Grading System

Sacred Heart University Graduate Grading System

* as designated by Department

I (Incomplete) grades may be changed by completing the deficient coursework no later than six weeks after the beginning of the following major semester (fall or spring.) All Incomplete grades not changed within the six-week period will revert to Fs. In unusual circumstances, the six-week period can be extended. (See IX)

(IX) (Incomplete Extension) grade will be in effect until the next conversion date which is six weeks into the following major semester. After that date, the Incomplete Extension grade will convert to an F. An extension for incomplete work may be given only once with the approval of the course instructor and the department chair. Incomplete grade extensions must be filed in writing with the Registrar’s Office by the instructor prior to the incomplete conversion date.

W (Withdrawal) grades are recorded when a student officially withdraws from a course within the approved time frame (see policy under Course Withdrawal).

NG (No Grade) is recorded by the Registrar when a grade is not reported by the instructor. Students will not receive credit for courses assigned a No Grade.

Quality grade points earned in a course are determined by multiplying the quality point value of the letter grade (see above chart) by the number of credits of the course. A term GPA is calculated by dividing the total number of quality grade points by the total number of credits taken during the term. A cumulative GPA is calculated by dividing the total number of quality grade points by the total number of credits taken at Sacred Heart University. Courses transferred into Sacred Heart University from other institutions do not factor into the Sacred Heart University grade point average.

Note: Grades of P/NP, W, I, AU, and NG are not included in the calculation of the term or cumulative GPA.

If a student repeats a course that had a passing grade, the best grade will be calculated into the student’s overall GPA. The initial grade will remain on the transcript but will not be calculated in the overall GPA. The student will receive academic credit for the course only once. See the policy for repeating a failed course under the Academic Forgiveness section.

Graduate students will receive a pass/fail grade only for courses designated by the department as pass/fail. These are generally limited to thesis, comprehensive examinations, and clinical affiliations. If a student enrolls in a course that is not required for his/her major, he/she may seek approval to put the course on pass/fail. Written approval from the Department Chair and College Dean is required.

Change of Grades

An instructor may submit a Change of Grade only due to miscalculation or clerical error of the original grade. Grade changes must be submitted by the instructor of record using the appropriate form or online procedure. Grade changes must be submitted no later than the end of the following semester in which the grade was posted. Any exceptions will require additional approval.

Student Grade Grievance—Policy and Procedure

A student’s dissatisfaction with a course grade is, in general, not sufficient grounds for warranting a grievance, convening a committee, or meriting a hearing.

Grounds for a grievance exist upon presentation of written documented evidence indicating:

• Discriminatory treatment;
• The process determining the grade differs from that outlined in the course syllabus; or
• The process determining the grade was not presented in writing to the students.

A documented grievance associated with a grade must be presented within six (6) months after the original grade was issued.

The procedure for a documented grievance is as follows:

• The student is expected to resolve the issue at hand with the faculty member.
• If the solution as provided by the faculty member is unacceptable to the student, the student may present the case in writing with supporting evidence to the department chair of the faculty member involved. The department chair will then make a judgment, after consultation with the faculty member and the student, in an attempt to bring the matter to resolution.
• If the department chairperson is unable to bring the matter to resolution or the judgment is unacceptable to the student, the student may present a formal appeal in writing to the dean of the college in which the course was taken or to his/her designee.
• If the dean of the college or his/her designee finds that the appeal has merit, he/she will convene a grievance committee. This committee will consist of only faculty members: one faculty member selected by the student, one faculty member selected by the faculty member concerned, and one faculty member selected by the dean of the college or his/her designee. The chair of the faculty member against whom the grievance is filed is not eligible to serve on the Grade Grievance Committee. After reviewing all documented evidence, the grievance committee will then propose a solution, supported by a rationale in writing, that the grade either stands or should be changed by the faculty member. If the faculty member is unavailable to change the grade, the department chair shall serve in lieu of the unavailable faculty member.

In the extraordinary circumstances in which the faculty member does not accept the recommendation of the Grade Grievance Committee to change the grade after the Grade Grievance Committee ascertains that one or more grounds for a grievance outlined above has been substantiated, then the issue shall return to the Grade Grievance Committee, which will make the final grade decision to be implemented by the department chair. This step concludes the process.

Academic Forgiveness

A student who has successfully repeated a failed course and wants to make an adjustment to his/her transcript must submit the appropriate repeated course form to the Registrar’s Office.

If an F course grade was the result of a violation of the University’s policy on academic integrity, the grade is not subject to forgiveness. That is, the grade will remain in the computation of the GPA. If the Repeated Course Request is approved, only the more recent of the two grades will be counted in the computation of the grade point average (GPA). The original grade, however, will be kept on the transcript. This policy is limited to the first F successfully repeated during graduate study. Criteria for the successful repetition of a failed course will be established and promulgated by the respective program faculty. The limitation to forgiveness of a single F grade may be waived by student petition to the program or department director, with final approval of the petition being made by the college dean.

Honors Designation for Graduating Graduate Students

The following represents the criteria for awarding the honors designation for graduate students at the time of their graduation:

• Students must be in top 20% of the graduating group within the degree program.
• Students must have obtained at least a cumulative GPA of 3.7.
• Students must have engaged in significant work (e.g., thesis, major project, course paper, etc.) that makes a recognized and documented contribution to the field of discipline.
• A recommendation that an honors designation be granted must be sent to the program director by a faculty member.
• Endorsement by the program director of the faculty member’s recommendation and a recommendation for the award to the dean of the college.

Academic Probation

Any student whose cumulative GPA is below 3.0 will be considered to be on academic probation and may be required to obtain written permission from the program director before registering for additional coursework.

Academic Probation-Dismissal Policy for Students Receiving VA Benefits

Students who have been placed on Academic Probation will have one term to regain good standing status. If a student does not maintain the prescribed standards of progress, enrollment certifications will be terminated. VA students will not be able to resume using educational benefits until acceptable academic status has resumed.

• A student who is on Academic Probation for two consecutive semesters will be dismissed.
• Any student who incurs three (3) Academic Probations during his or her academic career will be dismissed.
• Any student whose cumulative GPA falls below the following levels will be dismissed:
  • After One (1) Semester: 1.00
  • 16 – 30 Credits Attempted: 1.50
  • 31 – 90 Credits Attempted: 1.70
  • 91+ Credits Attempted: 1.90

Program Dismissal

A student whose cumulative GPA is below 2.7 after attempting 18 credit hours will be dismissed from the University. A student who is dismissed may submit an appeal for change of status. The procedure for appeal is listed below in the Academic Policies section.

The academic probation and program dismissal policies described above are minimum University requirements. Each academic department may have additional requirements for the student to maintain good standing or be retained in the program.  Please refer to the specific department handbook for more information.

Academic Appeals

A student who has been dismissed can appeal the dismissal to the Academic Review Board, or equivalent structure within each college, through the dean of his or her college and request reinstatement. Dismissed students have the option to appeal if they believe their academic deficiencies are due to extenuating circumstances or computational errors in calculating their GPA or academic progress. The appeal should include some reflection on the cause of the poor performance, documentation of any extenuating circumstances, and a plan of action for improving performance if the student is admitted back into the University. The appeal and all supporting documentation of the appeal must be presented within fourteen (14) days after receipt of the formal dismissal letter. The Academic Review Board or equivalent structure will make a recommendation to the dean of their college in a timely fashion. The dean of the college will then make a final decision on the appeal. This concludes the appeal process.