ARTICLES OF GOVERNMENT
ARTICLE VII. Grading and Reports

Section 1. Grading System

A. Credits are stated in terms of course units. Except for courses described in Article I, Section 1,F, a unit of work represents one semester course.

B. Letter grades: the grades for courses, except those specified in (C) below, are the letter grades A through C , D, E, and F. They are defined as follows:

     1. Grade A is given to students who meet with conspicuous excellence every demand which can fairly be made by the course.

     2. Grade B is given to those students who add to the minimum of satisfactory attainment excellence in not all, but some of the following: organization, accuracy, originality, understanding, insight.

     3. Grade C is given to those students who have attained a satisfactory familiarity with the content of a course and who have demonstrated ability to use this knowledge in a satisfactory manner.

     4. Grade D is a passing grade. There is no grade of D+ or D .

     5. Grade E is a condition given when a student who has completed all of the in term work for a course at a passing level receives a failing grade on the final examination or final paper. The E condition may be raised to a D (but to no higher grade) by passing another examination or by rewriting an acceptable final paper, as the case may be. A student may take only one examination or resubmit only one final paper to remove an E condition. If the student fails to remove the condition, the E will remain on the permanent record, and the student will not receive credit for the course. Grade F denotes failure and a loss of credit for the course. If a student repeats a course in a class for which she had received an F, the grade which the student earns in the course will not be affected by the earlier failure. However, each course which a student completes on a letter grade basis and the resulting grade will be entered on her permanent record.

C. Nonletter grades:

     1. A student shall have the option of taking an unlimited number of courses on a credit/noncredit basis. Credit (CR) will be given to a student's work if in the opinion of the instructor it is satisfactory for diploma grade standing. On a letter grade basis, a C average is required for diploma grade standing. (See Article VII B. 3. for definition of Grade C.)

     2. If a student who is taking a course on a credit/noncredit basis receives a grade of C- or below in the course, a grade of NCR will appear on the permanent record.

     3. A student will declare her decision to take a course for a letter grade or on a credit/noncredit basis by the end of the fourth week of the semester during the academic year, using the system provided by the Registrar's office. The deadlines for winter and summer sessions will be the same as for dropping a course without notation.

     4. A course may be offered on a mandatory credit/noncredit basis with the permission of the departmental committee and the Committee on Curriculum and Instruction. The Committee on Curriculum and Instruction will approve the request if it is satisfied that nonletter grades are essential to the nature of the course (for example, creative writing courses). Approval will not be given because of the personal preference of the instructor for nonletter grades.

     5. The grades for certain writing workshops are: distinction, credit, noncredit.

D. Incomplete Notations

"I" is a condition given for work which is incomplete at the end of the examination period. For excused incompletes, the "I" will be replaced by the earned letter grade. Unexcused incompletes will show "I" followed by the earned grade.

INC is a permanent condition which will be given if an earned grade for unexcused incomplete work is not submitted within the stipulated time period. (See Article VI, section 4, B.)

Section 2. Grade Reporting

A. Instructors are expected to report on the work done by first-year students and transfer students in the first half of their first semester. Such reports shall be sent to the Registrar if the student's grade is C or lower. The student shall be notified.

B. The grade for a course shall not be based solely upon a single piece of work, final paper or examination.

C. In general, a student's record for a semester shall be closed at the end of the semester. If a student's work in a course is unfinished at the close of the semester, the instructor should enter the notation "I" on the grade sheet, and the student's case will be considered by the Academic Review Board. (See Article VI, Section 4.)

D. All grades shall be considered final after they have been reported to the students, and may not be changed except for sufficient cause and on the authority of Academic Review Board.

E. Grades in courses without examinations or final papers.

     1. A notification shall be sent out not later than the last day of classes of the semester to any students whose grades in courses without examinations or final papers fall below C .

     2. In courses without examinations or final papers, students who fall below C , by the record of the class work only, shall be allowed, upon application, an examination, and the grade for such examination shall be combined with the grade for class work to form the semester grade.

F. An official written warning shall be sent after every examination period to all students whose work for the semester is not of diploma grade standing.