Grading, Honors & Academic Standing

C O N T E N T S

• Academic Concern Notices
• Academic Grievance
• Academic Honors
• Academic Standing
• Accessing Grades
• Change of Grade
• Grade Entry
  • Midterm Grading
  • Final Grading
  • Last Date of Attendance Requirement
  • Missing Grades
  • Graduate Thesis, Project, or Capstone
• Grades Posted to student transcripts & student-self service
• Grade Point Average Calculation
• Grade Replacement
• Grading Schemes
• Incomplete Grade Request
• Required Pass/Fail

Academic Concern Notices

In the event that a student is not performing well in a course, instructors will send an academic concern notice to the student. Students who receive an academic concern notice should meet with their instructor and advisor as soon as possible.

Unsatisfactory performance may be based on excessive absences; inappropriate or inadequate classroom participation; the quality of work submitted, performed, or created for the class; or the outcome of exams or other assignments given by the instructor either in class or as listed on the syllabus.

Academic Grievance

An academic grievance is a complaint by an enrolled student specifically related to a grade, alleging arbitrary and capricious grading, which is defined as:

• the assignment of a course grade to a student on some basis other than performance in the course, or
• the assignment of a course grade to a student by resorting to unreasonable standards different from those which were applied by the same instructor to other students in that course, or
• the assignment of a course grade by a substantial, unreasonable and unannounced departure from the instructor’s previously articulated standards.

The following policies apply:

• Grievances must be submitted no later than the end of the seventh week of the semester following the one in which the cause of the grievance occurred.
• Grievances from graduating students must be submitted within three days of the grading deadline.
• Students who feel the need for a neutral advocate, may request the assistance of any staff or faculty member.

Informal Resolution

Students should first pursue an informal resolution by discussing the academic grievance directly with their instructor. If the outcome of that discussion is unsatisfactory or if the student is uncomfortable discussing the academic grievance directly with their instructor a formal grievance can be submitted.

Formal Academic Grievance Request Procedure:

Students should email a written account of the academic grievance to the instructor, copying the Dean of the school in which the course is offered. The Dean is available for consultation by either the student or the instructor, and must be copied on all related correspondence. The instructor will respond to the student in a timely manner. The Dean has the may forward the concern to the Vice President for Academic Affairs if it determined that further review or intervention is warranted. If the student believes their concern warrants further attention, they may submit their grievance in writing to the Office of the Dean of the school in which the course is offered. The Dean should rule on the case in a timely manner. If the Dean does not wish to rule on the matter, they may convene an ad hoc Academic Grievance Committee to review the concern. As a last resort the Vice President for Academic Affairs will issue a final resolution.

Academic Honors

• Commencement Honors
• Dean’s List
• Degree Honors

Commencement Honors

Candidates for the baccalaureate degree, whose cumulative GPAs¹ meet the required threshold after grades have posted for the preceding fall semester will be recognized during the May commencement ceremony with Latin commencement honors. To qualify for commencement honors no more than 33.0 credits may be remaining in a student’s degree program.

Students who achieve commencement honors will receive honors regalia and will be announced during the commencement ceremony. Commencement honors is not documented on the academic transcript, diploma, or commencement program.

Latin Commencement Honors are awarded as follows:

• Cum Laude 3.60 - 3.79 cumulative GPA
• Magna Cum Laude 3.80 - 3.89 cumulative GPA
• Summa Cum Laude 3.90 - 4.00 cumulative GPA

¹Cumulative GPA is calculated to the hundredths place

Dean’s List

The Dean’s List recognizes undergraduate students who have achieved academic excellence.  It is compiled after each fall and spring semester.

To be eligible students must have:

• Been enrolled in an undergraduate degree program;
• Achieved a minimum semester GPA of 3.60¹;
• Completed 12.0 or more credits of which 9.0 credits must receive a letter grade, i.e. not be audited courses, credit by exam, pass/fail courses, or transfer credit;
• Received no grades lower than a B;
• Completed all courses on time, with no incomplete grades.

Degree Honors

Candidates for the baccalaureate degree, whose cumulative GPAs¹ meet the required threshold qualify for Latin degree honors. Degree honors is recorded on the academic transcript once a degree has been been conferred.

Latin Degree Honors are awarded as follows:

• Cum Laude 3.60 - 3.79 cumulative GPA
• Magna Cum Laude 3.80 - 3.89 cumulative GPA
• Summa Cum Laude 3.90 - 4.00 cumulative GPA

¹Cumulative GPA is calculated to the hundredths place

Academic Standing

A student’s academic standing is calculated separately from the satisfactory academic progress  calculation completed by Student Financial Services, which is required by federal regulation for students who receive financial assistance.

• Academic Good Standing
• Academic Notice
• Final Academic Notice
• Academic Dismissal
• Academic Dismissal Appeal Procedure

Academic Good Standing

Undergraduate Students

Academic standing is calculated for undergraduate students at the end of each fall and spring semester on the basis of attempted semester credits and grade point average.

To maintain academic good standing a minimum of a 2.00¹ semester and cumulative GPA is required.

Graduate Students

General Requirement: Academic standing is calculated for graduate students at the end of each required term of enrollment on the basis of attempted semester credits and grade point average. To maintain academic good standing a minimum of a 3.00¹ semester and cumulative GPA is required.

MFA & GC in Devised Performance: The MFA & GC in Devised Performance programs utilize a pass/fail grading scheme. Students enrolled in these programs are evaluated using the pass/fail grading scheme in all courses, including courses that otherwise award letter grades. To maintain academic good standing, all attempted courses must be successfully completed, with a grade of (P) Pass. Students who fail a course will be placed on academic notice during their next required term of enrollment.

MEd & GC programs offered by Graduate and Professional Studies: Academic standing is first be calculated once a student has attempted 12.0 credits. After the initial determination students will be evaluated at the end of each subsequent term of enrollment. To maintain academic good standing a minimum of a 3.00¹ semester and cumulative GPA is required.

PhD in Creativity: The PhD in Creativity programs utilize a pass/fail grading scheme. Students enrolled in these programs are evaluated using the pass/fail grading scheme in all courses, including courses that otherwise award letter grades. To maintain academic good standing, all attempted courses must be successfully completed, with a grade of (P) Pass. Students who fail a course will be placed on academic notice during their next required term of enrollment. The Dissertation Committee will annually review the student’s progress on the dissertation and will determine if the progress warrants continuing in the program;  we reserve the right to terminate a student in the program if there is insufficient progress.

¹Cumulative GPA is calculated to the hundredths place

Academic Notice

Students are placed on academic notice when they are unable to maintain academic good standing. Students on academic notice will be dismissed from the University unless they achieve academic good standing by the end of the next mandatory term of enrollment  for their program.

The Registrar sends notifications of academic dismissal within 4 weeks of final grades being posted. Notifications are sent via email. Dismissed students may apply for readmission, see readmission policy for additional information.

¹Cumulative GPA is calculated to the hundredths place

Undergraduate Students

Undergraduate students must achieve academic good standing by the end of the semester (fall or spring) following that which they were placed on academic notice. Failure to do so will result in academic dismissal. First time students who achieve a 0.50¹ GPA or lower during their first term will be immediately academically dismissed.

Graduate Students

General Requirement: Graduate Students must achieve academic good standing by the end of the next mandatory term of enrollment  for their program following that which they were placed on academic notice. Failure to do so will result in academic dismissal. First time students who achieve a 0.50¹ GPA or lower during their first term will be immediately academically dismissed.

MFA & GC in Devised Performance: To return to good academic standing a passing grade must be earned in the course(s) failed during the previous term of enrollment. Students must enroll in the failed course the next term in which it is offered; an alternate course may be selected, at the discretion of the Program Director, if the course satisfies an elective requirement. Students who fail a course during their second attempt will be academically dismissed. Additionally, a student will be academically dismissed after failing 18.0 credits.

MEd and GC programs offered by Continuing Studies: After being placed on academic notice, students will have an additional 12.0 credits to achieve good academic standing. Failure to do so will result in academic dismissal.

PhD in Creativity: To return to good academic standing a passing grade must be earned in the course(s) failed during the previous term of enrollment. Students must enroll in the failed course the next term in which it is offered; an alternate course may be selected, at the discretion of the Program Director, if the course satisfies an elective requirement. Students who fail a course during their second attempt will be academically dismissed. Additionally, a student will be academically dismissed after failing 18.0 credits.

Final Academic Notice

An academically dismissed student who appeals their dismissal and is reinstated by the Academic Standards Committee will be placed on final academic notice. The student must return to academic good standing by the conclusion of the term for which they are reinstated. Failure to do so will result in dismissal from the University without the opportunity for appeal. Dismissed students may apply for readmission .

Academic Dismissal

A student on either academic notice or final academic notice, who does not achieve good academic standing by the conclusion of their program’s next mandatory term of enrollment , will be dismissed from the University. The Registrar sends notifications of academic dismissal within 4 weeks of final grades being posted for the fall and spring terms. Notifications are sent via email. Dismissed students may apply for readmission .

Academic Dismissal Appeal Procedure

An academically dismissed student may petition the Academic Standards Committee for reinstatement. To appeal for reinstatement a petition should be submitted to the Academic Standards Committee by the date listed in the dismissal letter. Decisions will be conferred by the committee to the student within six weeks of receipt of the petition for appeal.

The petition must include the following:

• An explanation of the poor academic performance that led to the dismissal.
• An explanation of whether the student worked with their academic advisor, sought tutoring assistance, or accessed other support services to address academic performance.
• Documentation concerning any mitigating circumstances that may have contributed to poor academic performance.
• A plan for preventing recurrence of these academic difficulties and to achieve academic good standing.
• Letters of support from the academic advisor, professors, or other support staff (optional).

Thoughtfully composed appeals should be submitted via email to registrar@uarts.edu, with the subject Academic Dismissal Appeal, by the submission deadline included on the dismissal letter, and from the student’s University email account. 

Questions should be directed to the Office of the Registrar at registrar@uarts.edu.

Accessing Grades

Current and former students can access grades using the grading module in Student Self-Service. Former students who are unable to access their account online can request a transcript  from the Office of the Registrar.

To Access Grades

1. Log into student self service using your portal username and password.
2. Click Grades

Change of Grade

The following policies apply to change of grade requests:

• Change of grade requests will only be approved if an error occurred in computing or recording the final grade, if reevaluation of previously submitted work is warranted, or to record a final grade for an approved incomplete grade request.
• Extra work, beyond that required of other class members during the period when the class met, or work handed in after the completion of the course, may not be offered as reasons for a grade change.
• Change of grade requests must be submitted no later than the end of the term following the one in which the grade was given.
• Change of grade requests for graduating students must be submitted within three days of the grading deadline.

To submit a change of grade of grade request:

1. Access the UArts portal in the Forms & Requests card.
2. Click Change of Grade from the Faculty & Staff Forms section.
3. Complete and submit the form.

Grade Entry

• Midterm Grading
• Final Grading
• Last Date of Attendance Requirement
• Missing Grades
• Graduate Thesis, Project, or Capstone

Midterm Grading

• Midterm grades are required for all undergraduate courses.
• Faculty enter midterm grades at the midpoint of each term in accordance with the dates published in the academic calendar .
• Midterm grades do not factor into a student’s term or cumulative GPAs.
• Course syllabi should include a clear description of how the midterm grade and final grade will be determined. For a midterm grade to be meaningful, the midterm grade should be based on completed and graded assignments, tests, papers, or projects that comprise 30-50% of the final course grade. Student participation may also be graded at midterm.
• An incomplete grade is not an option for midterm grades.
• A grade must be entered for each student included on the roster.
• Midterm grades are visible to students immediately upon being entered.

To enter midterm grades

1. Access Student Self-Service.
2. Click Faculty.
3. Click the course section to be graded.
4. Click the grading tab
5. Click the midterm 1 tab
6. Record grades for one or more students by selecting the grade(s). The grade selected will automatically be saved.

Final Grading

• Faculty enter grades at the conclusion of each term in accordance with the dates published in the academic calendar .
• Grades are required for all students listed on a class roster. After final grading ends missing grades will be converted to a grade of ‘MG.’ See missing grades.
• The last date of attendance is required anytime a failing grade is assigned. See last date of attendance requirement.
• A change of grade form should be submitted to correct a grade entered in error or to submit a grade after final grading has closed. See change of grade policy.
• Grades are not visible to students until the Office of the Registrar transcripts grades. See Grades Posted to student transcripts and student self-service.

To enter final grades

1. Access Student Self-Service.
2. Click Faculty.
3. Click the course section to be graded.
4. Click the Grading tab.
5. Click the Final Grade sub-tab.
6. Record grades for one or more students by selecting the grade(s). The grade selected will automatically be saved.

Last Date of Attendance Requirement

While UArts does not require that faculty record attendance, the U.S. Department of Education requires Student Financial Services to determine if a student who receives financial aid and fails to earn a passing grade in a course has attended and/or completed the course, or if they withdraw from a course without providing the University official notification. The last date of attendance is also required when an incomplete grade is recorded.

• Faculty who do not take attendance, should provide the date of the last known academically related activity. Such activities include, but are not limited to: turning in an assignment, taking an exam, participating in an online discussion about the course, or initiating contact with a faculty member regarding the course material. Academically related activities do not include: living in the residence halls, participation in a meal plan, or general academic counseling/advising.
• Faculty who do not know if the student attended and have no record of academic activity should indicate the student did not attend. According to federal regulations 34 CFR 668.21(c), the student is considered to have not begun attendance if the institution is unable to document the student’s attendance.
• Faculty who know the student attended, but do not take attendance and have no academic activity record should indicate that the student did not attend. According to federal regulations 34 CFR 668.277(I)(7)(I & ii) if there is no documented attendance or academically-related activity, you must identify that the student “Never Attended.”

ⓘ The last date of attendance requirement applies to final grading only.

Missing Grades

Any grade not submitted by the grading deadline will be recorded with the notation Missing Grade (MG) by the Office of the Registrar. A missing grade cannot be converted into an incomplete grade. Faculty resolve a missing grade notation through the submission of a change of grade form. Any MG grade not resolved after one calendar year will be updated to Withdrawn Administratively (WA).

ⓘ The missing grade policy applies to final grading only.

Graduate Thesis, Project, or Capstone

Students on an approved continuation

No final grade should be entered for a graduate thesis, project, or capstone until the work has been submitted by the student and accepted. The thesis, project, or capstone will appear on transcripts with a status/grade of Currently In Progress “CI” during the continuation. See Continuation of Thesis, Project, or Capstone  enrollment policy for additional information.

After submission & acceptance

Once accepted the grade can be entered online for the term in which it was first enrolled, following the instructions above. 

Grades Posted

Final Grades

Final grades are posted by the Office of the Registrar to student transcripts & student-self service at the conclusion of each term in accordance with the dates published in the academic calendar .

Midterm Grades

Midterm grades are immediately visible to students after they have been entered by faculty. Midterm grades do not factor into a student’s term or cumulative GPAs, are for informational purposes only, and are not posted to transcripts.

To Access Grades

1. Access Student Self-Service.
2. Click Grades.
3. Select the term.

Grade Point Average Calculation

The Grade Point Average (GPA) is a measure of a student’s academic performance and is calculated based on the credits earned for each course and the numerical value of the grades received. 

To calculate GPA

1. Assign a numerical value to each letter grade according to the letter grading scheme.
2. Multiply the number of credits earned for each course by the numerical value of the grade received in that course. This calculation will give you the “quality points” for each course.
3. Add up the quality points for all the courses taken during the term.
4. Add up the total number of credits attempted during the term. Exclude any courses with grades of I (Incomplete), IP (In Progress), NC (No Credit), W (Withdrawal), OP (Optional Pass), OF (Optional Fail), P (Pass), or AU (Audit), as these are not included in the GPA computation.
5. Divide the total quality points by the total number of credits attempted. The result is the GPA for that term.

Example

• Course 1: Grade A (4.0) x 3 credits = 12.0 quality points 
• Course 2: Grade B (3.0) x 3 credits = 9.0 quality points 
• Course 3: Grade C+ (2.33) x 4 credits = 9.2 quality points 
• Course 4: Grade W (not included in computation)

Total quality points: 12.0 + 9.0 + 9.32 = 30.32 
Total credits attempted: 3 + 3 + 4 = 10
GPA: 30.32 ÷ 10 = 3.03

To determine a student’s cumulative GPA, calculate the GPA for each individual term and then find the average of these terms GPAs.

Grade Replacement

Undergraduate and graduate students may re-enroll certain courses to earn a higher grade; only the grade earned from the most recent attempt will be used in calculating the grade point average.

Once a grade replacement is applied, the grade and the credit hours earned on the initial course attempt(s) will be removed from the calculation of the cumulative grade point average and from the calculation of the total hours attempted and, when applicable, hours completed. The course title and grade for all previous attempts will appear on transcripts with a notation to indicate the grade was excluded from the computation of the cumulative grade point average. Use of a grade replacement does not retroactively change the status of the student’s semester academic honors or result in a refund of tuition or fees.

The following policies apply to courses repeated for grade replacement:

• Only courses designated as not repeatable for credit may be repeated for grade replacement.
• Variable credit courses must be taken for the same number of credit hours as the original attempt when repeated for grade replacement.
• All occurrences of a course where a grade is earned, including withdrawals (W), appear on the transcript, but only the grade earned for the most recent attempt is used in calculating the grade point average.
• Credit is awarded only once for a course, repeats can affect academic progress, standing, and financial aid status.
• Grade replacement cannot be applied to courses in which the student was found to be in violation of the academic integrity policy.
• Grade replacement cannot be invoked after a degree has been conferred upon the student.

Financial Aid Considerations

In some instances, repeating courses could affect financial aid or other assistance. It is the responsibility of the student to meet with their financial aid counselor to discuss how repeating a course may impact their eligibility for financial aid.

To repeat a course for grade replacement:

First repeat attempt (original grade F)

1. Register for the course online or in person for automatic invocation of grade replacement.

First repeat attempt (original grade D or higher), courses completed prior to Fall 2010, and all future attempts

1. Obtain permission to retake the course for grade replacement from the student’s program director.
2. The program director must submit an Exceptions and Overrides form in OnBase with the Grade Replacement option selected.

Grading Schemes

• Letter Grading Scheme
• Pass/Fail Grading Scheme

Letter Grading Scheme

* defined as institutional credit with a grade of C or higher.

Note: Students enrolled in the Devised Performance, GC  and Devised Performance, MFA  programs are graded pass/fail in all courses, including elective courses that would otherwise assign a standard letter grade.

Pass/Fail Grading Scheme

Incomplete Grade Request

An Incomplete (I) is a temporary grade which may be given at the instructor’s discretion to a student when current illness, serious personal problems, an accident, a recent death in the immediate family or other situations of equal gravity will prevent completion of course requirements by the end of the term.

• Academic & Financial Considerations
• Minimum Requirements
• Request Procedure
• Incomplete Completion Deadline 

Academic & Financial Considerations

An incomplete grade is considered failing for purposes of determining academic standing, federal financial aid eligibility, and other purposes. Students should endeavor to resolve incomplete grades as soon as possible.

Questions related to academic standing can be directed to The Office of the Registrar at registrar@uarts.edu; for federal financial aid eligibility assistance contact Student Financial Services at finaid@uarts.edu.

Minimum Requirements

• The student’s work to date is passing. 
• The student attended regularly through and including the withdrawal deadline.
• The student initiated the request no fewer than 6 days before the conclusion of the term.
• The student has had or is experiencing current illness, serious personal problems, an accident, a recent death in the immediate family or other situations of equal gravity.
• Outstanding work may reasonably be completed in no more than one calendar year from the last day of the term in which the course ran. It is in a student’s best interest to complete work as soon as possible. Students are not permitted to attend a future section of the course as part of their terms of completion. 
• The instructor and student agree to the terms of the incomplete in writing before the end of the term. The Contract for Completion of Incomplete Grade form may be used to document the terms of the incomplete and may be submitted to the Office of the Registrar by the instructor via email as a part of the official student’s record.​

Request Procedure

Student

1. Contact your instructor to discuss whether requesting an incomplete is appropriate for your situation. 
2. The deadline for submitting requests to instructors is 5 days prior to the end of the term.

Instructor

1. Verify that the request complies with the list of circumstances listed above.
2. If you support the request, it is necessary to document all outstanding work including when it must be submitted. This can be done via email exchange or through completion of the Contract for Completion of Incomplete Grade. Documentation can optionally be forwarded to regscans@uarts.edu for inclusion in the student’s academic record.
3. Once grading opens, enter the incomplete (I) grade online via the faculty module in student self-service; when entering an incomplete grade an expiration date and last date of attendance is required. The expiration date is the date on which the incomplete grade will automatically be converted to a failure. The expiration date is the date by which faculty will have received and evaluated outstanding work from the student and submitted a change of grade form, providing 1-2 business days for the Office of the Registrar to process the request. See Grade Entry.
4. Once outstanding course work has been received and evaluated final grades should be submitted on a Change of Grade form. See Change of Grade.

​Incomplete Completion Deadline

Students must submit all documented outstanding coursework to the instructor on or before the deadline established when the incomplete grade request was approved. Failure to submit outstanding work by the agreed to deadline will result in the incomplete grade automatically being converted to a failure on the expiration date recorded by the instructor. Extensions to the established deadline are not granted.

Required Pass/Fail

Certain courses are offered at the University that are evaluated pass (P) or fail (F) only. This information is included in the course descriptions published in this catalog.

The following policies apply to pass/fail only courses:

• Students are evaluated using grades of pass (P) or fail (F).
• A pass (P) grade does not impact a student’s GPA, while a fail (F) is recorded as 0.00 and will negatively impact a student’s GPA.