About

2211 – Grading System

WWW Posting Date: 1/15/2002

Responsible Office: Provost


The content of this policy will be moved to another location on Tech’s website at the completion of the campus-wide policy review project led by the Policy Advisory Committee.

The University’s system of grading is traditional: A grade of “A” is given for the highest degree of excellence that is reasonable to expect of students of exceptional ability and application. A grade of “B” is superior. A grade of “C” is average. A grade of “D” is given for a quality of work that is considered the minimum for receiving credit for the class. A grade of “S” indicates satisfactory completion of the course. A grade of “F” is given for a failure, and the work must be repeated to receive credit.

Some other grades given by the University need more explanation. The grade “I” (Incomplete) is used to denote failure to complete all assigned class work and/or examinations as a result of conditions beyond the student’s control. It is the responsibility of the student to initiate a request with the instructor that a grade of “I” be issued. If the student’s work is of passing quality, the instructor may approve the student’s request and will assign a grade of “I” plus the average letter grade on all work completed to that point (e.g. IA, IB, IC, or ID). A grade of “IF” cannot be issued. If the instructor agrees to issue an “I,” he/she will complete a standard “contract” with the student detailing requirements for course completion and specifying the date those requirements must be finished by completing the “I” Grade Completion Form. Instructors then provide a copy of the contract to the student and a copy to the Department Head/Director. Students will receive a grade of IA, IB, IC, or ID on their grade report (and transcript) for that quarter. Incompletes are factored into hours attempted and quality points awarded. Therefore, they impact a student’s quarter and cumulative grade point averages and are a factor in academic probation or suspension decisions. The maximum amount of time allowed for a student to finish incomplete work is Friday of the fourth week in the following quarter, with one exception: students receiving “I” grades at the end of the spring quarter have until the fourth week in the following fall quarter to complete their work. If the student does not complete the required work within the contracted period, the instructor will change the “I” to an “F” by delivering a final grade change to the Registrar’s Office by Friday of the fifth week of the quarter. The final grade replaces the “I” on the student’s permanent record (transcript); attempted hours, earned hours, quality points, and quarter/cumulative grade point averages are recalculated applying the final grade. A student may be placed on, or removed from academic probation or suspension based on the recalculated GPA at the time an “I” grade is cleared. “I” grades are cleared only by completing the required course work, and not by registering for the course again. NOTE: Students registered for approved graduate research, practicum, dissertation, or thesis courses requiring multiple quarters of the same course registration to complete the research receive an “I” for each attempt until the research or practicum is accepted as complete by the advising faculty member. At that the graduate student’s “I” grades are changed to “S” on his/her permanent record.

A grade of “S” indicates satisfactory completion of a course. The “S” grade increases hours earned, but does not affect hours pursued or quality points and is not computed on any GPA. Students registered for a course where the grade of “S” is used who do not complete the required course work will receive the grade “F.”

A “W” is issued when a student withdraws from a class (drops a class) after the final date for registration has passed and before the end of the first seven weeks of a quarter. The “W” grade will appear on the student’s grade report and permanent record (transcript), but is not included in computing the student’s GPA. Students who stop attending class(es) without following proper drop/withdraw or resignation procedures (walk-away) will receive an “F” grade for each class affected.

The grade “NC” (used for undergraduate developmental courses only) denotes no credit earned or hours charged and is not computed in any GPA.