& Student Handbook - Saint Mary's University of Minnesota

14 Saint Maryʼs University of Minnesota
Academic Policies
Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota retains the right to change any
policies at any time. New and/or updated policies are online at
www.smumn.edu.
Grading
Instructors assign letter grades based on student performance. The
grade in a course represents the extent to which the student learning
objectives have been demonstrated by the student. Factors other than
those in the student learning objectives and/or about which instruction
has not been provided as part of the course may not be considered in
the calculation of the grade, unless these are provided in a prerequisite
course or are required for admission to the program. Academic and
professional performance issues that are not in the student learning
objectives may be communicated to the students through measures
other than the course grade.
Pluses and minuses are not part of the official grading system and are
not used to calculate a student’s grade point average.
Grade Values and Points
Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota uses a grade point system to
evaluate the overall quality of coursework. The number of grade points
earned in a given course is the number of credits for that course
multiplied by the quality point corresponding to the grade recorded in
that course, as shown below.
Undergraduate Programs Grading Scale
The grades of A, AB, B, BC, C, CD, D, F, P, NC and X are all used in the
calculation of the undergraduate grade point average. All undergraduate
courses (except ILR credits) are graded on the following scale. Only
grades of D and above are acceptable for credit.
Grade Achievement Level Quality Points
A 95-100% of points 4.0
AB 90-94% of points 3.5
B 85-89% of points 3.0
BC 80-84% of points 2.5
C 75-79% of points 2.0
CD 70-74% of points 1.5
D 60-69% of points 1.0
F Fewer than 60% of points 0.0
I/grade Incomplete/current grade 0.0
P Pass (A, AB, B, BC, C) 0.0
NC No Credit (CD, D, F) 0.0
AU Audit 0.0
W
Withdrawal (prior to
mid-term of course) 0.0
IP Course in Progress 0.0
CP
Course Completed
(not taken for credit) 0.0
X Unauthorized withdrawal 0.0
Graduate Programs Programs
Grading Scale
The grades of A, B, C, NC and X are all used in the calculation of the graduate
grade point average.
Grade Achievement Level Quality Points
A 90–100% of points 4.0
B 80–89% of points 3.0
C 70–79% of points 2.0
NC
Fewer than 70% of points
No Credit 0.0
I/grade Incomplete/current grade 0.0
P Pass (A, B) 0.0
W
Withdrawal (prior to mid-term
of course) 0.0
AU Audit 0.0
IP Course in Progress 0.0
X Unauthorized withdrawal 0.0
I/Grade
The grade of “I” (Incomplete) may or may not be given by the instructor at
the student’s request when the required work is not completed. The
student must submit a written request to the instructor prior to the final
class session. In addition, the student must contact the instructor to
ascertain what work remains to be done.
The instructor must report on the official grade roster the grade “I”
followed by the grade that the student will receive if the coursework is not
completed within 60 days of the last day of the class (e.g. I/NC or I/C or
I/B). Submission of the grade of “I” without the corresponding letter grade
will be treated as an I/NC.
If the required work is completed in the specified time, the instructor will
report a single final grade to the registrar. That grade will replace the
I/grade, the incomplete will be removed, and the grade point average will
be recomputed accordingly. Otherwise, the provisional grade which was
assigned along with the “I” will become a permanent part of the transcript.
A request for an extension beyond 60 days must be submitted, in writing,
to the program director. The program director, after conferring with the
instructor, may or may not grant the extension. If an extension is approved,
a new deadline must be established. Students receiving incompletes in
prerequisite courses will be administratively withdrawn from the
subsequent course if the incomplete is not resolved at least one week
prior to the start of the course.
IP Grade
The IP grade is reserved for courses that are designated to run across
semesters where the student is required to complete a defined number of
hours such as a practicum or internship. This grade is assigned at the end
of the first semester and prior to completion of work. An IP grade should not
extend beyond one year.