The University Senate of Michigan
Technological University
Proposal 20-12 (revised
04-11-12)
(Voting Units:
Academic)
“Proposal
to Amend Various Senate Policies”
Background
Recent
internal audits as well as changes in Federal law have underscored the need to
better define policies regarding grades of Incomplete (I) and Conditional (X),
especially as they impact the student’s grade point average and their academic
progress. Both I and X grades impact
student eligibility for federal financial aid.
In view of their importance, grading guidelines are proposed to assist
faculty in determining the standards which must be met for each, and a
timetable for course completion is explicitly proposed.
Revised
wording applicable to the current practice of electronic submission of grades
has also been included.
Proposed
changes to existing policies are indicated in strikethroughs
and red and green (revised) below.
Senate
Policy 304.1: Course Grades
Final
grades are
the basis for admission to advanced courses, computation of grade point
averages, the determination of academic honors or probation, scholarship
status, etc. They are of fundamental importance to each student.
Consequently, grade records must be maintained with meticulous accuracy and promptness.
For
two important reasons it is essential that all final grades be delivered to the
Registrar's Office by the specified final deadline:
1)
Students' schedules and financial aid for the coming semester often depends on
grades received in the preceding semester.
2)
The economical and efficient operation of the Registrar's Office is impaired
when work for a new semester is interrupted to post late grades from the
preceding semester.
Details
of grades and scheduling are given in the University Catalogs.
The
following procedures shall normally be followed by instructors:
1)
At the end of each semester, the person in charge of each course or section
will enter final grades electronically
on the forms provided for this purpose, sign the forms, and deliver them to
the Registrar's Office by the specified final deadline. (It would be extremely
helpful if they were delivered as soon as possible after the scheduled course
final so that they can be processed immediately. The Registrar's Office
requests that instructors try to turn their grades in within 48 hours of
the scheduled finals. A large volume in the last two days before the
deadline negatively impacts the ability of the Registrar's Office to process
the grades in a timely manner.) If an instructor, because of illness or
other unavoidable absence, is unable to meet this deadline, the
department chair (or school dean/director) should arrange for assistance so
that final grades can be delivered submitted on time.
2)
When a final grade (i.e., a grade other than Incomplete (I), Conditional (X),
or Progress (P) has been submitted delivered
to the Registrar's Office, it becomes a part of the official records of the
University, and NO ONE OTHER THAN THE INSTRUCTOR IS AUTHORIZED TO CHANGE IT.
Normally, this is only done if there was an identifiable error in reporting the
final grade (e.g., this could be due to an error in computing the grade,
missing assignments that were discovered, etc.). Signed and dated
corrections are made on Grade changes can be made online though BanWeb by the
instructor of record. In the event that
the instructor is unavailable, changes can be made by the department chair (or
school dean/director) using change-of-grade forms which are
obtained from the Registrar's Office after an instructor has called them to
report the need for the form and the change which is needed. The normal basis
for such a correction should be a clearly identified error in the originally
reported grade. (However, there is a place on the change-of-grade form to
indicate that a clearly identified error was made in the originally reported
grade. If that is not checked a record of the original grade will appear on a
student's transcript along with the changed grade.) The signature approval of
the department chair (or school dean/director) is required on all change-of-grade
forms requests.
3)
The Cchange-of-grade
process forms
outlined
above will also be used for changing a grade from Incomplete
(I), Condition (X), or Progress (P) to a final grade.
*
The instructor of record, for each course or section, is
requested to submit grades electronically within 48 hours of their scheduled
final exam. All grades are to be
submitted by the specified deadline. If
an instructor, because of illness or other unavoidable absence, is unable to
meet this deadline, the department chair (or school dean/director) will arrange
for assistance to ensure final grades are submitted on time.
*
When a final grade (i.e., a grade other than Incomplete (I),
Conditional (X), or Progress (P)) has been submitted, it becomes a part of the
official records of the University, and no one other than the faculty member,
or the department chair (or school dean/director) is authorized to change it.
*
When submitting an Incomplete ‘I’ grade, documentation listing
the reason for assigning the grade and the requirements needed to change the
‘I’ to a final grade is required.
*
When submitting a Failing ‘F’ grade, the last date of attendance
is required (if the exact date is unknown, approximate the date based on the
last exam or assignment).
*
Grade changes can be made online through BanWeb by the
instructor of record. In the event that
the instructor is unavailable, changes can be made by the department chair (or
school dean/director) using change-of-grade forms which are obtained from the
Registrar’s Office. Normally, this is
only done if there was an identifiable error in reporting the final grade
(e.g., this could be due to an error in computing the grade, missing
assignments that were discovered, etc).
*
The change-of-grade process outlined above will also be used for
changing a grade from Incomplete (I), Conditional (X), or Progress (P) to a
final grade. (Senate Proposal 25-94)
Senate
Policy 311.1: Grading System
The
grades awarded by the University are:
A Excellent, with 4.0 grade points per
credit.
AB Very good, with 3.5 grade points per
credit.
B Good, with 3.0 grade points per
credit.
BC Above average, with 2.5 grade points per
credit.
C Average, with 2.0 grade points per
credit.
CD Below average, with 1.5 grade points per
credit.
D Inferior, with 1.0 grade point per
credit.
F Failure, with 0.0 grade point per
credit.
I Incomplete:
not computed
in GPA calculation appropriate when:
• the student
has a legitimate extenuating circumstance prohibiting the completion of the
course;
• the
student has completed a minimum of 80%, by number, of the graded assignments
and exams;
• the student
has the ability to complete the course requirements without re-enrolling in the
course;
• the student
currently has a passing grade in the course.
Extenuating circumstances may include (but are not
limited to):
• car
accident
• sudden
illness or injury (Doctor’s office/hospital documented)
• birth of a
child
• death of a
family member
• conditions
of close friends (suicide, accident/injury)
• divorce
(individual and parental)
• financial
hardship.
A
grade of incomplete may be given only when a student is unable to complete a
segment of the course because of circumstances beyond the student’s control.
approved in writing by the department chair. An incomplete grade must be made up within 1
semester of being assigned regardless of residency according to the following
schedule:
• assigned
fall semester: course must be completed
by the end of spring semester;
• assigned
spring semester: course must be
completed by the end of fall semester;
• assigned
summer semester: course must be
completed by the end of fall semester.
An I
grade should not be used as a substitute for a failing grade or a withdrawal.
Failure to
complete the coursework within the timeframes defined above will result in the
conversion of the I to an F. Incomplete
grades at graduation are considered (F) grades in computing the final grade
point average.
IS In-Session;
temporary grade indicating a course that remains in session and ends after the
semester's final grade deadline.
X Conditional:
computed
into the grade point average as an (F) grade, with no grade
points per credit; given only when the student is at fault in failing to
complete a segment of a course, but in the judgment of the instructor does not
need to repeat the course. An X is appropriate
when:
• the student
does not have a legitimate extenuating circumstance for failing to complete
course requirements that meets the standards for the I grade (above);
• the
student has completed a minimum of 80%, by number, of the graded assignments
and exams;
• the student
has the ability to complete the course requirements without re-enrolling in the
course;
• the student
currently has a passing grade in the course.
Example circumstances appropriate for an X grade may
include:
• oversleeping
on the day of an exam
• flat
tire/unexpected car trouble
• incomplete
assignments.
X grades It must be made up within
the next semester in residence according to the same schedule summarized above for the I
grade. Failure to complete the course
accordingly will result in the permanent conversion of the X grade to an
F. or the grade becomes a
failure. An (X) grade is computed into the grade point average as an (F) grade.
M Missing
grade, see instructor for clarification.
N No
Grade, No Credit, No Grade Points; given when a student officially withdraws
from school after the regular drop period, passing the subject.
P Progress;
may be used for 5000 or 6000 series research courses and approved 3000 or 4000 level
project courses where projects may carry over for more than one semester.
Q Inadequate
Progress; may be used for 5000 or 6000 series research courses and approved 3000 or 4000 level
project courses and courses where projects may carry over for more than one
semester.
W Drop,
No Credit, No Grade Points; given when a student drops a course between the
beginning of the fourth week and the end of the eighth tenth week;
after the eighth tenth week, a student may request a late drop only
from the Dean of Student Affairs.
CR Credit
by advanced placement or examination. (Board
of Control Policy 13.2)
Pass-Fail
Grades
S
and E grades are reserved to indicate a student's performance when a student
has elected to enroll in a course under the Pass-Fail option.
S Satisfactory;
credit but no grade points. A grade of S is given for performance equal to a
letter grade of A, B, or C.
E Effort
Unsatisfactory; no credit, no grade points, and not included in student's grade
point average. A grade of E is given for performance equal to a letter grade of
D or F. (Board
of Control Policy 13.2)
Senate
Policy 302.1: Audit Grades
V Satisfactory Audit, with no grade points or
credit.
U Unsatisfactory
Audit, with no grade points or credit.
A
course taken as an audit may be taken at a later date for credit subject to the
approval of the student's major department. Students auditing courses will be
charged the same tuition as if taken for credit. Students have six weeks from
the start of instruction to change a course to an audit status.
Senate
Policy 112.1: Academic Dishonesty
E*
and U* grades are administered differently than the F* grade. For the F* grade,
a student is typically assigned an F for a course and the Office of Judicial
Affairs provides the student an opportunity to complete an assignment that will
not cause the F grade to change to a F* grade. For the E* and U* grades, a
student is assigned the E* and U* for a course and then the * is removed upon
completion of an assignment. This procedure means that the E* or U* remains on
the student’s transcript during the period in which he/she is completing the
assignment, which is not the case for the F* grade. This Proposal would ensure
uniform administration of the F*, E* and U* grades.
E* Effort
Unsatisfactory due to Academic Dishonesty. No credit, no grade points; given
for courses taken under the Pass-Fail option.
U* Unsatisfactory
Audit due to Academic Dishonesty. No credit, no grade points; given for courses
taken for audit.
Senate
Policy 309.1: Mid-Term Grades
Mid-term Satisfactory. Indicates that
satisfactory progress is being made in the course at the end of the 6th week of
class.
Mid-term Not Applicable.
Administratively assigned to a course for which a midterm grade is not
applicable.
Mid-term Unsatisfactory. Indicates
that unsatisfactory progress is being made in the course at the end of the 6th
week of class.
Missing. Status grade
administratively issued to each student in a course whose instructor failed to
meet the grade reporting deadline or when a grade is intentionally left blank
by the instructor in cases where there is an academic integrity issue.
Clean Copy of Policies Including Changes:
Senate
Policy 304.1: Course Grades
Final
grades are
the basis for admission to advanced courses, computation of grade point
averages, the determination of academic honors or probation, scholarship
status, etc. They are of fundamental importance to each student.
Consequently, grade records must be maintained with meticulous accuracy and promptness.
Details
of grades and scheduling are given in the University Catalogs.
The
following procedures shall normally be followed by instructors:
*
The instructor of record,
for each course or section, is requested to submit grades electronically within
48 hours of their scheduled final exam.
All grades are to be submitted by the specified deadline. If an instructor, because of illness or other
unavoidable absence, is unable to meet this deadline, the department chair (or
school dean/director) will arrange for assistance to ensure final grades are
submitted on time.
*
When a final grade (i.e.,
a grade other than Incomplete (I), Conditional (X), or Progress (P)) has been
submitted, it becomes a part of the official records of the University, and no
one other than the faculty member, or the department chair (or school
dean/director) is authorized to change it.
*
When submitting an
Incomplete ‘I’ grade, documentation listing the reason for assigning the grade
and the requirements needed to change the ‘I’ to a final grade is required.
*
When submitting a Failing
‘F’ grade, the last date of attendance is required (if the exact date is
unknown, approximate the date based on the last exam or assignment).
*
Grade changes can be made
online through BanWeb by the instructor of record. In the event that the instructor is
unavailable, changes can be made by the department chair (or school
dean/director) using change-of-grade forms which are obtained from the
Registrar’s Office. Normally, this is
only done if there was an identifiable error in reporting the final grade
(e.g., this could be due to an error in computing the grade, missing
assignments that were discovered, etc).
*
The change-of-grade
process outlined above will also be used for changing a grade from Incomplete
(I), Conditional (X), or Progress (P) to a final grade. (Senate Proposal 25-94)
Senate
Policy 311.1: Grading System
The
grades awarded by the University are:
A Excellent, with 4.0 grade points per
credit.
AB Very good, with 3.5 grade points per
credit.
B Good, with 3.0 grade points per
credit.
BC Above average, with 2.5 grade points per
credit.
C Average, with 2.0 grade points per
credit.
CD Below average, with 1.5 grade points per
credit.
D Inferior, with 1.0 grade point per
credit.
F Failure, with 0.0 grade point per
credit.
I Incomplete:
not computed in GPA calculation appropriate when:
• the student has a legitimate extenuating
circumstance prohibiting the completion of the course;
• the student has the ability to complete the
course requirements without re-enrolling in the course;
• the student currently has a passing grade
in the course.
Extenuating
circumstances may include (but are not limited to):
• car accident
• sudden illness or injury (Doctor’s
office/hospital documented)
• birth of a child
• death of a family member
• conditions of close friends (suicide,
accident/injury)
• divorce (individual and parental)
An incomplete grade must
be made up within 1 semester of being assigned regardless of residency
according to the following schedule:
• assigned fall semester: course must be completed by the end of spring
semester;
• assigned spring semester: course must be completed by the end of fall
semester;
• assigned summer semester: course must be completed by the end of fall
semester.
An I grade
should not be used as a substitute for a failing grade or a withdrawal.
Failure to
complete the coursework within the timeframes defined above will result in the
conversion of the I to an F. Incomplete grades
at graduation are considered (F) grades in computing the final grade point
average.
IS In-Session;
temporary grade indicating a course that remains in session and ends after the
semester's final grade deadline.
X Conditional:
computed into the grade point average as an (F) grade given only when the
student is at fault in failing to complete a segment of a course, but in the
judgment of the instructor does not need to repeat the course. An X is
appropriate when:
• the student does not have a legitimate
extenuating circumstance for failing to complete course requirements that meets
the standards for the I grade (above);
• the student has the ability to complete the
course requirements without re-enrolling in the course;
• the student currently has a passing grade
in the course.
Example
circumstances appropriate for an X grade may include:
• oversleeping on the day of an exam
• flat tire/unexpected car trouble
• incomplete assignments.
X grades must be made up within the next semester according to the same schedule summarized above for the I
grade. Failure to complete the course
accordingly will result in the conversion of the X grade to an F.
M Missing
grade, see instructor for clarification.
N No
Grade, No Credit, No Grade Points; given when a student officially withdraws
from school after the regular drop period, passing the subject.
P Progress;
may be used for 5000 or 6000 series research courses and approved 3000 or 4000
level project courses where projects may carry over for more than one semester.
Q Inadequate
Progress; may be used for 5000 or 6000 series research courses and approved 3000
or 4000 level project courses and courses where projects may carry over for
more than one semester.
W Drop,
No Credit, No Grade Points; given when a student drops a course between the
beginning of the fourth week and the end of the tenth week; after the tenth
week, a student may request a late drop only from the Dean of Student Affairs.
CR Credit
by advanced placement or examination. (Board
of Control Policy 13.2)
Introduced to Senate:
04 April 2012
Revised and Reintroduced: 11 April 2012
Approved by Senate: 18 April 2012
Approved by Administration: 08 May 2012