2021-2022 Catalog > Academic Information and Policies > Grades

Grades

Scholastic standing of both undergraduate and graduate students is indicated by the following grades:

A grade of Audit is entered on the permanent record if requested by the student and if requirements specified by the instructor are met. Any regularly registered full-time student may audit one four-unit course each semester, without fee, subject to formal permission through forms available in the Office of the Registrar. Students not registered full-time may attend courses as auditors, subject to payment of Auditors’ fees. All paperwork must be filed by the published deadline in the academic calendar. Courses that require extensive student participation (such as studio art) may not be audited. An auditor may not participate actively in course work or take final examinations and therefore does not receive credit.

A grade of CIP is given to indicate that a course is still in progress at the end of the semester.

A grade of CR is to be regarded as the equivalent of a C or better.

A grade of NC indicates that a student did not earn the minimum required grade to earn credit in a course.

Some courses are only graded on a CR/NC basis. 

The Credit/No Credit policy is intended to encourage students to explore classes in unfamiliar fields without the risk of incurring a low grade because of that unfamiliarity. It is not intended to allow students a partial exit from classes in which they are doing badly, and for that reason Credit/No Credit contracts must be completed early in the semester and are irreversible.

With the exception of required courses, including foreign language, Core, and major and minor requirements, a student may change the grade mode of a course from letter grade to CR/NC with the consent of the instructor. The grade mode change must be filed with the Office of the Registrar by the published deadline in the academic calendar. No forms will be accepted after this date.

If a student changes their major or minor to one that requires a course that has already been taken on a Credit/No Credit basis, either the student will be required to take an examination in that course for a grade, or the department or program chair will decide on a course to substitute for that requirement. The CR/NC grade will not change on the student's transcript.*

*Adjustments due to the COVID-19 pandemic: Courses taken at Occidental for the grade mode CR/NC during Spring 2020, Summer 2020, Fall 2020, and Spring 2021 will count toward major, minor and Core requirements.

A grade of INC indicates that although the work completed is of passing grade, some portion of the course remains unfinished because of illness or for some other reason over which the student had no control. A student must petition prior to the last day of classes to receive an INC grade. Except under extraordinary circumstances, any student who has two INCs on their record from previous semesters cannot petition for an additional one. This grade, which must be approved by a dean or an associate dean, will be removed and replaced by a letter grade upon completion of the course requirements with a notation on the official transcript. Whether the student is enrolled in the college or not, the maximum time allowed for completion of course requirements is one year from the date the Incomplete was incurred. At that time the grade will revert to the default grade submitted by the professor if no other grade has been submitted.

A grade of NR is given when a grade has yet to be received by an instructor or when a charge of academic misconduct is pending; it will be changed to a letter grade when the pending judicial or other matter is resolved.

A grade of P is awarded when the comprehensive requirement is of passing quality.

A grade of PD is earned when the comprehensive requirement is evaluated by the faculty of the major department or program as being worthy of Distinction.

A grade of S is to be regarded as the equivalent of a D or better

A grade of U indicates that a student did not earn the minimum required grade to earn credit in a course.

The S/U grade mode is reserved for FYS courses* and is intended to encourage students to focus on gaining knowledge and skills required to meet college-level critical thinking and writing expectations. The grade mode emphasizes the growth represented by students’ work throughout the course. Grades of S/U do not factor into a student’s term or overall grade point average.

*Adjustments due to the COVID-19 pandemic: One non-FYS course per semester for the grade mode S/U during the 2021-2022 academic year may count toward major, minor, and Core requirements.

A W grade indicates a late drop from a course after the sixth week of the semester or if a student has withdrawn from the College during the semester.

A graduate student’s grade may be Deferred (DEF) by the instructor who specifies the time within which the coursework is to be completed, the limit not to exceed one year except in the case of M.A. theses. If not removed within the specified time, a Deferred grade generally becomes an F.

For grades of F, INC, NC, and U, instructors file written statements of reasons for assigning these grades at the end of each semester. In the case of an INC, the statement also indicates the work necessary to attain a final grade. A copy of this statement is available to the student through their myOxy account.

Grades are based on work completed by the last day of the semester (unless otherwise noted above) and will not be changed for work completed after the semester has ended.

Grade Point Average

Grade point average is computed on a four-point scale: 

Courses graded CR/NC or S/U are not computed in the grade point average. No transfer courses are calculated in the Occidental College grade point average (study abroad courses taken in the summer are considered transfer courses).