SUU Seal (for official use only)
 

POLICY #6.13
SUBJECT: Grading

I. PURPOSE

The purpose of this Policy is to define and establish policy regarding undergraduate and graduate grades.

II. REFERENCES

  1. Southern Utah University Policy 6.19 Grade Appeal
  2. Utah System of Higher Education Policy R515 Excess Credit Hour Surcharges

III. DEFINITIONS

  1. Semester: An academic term that is approximately one-third of the academic year, either Fal, Spring, or Summer.
  2. Session: An academic term that is a portion of a full academic Semester.

IV. POLICY

  1. Grades
    1. The following grades and numeric point values are used to compute the cumulative grade point average (GPA):

      Grade Meaning & Value
      Undergraduate Graduate
      A Excellent 4.0 4.0
      A- Excellent 3.7 3.7
      B+ Above average 3.3 3.3
      B Above average 3.0 3.0
      B- Above average 2.7 2.7
      C+ Average 2.3 2.3
      C Average 2.0 2.0
      C- Average 1.7 N/A
      D+ Below average 1.3 N/A
      D Below average 1.0 N/A
      D- Below average 0.7 N/A
      F Failure/poor 0.0 0.0
      UW Unofficial withdrawal 0.0 0.0
    2. Courses with the following notations in the grade column are not used in computing the GPA, the graduation hours, or the total hours completed:

      AU Audit: Indicates that the student was allowed to sit in a class without earning credit or a grade. See Section IV.D. below.

      I Incomplete: Indicates the student was unable to complete the course for a legitimate reason after having completed a substantial portion of the required work. See Section IV.B. below.

      NC No credit: Indicates the student registered for a course for no credit or earned no credit for the completion of a course.

      T Temporary: Indicates the course is being continued in the subsequent Semester or Session and a grade and credits will be calculated when the course is complete and a letter grade has been issued. The "T" grade is approved for specific courses only.

      P Passed: Indicates a pass/fail course was passed; no points are assigned but credit is earned.

      W Withdrawal: Indicates the student withdrew from the course after the 100% refund deadline.

      NR Incomplete thesis, graduate project or other comparable task: Indicates the student is in the process of completing a graduate thesis, project, or other comparable graduate task.
    3. The grade point average (GPA) is calculated by dividing the total number of GPA hours accumulated into the sum of all grade points earned. A minimum GPA of 2.00 is required for graduation but some departments maintain even higher GPA requirements. Grades of "P" or "F" may be given in certain courses where attendance or class activity are the major factors in determining performance.
  2. Incompletes
    1. An incomplete grade is placed on a student's record by the instructor when due to extenuating circumstances the student is unable to complete the assigned course work by the end of the Semester or Session.
      1. Extenuating circumstances includes (1) incapacitating illness which prevents a student from attending classes, (2) a death in the immediate family, (3) financial responsibilities requiring a student to alter course schedules to secure employment, (4) change in work schedule required by an employer, or (5) other emergencies deemed appropriate by the instructor.
      2. The student may petition the instructor for time beyond the end of the Semester or Session (not to exceed 12 calendar months) to finish the work necessary to complete a course. Before the end of the Semester or Session, the instructor may request additional time for a student to complete a course by submitting an Incomplete Contract to the Registrar's Office. The student must complete the work within the contract time.
      3. An incomplete grade should be granted only if the student has completed 75% of the course as determined by the professor and is passing the class at the time the contract is issued. If the contract is not satisfied by the student, then the incomplete shall be changed by the instructor (or, if the instructor is not available, by that department) to the grade of "F" or the grade agreed upon by virtue of the contract. If no report is received by the Registrar's Office within the time specified in the contract, the fallback grade listed on the contract will be awarded.
      4. The student should not register in a course again to complete the work of an incomplete.
      5. Students shall not be allowed to submit assignments or other work for grade changes outside of the Semester or Session in which they are taking a class, unless an incomplete contract has been signed. The only exceptions to this policy are for clerical errors. (See Section IV.H. below.)
      6. The instructor is responsible for submission of a completed grade when the student has completed the required work.
  3. Temporary Grades ("T," "Z," and "NR" Grades)
    1. A grade of "T" indicates that a student is currently in progress toward the attainment of course objectives that extend beyond a single Semester or Session. The "T" grade is used only for courses that include internships or coursework that spans two (2) Semesters or Sessions. The time limit for removal of a "T" grade is determined by the instructor, but will not exceed one (1) Semester or Session semester following the Semester or Session in which the grade was issued. "T" Grades not removed within the time limit will be replaced by the Registrar with a grade of "F."
    2. A grade of "Z" is recorded when no other grade is submitted by an instructor. The time limit for removal of a "Z" grade is one (1) calendar year following the Semester or Session in which the grade was issued, at which time the "Z" grade will be replaced by the Registrar with a grade of "F."
    3. A grade of "NR" is given for an incomplete graduate thesis, project, or other comparable graduate task. While completing the task the student enrolls in a 6999 course each Semester or Session. The student has until the end of the time period established with the instructor to complete the task. When the task is complete the "NR" grade is replaced with the appropriate earned grade. If the task is not complete by the end of the established period, or if the student does not enroll in a 6999 course each Semester or Session until the thesis, project, or comparable graduate task is completed, the Registrar will change the "NR" grade to an "F" grade.
  4. Auditing
    1. Auditing students have the right of full participation in class.
    2. Students must register to audit any class. Such audit hours will be part of their total load, and they shall pay tuition at the same rate as students taking the course for credit.
    3. No credit is given for audited courses.
  5. Repeated Classes
    1. A student may elect to repeat a course for grade change or improvement. For non-repeatable courses, the highest grade received will be used in computing the grade point average at graduation, and all other attempts at that course will be excluded (both credits and grades). For repeatable courses, the last instance of the class must remain in the GPA, but previous attempts may be excluded at the student's request. Courses taken at other institutions and repeated at SUU will not qualify for change of grade unless the Registrar is provided written proof from the appropriate SUU department or program that the courses involved were of similar content.
    2. A student may elect to repeat a course more than once for credit applicable toward graduation. However, a statement indicating the course can be repeated for credit must appear in the University's General Catalog course description. Unless such a statement is included in a course description, the repeated class shall not apply to the total credit hours required to earn the credential.
    3. The University reserves the right to deny access to courses for students wishing to enroll following a third attempt. The University will grant additional attempts based on the student's ability to benefit as determined by the appropriate department or discipline. This is a general University practice; the practice may be more restrictive in selected programs and courses (e.g., student teaching).
    4. In accordance with Utah State Board of Higher Education Policy R515, students who enroll in a course following a second attempt will be required to pay the out-of-state tuition rate for the course unless the repetition is a result of illness, accident, or other cause beyond the student's control, or unless the course is prescribed by the student's program of study.
  6. Graduate Thesis
    1. All graduate-level thesis course grading must be Pass/Fail (P/F).
  7. Submission of Mid-Semester Grades
    1. Instructors will provide a mid-semester academic assessment for enrolled students each Fall and Spring Semester by submitting a grade (or indicate pass/fail for pass/fail courses) in the University-used learning management system or through the University-used student information system. An exemption may be made to this mid-Semester requirement by Deans and Departments Chairs for courses where it may be impractical to determine a mid-Semester grade (e.g., capstones, senior recitals, internship courses, etc.). Approval for this exemption must first be approved by the Department Chair and then the Dean at the end of the first week of the Semester.
    2. Mid-Semester grades are advisory in nature and are not binding.
    3. The mid-Semester grade for each student for each course will be based on the performance of the student up to the midpoint of the Semester, based off the standards that are defined in the course syllabus made available to all students on the first day of class.
    4. Mid-Semester grades are not recorded on the student transcript.
    5. Mid-Semester grades are not included in grade point average computations.
    6. The mid-Semester grade must be submitted by Friday of the eighth week of each Fall and Spring Semester.
  8. Submission of Semester or Session Grades
    1. Instructors must submit grades to the Registrar's Office not later than 5:00 PM Mountain Time on the Wednesday following the official end of that Semester or Session as listed in the Academic Calendar.
  9. Changing of Grades
    1. Grades may only be changed for legitimate reasons by the instructor who submitted the original grade, or the Department Chair over the course in the event that the instructor is no longer available. A grade appeal process is also available through SUU Policy 6.19.
    2. The time limit on changing grades is two (2) years after the posting of the incorrect grade.
  10. Changing of Courses After Registration (Add or Drop)
    1. Any student may change their schedule of courses through their University Portal, subject to the following guidelines:
      1. No course may be added after the first 21% of the Semester or Session has passed. Classes added between the 7% and 21% mark of the Semester or Session require the instructor’s signature. Any exception to the "add" policy requires instructor and Dean's signatures.
      2. Students may drop courses until the 100% refund deadline without the courses appearing on their transcript.
      3. Students may withdraw from individual courses up until 60% of the Semester or Session has passed. These courses will receive a "W" on the transcript.
      4. A student should be aware that all classes they drop must be properly processed through the Registrar's Office. If a student stops attending a class without officially withdrawing, they will receive a "UW" (failure) for the course. This grade is calculated in the GPA as an "F."

V. RELEVANT FORMS/LINKS

N/A

VI. QUESTIONS/RESPONSIBLE OFFICE

The responsible office for this Policy is the Provost/Vice President for Academic Affairs. For questions about grades and grade submission, contact the Office of the Registrar.

VII. POLICY ADOPTION AND AMENDMENT DATES

Date Approved: March 28, 1995

Amended: January 26, 2007; June 11, 2009; January 13, 2012; May 3, 2018; January 21, 2022