Grades

Letter Grades

Please Note : An F is not erased from a student's transcript when the course is taken again and passed.

Other Grades

AUD - Senior Citizen’s Audit

The grade of AUD is assigned when a senior citizen registers for a course. Enrolling in a course on an audit basis gives the student the right to attend and participate in all aspects of the course without receiving credit for the course. The course will not count toward any degree or certificate program offered by The City University of New York.

CR - Credit Earned

The grade of CR is used in certain courses that are graded on a credit/no-credit basis and indicates that a student has earned credit for the course. The grade is not included in the calculation of the student's GPA.

FIN - Incomplete Changed to F

The grade of FIN (Incomplete Changed to F) is given when an incomplete grade is turned into an F (FIN). Undergraduate students who receive an INC grade at the end of any semester must complete all outstanding work by the dates described in the section above. The Registrar’s Office will convert all INC grades to FIN if the INC is not resolved.

INC - Incomplete

An INC grade may be given only to those students who would pass the course if they were to satisfactorily complete course requirements. It is within the discretion of the faculty member as to whether or not to give the grade of INC. The INC grade should only be given in consultation with the student.

If the course takes place during the fall semester or winter session, then the incomplete work is due by the student no later than the end of the third week of the following spring semester. If the course takes place during the spring semester or summer session, then the incomplete work is due no later than the end of the third week of the following fall semester. It is within the discretion of the faculty member to extend this deadline under extraordinary circumstances.

When assigning the INC grade, the faculty member agrees to grade the student’s outstanding coursework and to submit the student’s grade for the course any time from the date the student submits the completed work until the end of that fall or spring semester. This policy should be included on undergraduate course syllabi. If the student does not successfully complete the missing work, the faculty member may change the grade to a letter grade. If the faculty member does not submit a change of grade, the incomplete grade automatically becomes the grade of FIN.

This policy does not apply to laboratory and studio courses, or to internship courses, for which neither the professor nor the department can reasonably accommodate a student’s missed lab or studio or internship work as described herein. The academic departments which offer such courses shall develop departmental policy for consideration by the College Council.

Degree candidates should be aware that an INC grade received during their last semester in courses required for graduation will result in the postponement of graduation.

Resolving the Grade of Incomplete through Make-up Examinations

The procedure outlined here is initiated when a student has received the grade of INC because of absence from a final examination. All makeup final examinations given after the completion of the semester are processed and administered by the faculty member who taught the course or by his or her academic department. Contact the instructor for details.

P - Pass

The P grade is not computed in the grade-point average. It is authorized only for remedial and developmental courses, non-remedial courses for which the P grade is designated in the course description in this Undergraduate Bulletin, and courses taken on a Pass/Fail Option.

PEN - Pending

The PEN grade is recorded when a faculty member suspects or determines that an academic integrity violation has taken place that warrants formal intervention. The faculty member submits a Faculty Report of Alleged Violation of Academic Integrity Policies to the Academic Integrity Officer of the College, who notifies the Registrar so that the Registrar can record a PEN grade to prevent withdrawal from the course by the student in question. A PEN grade is removed or changed when the applicable consultation, appeal, and/or adjudication processes are complete. In the event that the alleged violation is withdrawn in the student’s favor, the student will have the right to withdraw from the course based on the date that the violation form was filed.

NC - No Credit Granted

The grade of NC is used in certain courses that are graded on a credit/no-credit basis. It is a non-punitive failure indicating that the student completed the course but did not satisfy the requirements to earn credit. The grade is not included in the calculation of the student's GPA. The student cannot repeat the course after receiving an NC grade.

R - Repeat

This grade is assigned to students who have attended class regularly and completed course requirements but have not demonstrated sufficient progress to justify a passing grade. The grade is awarded for remedial or developmental courses. This grade is not computed in the grade point average. Students who receive the grade of R must repeat the course in the very next semester of attendance.

W - Withdrawal

The grade of W indicates withdrawal without penalty. It is assigned by the Office of the Registrar upon approval of an Application for Resignation filed by the deadline as indicated in the academic calendar (usually in the tenth week of classes). A grade of W is not computed in the grade point average. W grades may affect student eligibility for financial aid.

WA - Administrative Withdrawal

The grade of WA is assigned by the Office of the Registrar when a student fails to comply with the Proof of Immunization Policy of the College. The grade of WA is not computed in the grade point average. WA grades may affect student eligibility for financial aid.

WD - Withdrew Drop

The WD grade is assigned by the Office of the Registrar when the student who has attended at least one class session drops a course after the financial aid certification date but before the end of the refund period. The WD grade does not appear on the student's transcript.

WN - Never Attended

The grade of WN is assigned by the Registrar when a student is registered for a course but has never attended. The grade is a non-penalty grade similar to a W but it will have an effect on the student’s financial aid for the semester.

WU - Withdrew Unofficially

The grade of WU is assigned by the instructor when a student attends at least one class but stops attending at any time before final exam week without withdrawing officially. The grade is computed as a failure (0.0) in the grade point average, which may result in the adjustment of financial aid funds. Students who want to withdraw from a class are therefore advised to submit an official Application for Withdrawal through CUNYfirst prior to the end of the tenth week of classes.

Z - No grade submitted

The Z grade is a temporary grade assigned by the Office of the Registrar pending receipt of the final grade from the instructor.

Pass/Fail Option

Upon completion of 60 credits, students with a grade point average of 2.0 and higher may take one course a semester under a Pass/Fail Option, for a total of four such courses. The Pass/Fail Option may be applied to all courses except courses satisfying the College’s general education requirements and courses in the student’s major. Students can take one third of courses for a minor using the pass/fail option as per the Requirements for Minors in this undergraduate bulletin.

Application for the Pass/Fail Option must be made at the Jay Express Services Center before the conclusion of the second week of classes during the fall and spring semester, at the end of the first week of classes for summer session, and by the third class for winter session. Once granted, this option is irrevocable. 

The grades of P received for courses taken under the Pass/Fail option are not computed in the grade point average.  Grades of F are computed as a zero in student grade point averages.

Remedial and Developmental Courses

The only grades authorized for the courses listed below are P, R, F, W, WU, and INC. However, at the discretion of certain academic departments, the grade of A may be given in place of the grade of P.

• COM 102
• EAP 121 and EAP 131
• ENGW 100
• MATH 103

Grade Appeal Process

Beginning in the fall 2017 semester, the following grade appeal policy is in effect.

Student Appeal

Students who think that a final grade was issued erroneously may file a grade appeal to the departmental grade appeals committee by submitting the form to the Registrar’s Office. Although students are not required to communicate with their professor in order to file the appeal, students are strongly encouraged to communicate with the professor of the course about the reason(s) the student thinks the grade is incorrect. If the professor decides to change the grade, the student may then withdraw the appeal at that time. The Appeal of Grade form for courses taken in spring or summer must be filed with the Registrar's Office by the twenty-fifth day of the subsequent fall semester; the Appeal of Grade form for courses taken in the fall or winter must be filed by the twenty-fifth day of the subsequent spring semester.  Students may not appeal the decision of the department committee because the grade appeal process is the final option for students who are not able to remedy the situation with the professor.

Department Grade Appeals Committee

The request shall be reviewed by the departmental grade appeals committee. The departmental committee has 30 calendar days to review the matter and make a recommendation about the student's final course grade to the faculty member. For interdisciplinary programs, grade appeals will go to the department grade appeals committee of the academic department who hired the faculty member.

Faculty Review

The faculty member, upon receipt of the committee’s recommendation, must render a judgment within 14 calendar days and communicate in writing to the Office of the Registrar his or her decision to either sustain the grade or submit a grade change. The department grade appeals committee may refer cases to the College-Wide Grade Appeals Committee.  The college-wide committee may be used to review cases where the department grade appeals committee recommendation has not been acted upon by the faculty member. 

College-Wide Grade Appeals Committee

If the departmental grade appeals committee fails to make a recommendation to the faculty member within 30 calendar days, the grade appeal will be sent to the college-wide grade appeals committee. The departmental grade appeals committee may also refer a case to the college-wide appeals committee if the departmental committee's recommendation if not acted upon.  The college-wide grade appeals committee shall have 30 calendar days to make a recommendation to the faculty member about the course grade. The faculty member’s responsibilities and responses are the same as above. The college-wide grade appeals committee shall comprise five tenured members of the faculty, who shall be nominated by the Faculty Senate and elected by the College Council. The committee shall elect a chair from its own membership.

Extraordinary Circumstances

In truly exceptional circumstances a grade change may be authorized by someone other than the faculty member who taught the course. If either the departmental or college-wide grade appeal committee determines that truly exceptional circumstances are involved, the chair of the respective committee shall forward the information and related documents to the chair of the academic department that owns the course. The chair of the department, in consultation with the department grade appeals committee, shall review the case and if the department chair together with the grade appeals committee determines that a grade change is necessary and appropriate, it shall render its decision and change the student’s grade by the process and deadline established for the faculty member above.

Such grade changes are expected to be rare. No change in grade may be authorized except by the faculty member teaching the course or by the department chair in consultation with the department grade appeals committee. Each fall, a report will be furnished to the Academic Standards Subcommittee of UCASC as to the number of grade changes made through this process during the previous academic year.

Applicability to Undergraduate and Graduate Students

The processes described in this policy shall apply to only courses in the undergraduate program because only the undergraduate program has departmental grade appeals committees.

Extra Work During the Semester

Any extra credit coursework opportunities during the semester for a student to improve his or her grade must be made available to all students at the same time. Furthermore, there is no obligation on the part of any instructor to offer extra credit work in any course. The term “extra credit work” refers to optional work that may be assigned by the instructor to all students in addition to the required work for the course that all students must complete. It is distinguished from substitute assignments or substitute work that may be assigned by the instructor to individual students, such as make up assignments to accommodate emergencies or to accommodate the special circumstances of individual students.

Grade Point Average (GPA)

The grade point average is computed by multiplying the numerical value of grades A, A–, B+, B, B–, C+, C, C–, D+, D, D–, F, FIN, and WU with the number of credits of each course, which yields the number of quality points. The number of quality points is then divided by the total number of attempted credits to yield the grade point average. For example, the grade point average of a student who has attempted 30 credits with grades ranging from A to WU is calculated as follows:

The total number of quality points (81.2) divided by the total number of attempted credits (30) yields a grade point average of 2.70.

Dean's List

The Dean's List recognizes full-time and part-time matriculated undergraduate students who have achieved distinguished academic records in a semester or year. The Dean's List is published on the college's web site and a notation is made on the student's transcript.

Dean's List for Full-Time Students

The full-time Dean's List is issued by the Office of the Registrar at the end of each fall and spring semester, one month after the last day of finals. It recognizes students who have met the following requirements at the time the list is generated:

• Enrolled as a matriculated student in a baccalaureate degree-granting program
• Passed or been exempted from all three assessment exams (reading, writing and mathematics)
• Completed a full-time program of at least 12 credits, in addition to any courses taken as P/F, which must be successfully completed (P).
• Earned a semester GPA of 3.5 or better
• All grades are C (2.0) or better (grades of C- or below will disqualify the student)
• Any marks of Incomplete, NGR, PEN, R, W, WA, WN, or WU , if any are present when the dean’s list is run for the academic year, will disqualify the student.

Once the Dean's List is published, it is final. Students who later attain a qualifying average through a grade change or removal of an Incomplete will not be included on the dean's list for that semester. Students who get grade changes due to instructor error or late submission will not be subject to this exclusion.

Dean's List for Part-Time Students

The part time Dean’s List is issued by the Office of the Registrar at the end of each spring semester. It recognizes students who have met the following requirements at the time the list is generated:

• The Dean’s List for part-time students is calculated once a year at the end of each spring semester.
• The calculations are based on fall term, winter session, and spring term in the same academic year.
• The student must be a matriculated student in a baccalaureate degree–granting program for all terms and sessions in which he or she has enrolled in that academic year.
• Over the span of the academic year, the student must have completed at least 12 credits, in addition to any courses taken as P/F, which must be successfully completed (P).
• The student must have earned a GPA of 3.5 or better for the academic year.
• The student must earn grades of C (2.0) or better in all courses taken (grades of C- or below will disqualify the student).
• Any marks of Incomplete, NGR, PEN, R, W, WA, WN, or WU , if any are present when the dean’s list is run for the academic year, will disqualify the student.

No student is eligible for both full- and part-time Dean’s Lists. Any student enrolling in 12 or more graded credits (not counting pass/fail courses) in any single term during the academic year will be ineligible for part-time dean’s list in that year. Instead, such students will be considered for full-time dean’s list in the term(s) in which they have full-time enrollment.

Once the Dean’s List is published, it is final. Students who later attain a qualifying average through a grade change or removal of an Incomplete will not be included on the Dean’s List for that year. Students who get grade changes due to instructor error or late submission will not be subject to this exclusion. 

Students who have requested “Restricted Release of Directory Information” (a FERPA block) will not appear on the Dean’s List. A notation will still appear on their transcripts.