from Patriot Web. See registrar.gmu.edu for information and instructions on requesting official transcripts.

GPA

Quality point values are assigned to letter grades as indicated in the grading system table. A quality point score is computed by multiplying the value of a letter grade by the number of credits for the course. For example, a student receiving an A (4.00) in a 3-credit course earns 12 quality points. The GPA is computed by dividing the quality points earned by the number of credits graded A+ through F (GPA hours).

For undergraduates, the GPA computed for the current term gives the current GPA , which is the measure of academic performance in one semester and affects eligibility for the dean’s list. The GPA computed for all institutional credit gives the cumulative GPA, which is the basis for the university’s retention policies, including good standing, warning, probation, suspension, and dismissal. Cumulative GPA also determines students’ eligibility to graduate and have university honors posted to their record at graduation.

Current GPA and cumulative GPA do not apply to graduate students. A notation of academic warning is entered on the transcript of a graduate student who receives a grade of C, or a grade of F in a graduate course or while a grade of IN or IX is in effect. A degree GPA is computed for graduate students based on graded courses completed at the university and applied toward the degree. For more information, see the Graduate Policies  section.

Change of Grade

The conditions and time limits for changes from the temporary grades IN, IP, AB, and SP to final grades appear in the Additional Grade Notations section.

Once a final grade has been recorded by the Office of the University Registrar, it can be changed only in cases of computational or recording error, or pursuant to a successful appeal of the grade as described below. Additional work of any type submitted to improve a grade after the final grade has been assigned and sent to the Office of the University Registrar is never accepted.

All changes of final grades must be initiated, approved, and recorded by the last day of classes of the next regular semester (spring for fall grades, and fall for spring and summer term grades).

Grade Appeals

Although faculty members are generally the best judges of student performance, there may be times when a student believes a grade is unfair. In such cases, the student should ask the faculty member to reconsider the grade. If the student is not satisfied, an appeal may be made to the head of the unit offering the course (the department chair, institute director, or designee). The recipient of the appeal should ask the student to return to the faculty member who assigned the grade for further consultation.

If the instructor is no longer associated with the university, the local administrator of the unit offering the course will appoint a faculty surrogate, who will assume magisterial authority of the instructor of record at this level of appeal.

If a mutually satisfactory agreement is not reached, the student may request that the chair form a committee of three faculty peers of the faculty member who assigned the grade. If the chair believes the student’s complaint is not legitimate, this reservation is reported to the chair’s supervisor, usually the dean. No review is conducted unless the dean believes the complaint has merit.

The faculty member or the student may challenge and have replaced one of the three members of the committee without giving a reason for the challenge. The committee meets separately with the faculty member and the student to explore the full particulars of the case. A nonparticipating observer of the student’s choice may attend the meeting. Every effort is made to avoid an adversarial relationship.

After the committee has reviewed the case thoroughly, it issues to the chair (with a copy to the faculty member) a written recommendation that includes the reasons for its findings. At this time, the faculty member has an opportunity to take the recommended action, if any. If the matter is not resolved at this point, the chair considers the committee recommendation and makes a recommendation to the dean. The decision of the dean is not subject to further appeal. If the dean decides that a change of grade is appropriate and the faculty member refuses to make the change, then the dean may direct the Office of the University Registrar to do so.

Grade appeals are not accepted after the last day of classes of the following semester (spring for fall grades, fall for spring and summer grades).

The Provost’s Office does not consider grade appeals, nor does the University Academic Appeals Committee.

Pending Grade Appeal for Students in Academic Difficulty

A student may request a delay from the dean in imposing academic suspension because of a pending grade appeal that could change the student’s status. An approved delay allows the student to register.

If the grade appeal is successful, the official transcript is corrected and the student continues in classes as a student in good academic standing, on probation or on warning. If the grade appeal is not successful, the student is required to stop attending all classes immediately. No record of registration for the academic period appears on a transcript and the student receives the appropriate refund as of the decision date.