12.040: Grading
Approved
January 30, 2018
Debra M. Benton | University Registrar
Elizabeth Sayrs | Interim Executive Vice President and Provost
M. Duane Nellis | President
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Overview
This policy delineates the university's official grading system.
At the close of a session or upon completion of a class, the instructor reports a final grade indicating the quality of a student's work in the class. The university registrar's deadlines for submitting grades each semester or session must be met. Failure to do so creates problems for students such as loss of employment, scholarships, financial aid, and opportunities for further study. Once grades are submitted to the university registrar, they are final and cannot be changed unless evidence of an error can be presented or a formal grade appeal process is completed in accordance with Ohio university's official grade appeal policy (see the faculty handbook, Section IV-C). Grades cannot be changed by arranging to complete additional work. Grade point values are assigned for each semester hour of credit completed according to the grading system below.
The basis for determining a student's scholastic standing is the grade point average (GPA). This average is determined by dividing the total number of grade points earned by the total number of semester hours of credit attempted. For example, if a student earned a C (2.0) and a B (3.0) in each of two three-hour courses, first multiply the number of hours in each course by the grade point value for that grade (3 x 2 = 6 and 3 x 3 = 9) and add the grade points for each course together to find the total number of grade points (15). Then add the number of hours attempted (3 + 3 = 6) and divide the total number of grade points by the total hours attempted (15/6 = 2.5). The student's GPA after completing the two classes would be 2.5.
A student's GPA is figured only on credit hours attempted - courses for which the student receives letter grades (A-F), FN (failure, never attended), or FS (failure, stopped attending). FN and FS have the same value as an F. Grades of P (pass) and CR (credit) represent hours earned but are not used to calculate the GPA.
Ohio university has used a 4.0 grading system since 1941-42. Plus and minus grades were added in 1973-74.
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Grades used in GPA calculation
Letter
gradeNumerical equivalent
(grade point value)Description
Assigned by
faculty memberA
4.00
Excellent
Yes
A-
3.67
Excellent
Yes
B+
3.33
Good
Yes
B
3.00
Good
Yes
B-
2.67
Good (minimally acceptable at the graduate level)
Yes
C+
2.33
Acceptable (minimally acceptable at the graduate level)
Yes
C
2.00
Acceptable (minimally acceptable at the graduate level)
Yes
C-
1.67
Acceptable (not acceptable at the graduate level)
Yes
D+
1.33
Passing (not acceptable at the graduate level)
Yes
D
1.00
Passing (not acceptable at the graduate level)
Yes
D-
0.67
Passing (not acceptable at the graduate level)
Yes
F
0.00
Failing. Effective fall semester 2017-18, the instructor will confirm the student completed the course and earned the F, otherwise an FN (failure, never attended) or FS (failure, stopped attending) would be assigned.
Yes
FN
0.00
Failure, never attended. This grade is given when the student does not officially drop a class for which they officially registered but did not attend/participate in. FN counts as an F in the GPA. As with any other grade in an undergraduate nonrepeatable course, the FN will be replaced in the grade point average by the last grade earned if the course is retaken.
Yes
FS
0.00
Failure, stopped attending. This grade is given when the student stops attending but does not officially drop a course for which they officially registered and attended/participated in at least once. FS counts as an F in the GPA. In addition, the last date of attendance/participation indicated is recorded on the student's academic record. Like any other grade in an undergraduate nonrepeatable course, the FS will be replaced in the grade point average by the last grade earned if the course is retaken.
Yes
I*
0.00
Administrative Incomplete. Calculated as "F." Student either did not attend or stopped attending without officially withdrawing. Replaced with FN and FS Fall Quarter 1998-99.
Yes - Inactive
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Credit only - included in hours earned but not used in g.p.a. calculation
Letter
gradeNumerical equivalent
(grade point value)Description
Assigned by
faculty memberCR
N/A
Credit. A report of credit may be made for certain preapproved courses. Credit is to be used primarily for graduate level courses. Regardless of the level, using a CR grade for a specific course requires prior approval of the university curriculum council. When a CR grade will be used in a course, it must be used for every student in that section of the course (i.e. an instructor should not mix CR and letter grades) and this will be so announced by the instructor at the start of the course. Some colleges may limit the number of CRs applied to major and degree requirements.
Yes
P
N/A
Pass. Conversion of grades A through D- under the pass/fail option. The pass/fail option is designed to encourage students to explore areas of study which they might otherwise hesitate to enter. To be eligible, the student must have a GPA of 2.5 or better for his or her latest semester of full-time enrollment, or have an accumulative g.p.a. of 2.0 or better. First-semester freshmen automatically qualify. The pass/fail grading option is subject to the following restrictions:
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No course taken pass/fail may be used to fulfill any graduation requirement (college, school, or departmental) other than the total hours requirement. For example, courses taken pass/fail cannot be used to meet distribution requirements, minor or certificate requirements, requirements of courses above a specified level, a specific course established as a major requirement, or any other such requirements in the student's program. Colleges may refuse permission to use the pass/fail option for courses that are eligible to meet any such requirements that have not already been met by the student; if they do grant permission in such a case, the student will have to meet that requirement with some other course. Such courses taken pass/fail prior to the student's entering a program cannot apply to program requirements other than total hours for graduation.
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The student may take no more than one class per semester or session by pass/fail.
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The student may complete no more than 12 semester hours under this option.
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The instructor is not to know who elects their course on the pass/fail option. A letter grade will be turned in and then converted to a P or F on the student's academic record by the university registrar. The original letter grade cannot be retrieved.
To initiate the pass/fail option the student should register for the class online, and then contact their academic dean's student services office or regional campus student services office (no later than the Friday of the second week of the semester or the Friday of the first week of a session) to request that a class be taken pass/fail. Pass/fail requests by regional campus students are reviewed by the student's college student services office on the Athens campus, and may be denied if an inappropriate choice has been made. Pass/fail applications cannot be processed online by the student.
No
S
N/A
Satisfactory. Same value as "CR" grade. Became inactive fall 1967-68.
Yes - Inactive
TCT
N/A
Career technical credit. Effective fall quarter 2011-12.
No
TTC
N/A
Test credit. Effective fall quarter 2011-12.
TAA
N/A
Articulation agreement credit. Effective fall quarter 2010-11.
No
T
N/A
Transferred grade of C- or better. Effective through spring quarter 2010-11.
No
TA
N/A
Transferred grade of A. Effective summer quarter 2010-11.
No
TA-
N/A
Transferred grade of A-. Effective summer quarter 2010-11.
No
TB+
N/A
Transferred grade of B+. Effective summer quarter 2010-11.
No
TB
N/A
Transferred grade of B. Effective summer quarter 2010-11.
No
TB-
N/A
Transferred grade of B-. Effective summer quarter 2010-11.
No
TC+
N/A
Transferred grade of C+. Effective summer quarter 2010-11.
No
TC
N/A
Transferred grade of C. Effective summer quarter 2010-11.
No
TC-
N/A
Transferred grade of C-. Effective summer quarter 2010-11.
No
TD+
N/A
Transferred grade of D+. Effective summer quarter 2010-11.
No
TD
N/A
Transferred grade of D; effective summer quarter 2010-11.
Fall quarter 2005-06 through spring quarter 2010-11: transferred grade of D-, D, or D+.No
TD-
N/A
Transferred grade of D-. Effective summer quarter 2010-11.
No
TN
N/A
Transferred non-graded. Effective fall quarter 2007-08.
No
TCR
N/A
Transferred grade of CR. Effective summer quarter 2010-11.
No
TP
N/A
Transferred grade of pass, including for student-elected pass/fail. Effective fall quarter 2007-08.
No
TX
N/A
Transferred experiential learning. Effective fall quarter 2007-08.
No
-
-
No credit - not included in hours earned and not used in GPA calculation
Letter
gradeNumerical equivalent
(grade point value)Description
Assigned by
faculty memberAU
N/A
Audit. Indicates formal participation in a class, but not for credit or a regular grade. The student who registers for an audit is expected to attend and participate in the class according to the instructor's policy. Failing to do so can result in removal of the Audit from the record. (If this action results in a change of fees, the university policy on refund of registration fees will apply.) Audited classes are calculated in the tuition fees.
No
I
N/A
Incomplete. Receiving an "I" means that the student has not completed the work required for a regular grade. The student must have the instructor's permission to receive the Incomplete. The student must complete the work within the first two weeks of his or her next semester of enrollment or two years from the end of the term in which the grade of "I" was given, whichever comes first, or the "I" converts automatically to an "F." The instructor may, at his or her discretion, submit a change of grade request to the Office of the University Registrar.
When the student applies for graduation, any incompletes on the record will be calculated as "F" grades for the purpose of determining eligibility for graduation and will be converted to "F" upon graduation.
Yes
NC
N/A
No Credit. Conversion of freshman D, I, and F grades from Summer Quarter 1969-70 through Summer Quarter 1976-77 for courses taken under the ABC Grading System option. Also replaces all F grades under Segmented Transcript Policy (began Fall Quarter 1985-86).
NC grades are submitted by faculty to indicate non-passing performance by students in courses in the Ohio program of intensive english (OPIE).
No - except for OPIE
NR
N/A
No Report. This grade is assigned when:
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The instructor does not report the grade;
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The instructor reports the grade too late for semester grade processing; or
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The instructor reports an ineligible grade for the grade eligibility code of the course.
No
PR
N/A
Progress. This grade is primarily used at the graduate level and applies only to a few very specific pre-approved undergraduate courses that are designed to span more than one semester or session. This grade indicates that the student has made progress in the course but has not finished the work required for a letter grade. It may extend longer than one semester.
Yes
W
N/A
Withdrawal. Officially dropped class or withdrew from university. Became inactive fall 1973-74. However, a W will be on the student's record if they withdrew until the instructor assigns the WP, WF, or WN grade.
No - inactive fall quarter 1973-74
WP
N/A
Withdrawn passing. This grade designates classes dropped after the Friday of the second week of the semester (Friday of the first week of a session). (Prior to fall semester 2012-13, this grade designated classes dropped after the fifteenth day.) It indicates that the student was passing at the time of withdrawal. Effective fall semester 2017-18, the last known date of participation will be recorded on the student's academic record.
Yes
WF
N/A
Withdrawn failing. This grade designates classes dropped after the Friday of the second week of the semester (Friday of the first week of a session). (Prior to fall semester 2012-13, this grade designated classes dropped after the 15th day.) It indicates that the student was failing at the time of withdrawal. Effective fall semester 2017-18, the last known date of participation will be recorded on the student's academic record.
Yes
WN
N/A
Withdrawn never attended. This grade designates classes dropped after the Friday of the second week of the semester (Friday of the first week of a session). It indicates that the student never attended or participated in the class. Effective fall semester 2017-18.
A course for which a grade has been assigned by a faculty member will not be removed from the student's academic record without approval of the Tuition Appeal Review Panel (see Policy 12.050) and in accordance with the Faculty Handbook, Section IV-C.
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Repeating a course
Repeating a course is to complete a course more than once for credit. This can be done only with repeatable courses, which are designed to be taken multiple times (e.g., MUS 3400, PSY 4900). Some departments place a limit on the total number of credits that may be earned in a given repeatable course.
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Retaking a course
A regular undergraduate course with fixed content can be retaken to affect the student's GPA. Retaking the course removes the hours and the effect of the earlier grades from the calculation of the GPA. However, all grades appear on the permanent academic record (transcript). The last grade earned is the one used to calculate the GPA, even if it is lower than the earlier grade(s), and only the last instance's credit hours are accepted toward any requirements for graduation. Some graduate and professional schools will include all grades in their own calculation of the GPA when determining a student's eligibility for admission, even though Ohio university calculates the GPA using only the last grade in a retaken course.
Courses taken at Ohio university and retaken at another university are not eligible for grade point adjustment under this policy. Effective Summer Quarter 2010-11, the university limits the number of times an undergraduate course may be retaken to a maximum of two in addition to the first attempt.
Retaking a course after graduation will not change graduation GPA or honors status.
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Transfer credit grades
Beginning summer quarter 2010-11, grades for all acceptable transfer courses are recorded with "T" preceding the grade earned on the student's academic record and the degree audit (DARS) report. Effective fall quarter 2005-2006, Ohio university accepts and applies transfer courses from Ohio public institutions in which grades of D+, D, or D- are earned. Prior to summer quarter 2010-11, these courses reflected a "TD" grade on the student's academic record and DARS (per Ohio department of higher education policy to ensure the equitable treatment of transfer students across Ohio's public institutions of higher education). The number of hours of credit earned at each institution is recorded on the permanent record, but no grades are recorded. Transfer students, therefore, enter Ohio university with no GPA on their Ohio university academic records.
Prior to Fall Quarter 2005-2006, D+, D, or D- grades were not transferable. However, if a student earned a D+, D, or D- in a course which was a specific prerequisite (as stated in the academic catalog of the prior school) to a course in which the student earned a grade of C- or better, then the course in which the D+, D, or D- was received was accepted for credit earned, and the "T" was recorded on DARS.
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Segmented transcript policy
The segmented transcript policy was developed as a way to allow students who leave the university with low grades and re-enroll after an absence of four or more years to begin coursework without the threat of academic probation. Under this policy, all of the student's courses are reflected on the transcript, but the grades earned earlier that affect the GPA are changed temporarily to CR (for any passing grade) and NC (for any failing grade), which removes them from the calculation of the accumulative GPA, while the hours earned will be carried forward.
The new GPA after segmentation will be used for determining probationary status and liability of being academically dropped. The new GPA also may be used, at the discretion of relevant officials or committees, to determine eligibility for entrance to academic programs or for scholarships and honor societies, although they also have the option of using the combined (true) GPA.
However, the GPA for determining the 2.0 minimum overall GPA for graduation and in the major, as well as honor status at graduation, is based on all hours attempted at Ohio university, including those attempted before segmentation. Upon graduation, the university registrar will return all grades to the originals and recalculate the GPA.
Subsequent gaps of four or more years will not qualify students for further transcript segmentation.
The student must petition the student services office of the college dean to have the transcript segmented.
Reviewers
Proposed revisions of this policy should be reviewed by:
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Educational Policy and Student Affairs Committee
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Member of the Provost's Executive Leadership Team
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Associate Vice Provost for Enrollment Management and Director of Undergraduate Admissions
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Faculty Senate
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Student Senate
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Graduate Student Senate