ACADEMIC REGULATIONS

III. Studying, Grades and Credits

The academic learning of students is, in the University’s eyes, their most significant responsibility. Students should expect to study at least 30 hours per week outside of class (i.e., at least six hours per three credit course). Faculty design their courses with this expectation in mind, but evaluate students on the basis of their achievement.

The semester grade, which is indicated on the student’s transcript, is a combination of grades given for class work, tests, assigned papers or projects, laboratory performance, and the final examination.

When students wish to review their grades with a faculty member, the instructor is responsible for making available all relevant examinations, papers, and other items. Student work must be either returned directly to the student, or retained by the professor for a minimum of one calendar year.

Faculty should retain their grade books indefinitely.

Adjunct or visiting faculty who leave the University must deposit papers and exams with the Department Chair.

It is a professional responsibility that faculty submit their grades according to the deadlines established by the University Registrar. Incidences of delinquency will be reported to the Departmental Chair and appropriate academic Dean.

Effective Fall of 1993, grades are as follows:

The quality points are obtained by multiplying the number of credits attempted by the value assigned to the grade earned.

The Quality Point Index (QPI) is obtained by dividing the total number of quality points earned by the total number of credits attempted.

The grades S (satisfactory) and U (unsatisfactory) are applicable to courses taken for credit but not for quality points. S is equivalent to grade C or better. U, for which no credit is given, is equivalent to C-, D+, D or F.

A degree candidate who fails any required semester course in a current major or minor must repeat and pass that course at Georgetown before graduation. Students cannot repeat for credit a course in which they earned a grade of D or better.

Only those courses that count for the degree will be listed on the transcript. This applies to Georgetown study abroad programs and to independent study programs.

With the prior approval of the Department Chair or Field Committee and Dean’s Office, credits earned at another university may be applicable toward degree requirements. However, such transferred credits will not be computed in the student’s cumulative Quality Point Index. By contrast, credits earned in courses previously approved by the Department Chair or Field Committee and Dean’s Office in conjunction with Georgetown Programs Abroad always apply toward degree requirements at Georgetown. In addition, grades earned in courses offered directly by Georgetown at Fiesole, Alanya, and in Georgetown summer programs abroad are also computed in the student’s cumulative Quality Point Index (see more information on courses taken abroad and the QPI).

Finally, although a listing of all Leisure and Recreation courses is provided in the class schedule, and those students who take these courses must register for them, no grades will be recorded nor will these courses appear on the student’s transcript.

After the first year, students may take one elective course each semester on a pass/fail basis up to a total of six pass/fail courses during sophomore, junior, and senior years.

The procedure for selecting a pass/fail course is as follows:

• Students choose an elective course on a pass/fail basis during the add/drop period by completing a pass/fail course registration form available in the Dean’s Office. Students dropping a pass/fail course may not add another pass/fail course for that semester. The respective Dean’s Offices will notify professors of those students taking courses on a pass/fail basis.
• The pass/fail option is restricted to free electives and must be exercised only for courses within the normal course load for a given semester. A department, for valid reasons, may designate certain of its courses as unavailable to the pass/fail option and will notify the Dean’s Office.
• Pass/fail courses will be marked S (Satisfactory), equivalent to letter grades of C or better, and U (Unsatisfactory). Neither the S nor the U will affect the student’s average. Only courses noted as “S” receive credit.
• Once a student has decided to take a course on a pass/fail basis, it is not possible, under any circumstances, to record a letter grade for that course.

Persons who audit a course pay the standard per credit hour tuition. If an auditor exceeds the number of absences permitted by the professor, a grade of “W” will be recorded on the record and no refund will be given.

Language courses (at the expository writing level and below) and Consortium courses may not be audited. Students in the College are not permitted to audit courses.

If a student wishes to change status from credit to audit, the student must obtain the Dean’s signature on an add/drop slip and submit the request for changes during the add/drop period. Changes to audit are not allowed beyond the add/drop period. Without the change at that time, the student is left with the option of either completing all course work and receiving a grade or dropping the course entirely.

Once a student registers for an audit, it is not possible, under any circumstances, to record a letter grade for that course.

Advisory reports are sent to first-year students after mid-term examinations in the fall semester. These reports, sent to the student’s local address, are not part of the permanent academic record of the student; they are designed to help first-year students evaluate academic achievement. Students with any deficiencies should confer with the appropriate professor. The grades used are Satisfactory (SM), Marginal (MM), Unsatisfactory (UM).

Students must complete all work in a course no later than the date of the final examination. In the case of illness or other grave reasons, the student will request permission from the Dean’s Office to receive the provisional grade of N. No provisional grade except N may ever be given. Students requesting an N grade must process the N grade form in the Dean’s Office by the last day of class in the semester. N grade forms are available in the Deans’ Offices; instructions are printed on the forms. With the approval of the Dean’s Office, a professor may give an N grade. Without such permission, professors must submit a letter grade from A through F. Unauthorized N grades are automatically converted to failures. When an N grade is granted, the course must be completed and the final grade submitted by the professor no later than (1) March 30 for the fall semester; (2) September 30 for the spring semester; (3) November 30 for the summer sessions.

The Registrar will mail Grade Reports to the student’s home address unless a student specifies otherwise. It is important to inform the Office of the Registrar of any change of address so that the Reports may be properly addressed.

When a professor feels a grade change is justified (e.g., due to an error in recording or calculation), the professor will send a grade-change authorization form including the reasons for such a change, to the student’s Dean for approval. Professors cannot change final grades on the basis of additional work from an individual student, including the resubmission of papers.

The Academic Standards Committee of each school is responsible for ensuring that grade changes are not processed later than one semester after a course has been offered. A grade for a fall semester course may be changed by the professor until the end of the spring semester; a spring semester course until the end of September; a summer course until the end of November.

When a student thinks that a given course grade is not justified, he or she must first discuss the grade on an informal basis with the professor of the course. Within the first twenty-one calendar days of the next semester, the student and professor should discuss the grade. (Faculty may be unavailable between semesters. For spring and summer classes, the next semester is the fall semester.) After having discussed the grade with the faculty member, the student may consider a formal appeal of the grade.

1. Grounds for appeal. An error in grading procedures or inequity in the application of policies stated in the course syllabus are grounds for an appeal. A disagreement with the professional judgement of the professor should not be the basis of an appeal or any resulting change of grade. The appeal process involves a thorough review, which could result in the decision that the grade was too low, or, if such an error or inequity was found to have benefitted the student, that the grade was too high.

2. Initiating an appeal. If the student believes that there is reason for an appeal of the professor’s assigned grade, the student may make a formal written appeal to the Chair of the faculty member’s department with a copy of the appeal letter sent to the student’s Dean. In the appeal letter, the student must state the grounds for the appeal and document any claims of grading error or inequities in as much detail as possible. The Chair must then notify the faculty member of the appeal and provide a copy of the formal request. Such an appeal must be filed within the first thirty calendar days of the semester after that in which the grade was assigned. (If the faculty member is in the School of Foreign Service, the appeal would go to the Faculty Chair; and if the faculty member is in the McDonough School of Business, the appeal would go to the Dean of Faculty of the School. In the event change in titles or responsibilities make these designations inappropriate, the Dean of each School will have the authority to make a new designation.)

3. Informal resolution of the appeal. The Chair may try to resolve the appeal informally, but has no authority to change the grade assigned by the faculty member.

4. Resolution by a faculty committee. If the Chair does not resolve the appeal informally or if the chair is the faculty member who assigned the original grade, he or she shall ask a committee of three impartial faculty members to review the complaint and decide the issue. The Chair may choose an impartial faculty member from another department or program if necessary to assure fairness. After hearing from the faculty member and the student (or determining that they are unavailable), and taking whatever other steps it deems necessary, the review committee shall decide whether to sustain the original grade, raise it, or lower it. The committee’s decision is final. The Chair must report to the student, the faculty member, and the student’s Dean how the appeal has been concluded no later than sixty days after the beginning of the next semester.

5. Default resolution by the Dean. If the student’s Dean does not receive a report from the Chair within the second thirty-day period, the Dean shall notify the chair that the report has not been received and that unless a report is received within fourteen calendar days, the Dean will settle the appeal. If a report is not received within that period, the Dean shall either resolve the appeal informally or, soliciting whatever advice he or she needs, decide whether to sustain the original grade, raise it, or lower it. The Dean’s decision in that case is final. The Dean shall notify the student, the faculty member, and the Chair of the decision reached in the case. The matter must be settled by the end of the semester following the one in which the course was given and the grade awarded.

In order to graduate, a student must have attained a cumulative Quality Point Index of 2.00 or higher.

Upon graduation honors are awarded on the following basis:

Full-time students only may earn honors on the basis of QPI for a given semester:

Note: “full-time” status for the purposes of computing honors requires that a student be enrolled in at least twelve credits of course work for which quality points are awarded. Pass/fail grades are not awarded quality points.

Undergraduate Bulletin 2009-2010 Table of Contents
Copyright 2009, Georgetown University.