The following designations are used in student grade reporting:

Each semester’s record stands alone. Grades from one semester (passing or failing) cannot be improved with work from another semester.

A grade average of C earns the minimum grade points required for graduation.

Repeated Courses

A student who receives a grade of F in a course will not earn credit for the course and the F will be counted as zero credit hours in the computation of the grade point average. However, a student may repeat a course to try to earn a passing grade or to try to improve a passing grade.

Students may not repeat a course for which they received an A (including transfer courses) except to audit a course. The last grade in a repeated course is the grade of record, even if that grade is lower than grades in earlier attempts at the course. Only the last grade will be calculated in the student’s grade point average for the purpose of meeting the grade point average requirement for graduation. Credit hours for the repeated course will be counted only once in the total number of hours earned. This policy does not apply to courses designated as repeatable in the bulletin (see individual course descriptions).

All grades will remain on a student’s transcript, however, and may be considered for admission to specific programs at The W, such as nursing and teacher education. All grades will also be considered in the computation of grade point averages for graduation honors, for admission to honor societies, and for scholarship eligibility. All grades may also be considered for admission to graduate programs at The W as well as other universities.

This policy applies to the calculation of grade point averages for the purpose of admission to The W as a transfer student. The policy is effective for students applying for admission to The W for the fall semester 2012 and for all W students who repeat courses in the fall 2012 semester and thereafter. This policy does not apply to courses repeated prior to the fall 2012 semester, but courses completed prior to fall 2012 may be repeated under the terms of this policy.

Note: Federal financial aid may be affected by repeated courses. Effective July 1, 2011, per federal regulations (34 CFR Section 668.2), repeated coursework that falls under the following conditions cannot be included in a student’s enrollment status for Title IV Federal Aid eligibility, including the Federal Pell Grant and Federal Stafford Loans: 1) Repeating a previously passed course more than once. A course is considered passed if the student receives a grade of D or better. 2) Repeating a previously passed course due to failing other coursework. 3) Repeating a previously passed course for the sole purpose of gaining eligibility for Title IV aid. Federal Title IV aid will be recalculated based on the student’s adjusted enrollment status. This recalculation will be applied regardless of whether a student received aid for previous course enrollments.

Additional federal financial aid restrictions may also apply. Check with the Office of Financial Aid.

This aid policy does not apply to courses designated as repeatable in the bulletin (see individual course descriptions). Students will be notified if they are receiving Title IV aid and enrolled in non-repeatable coursework for a term.

Incomplete Grade

A grade of I or Incomplete, indicates that the student—for reasons satisfactory to the instructor as well as the Department Chair/Program Director and the Dean—has been unable to complete the requirements of the course by the end of the semester.

Until an I has been removed, it is evaluated as an F in computing the student’s grade point average. Students who receive an I in a course and subsequently complete the required work within the prescribed time will receive the grade assigned by the instructor.

For undergraduate courses, the incomplete work must be finished and submitted by the date indicated on the Request for an Incomplete form. This deadline can be at most the last class day of the next regular semester (excluding summer) but may be shorter than that, as specified by the instructor. The instructor then must grade the work and submit proper change of grade paperwork to the Office of the Registrar within one week of the specified deadline for completion of student work. Extensions to the established deadline are not permitted. If the work is not completed by the specified deadline, then the I converts to an F and cannot be changed.

Withdrawal Grade

A grade of W, indicating that the student has withdrawn from the course, will not be calculated into the grade point average, provided the course is dropped by the date indicated in the academic calendar. After that designated date, students withdrawing will receive either a WP or WF, depending on their performance in the course up to that time. A date is established in the academic calendar beyond which a student may not withdraw from a course without special permission from the Department Chair/Program Director, Dean, and the Chief Academic Officer.

Pass/Fail Grading

With permission of the Department Chair/Program Director, juniors or seniors who have at least a 2.0 grade point average may elect to enroll in courses on a pass/fail basis. A passing grade is recorded as P and carries credit toward graduation. This mark, however, is not used in computing the grade point average. A failing grade is recorded as F and is computed in the grade point average. Students may not choose pass-fail grading for any course in their major or minor program, in any course used to meet a specific University requirement (such as core curriculum classes), in any course required for teacher certification, or in any course requiring a grade of C or higher. A student may not request pass-fail grading in any course for which he/she has previously received a grade, including a grade of I.

No Credit Grade

Some courses (such as English Composition) adopt a grading scale of A, B, C, No Credit. These courses require that the student earn at least a C before he/she is awarded credit. Those who do not meet this basic requirement receive an NC, which earns no credit toward graduation and is not calculated into the grade point average. Use of the NC grading scale will be noted in the course description. It is important to remember that some post-baccalaureate professional programs calculate the NC as an F when making decisions regarding admissions.

Non-Attendance Grade

Auditors who do not attend at least 70% of the class meetings will receive a grade of NA or Non-Attendance. This mark is recorded on the student’s transcript, but is not computed in the grade point average.