Degree Programs | Academic Standards | Grading Policies | Add/Drop/Withdrawal

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Grading Policies

Grading is a measure of the student’s mastery of a select body of knowledge contained in a specific course. This mastery involves the elements of memory, understanding and expression.

The instructor judges the student’s mastery of any course based on all the evidence provided during the conduct of the course. Formal examinations are only part of the evidence; questions asked by the student, recitations, term papers, book reports, written and oral quizzes, the student’s participation in class discussions—any and every kind of evidence that reveals the student’s development in mastering a subject is pertinent and may legitimately be used by instructors in making their judgment.

Therefore, the following grading system is in effect at Le Moyne:

A, A–

To earn a grade of A or A–, a student must seek mastery of a specified field by reason of interest. The student will show initiative and originality in attacking and solving problems. The student shows ability in rethinking problems, making associations and adapting to new and changing situations. Moreover, the student has command of an appropriate vocabulary.

B, B+, B–

To earn a grade of B, B+ or B– a student should manifest all the qualities characteristic of a student who has earned a C and, in addition, reveal a memory that encompasses more than the basic elements of a course. The student has a more personal grasp of the principles of the course, perceives wider application of these principles and can discuss the subject matter of the course with ease.

C, C+, C–

To earn a grade of C, C+ or C– a student should be able to recall the basic elements of a course, understand the essential background and materials, make some applications of the basic principles and express them intelligibly.

D

A student will earn only a D if he/she is deficient to some degree in any of the areas outlined under C, C+, C–.

F

A student deserves no better than an F if he/she is deficient to a high degree in any of the areas outlined under C, C+, C–.

HP

Awarded for superior performance in internships only. The student earns credit but no grade points. Undergraduate students only.

NC

Indicates the student has not passed the exit exam for WRT 101.

P

Awarded for satisfactory performance in internships only. The student earns credit, but no grade points. Undergraduate students only.

PF/P

This symbol indicates satisfactory work in a course for which the student gains credit but no grade points.

PF/F

This symbol indicates failure in a course for which the only alternative mark could have been a (PF/P). It is the equivalent of an "F" grade.

WF

Failure for dropping a course after the 12th week of the semester or 80 percent of a summer term as published in the Academic Calendar, or for excessive absence from a course. It is the equivalent of an “F” grade.

I

Granted by the instructor for failure to complete class assignments.Students who find themselves unable to complete work for a course by the end of the regular term should request their instructor to submit a grade of Incomplete (I).

Such a request should be made only for good cause, and students should bear in mind that instructors may request documentation in support of such a request, in writing, and may refuse the request. If the precipitating cause is of a personal nature, students or faculty may seek the assistance of the academic dean in documenting the reason for the request.

Undergraduates who incur incomplete grades have 30 days from the last day of the final examination in a given semester to resolve the incomplete grade. These deadlines for removal of incomplete grades are listed in the Academic Calendar. Incomplete grades not resolved by these deadlines are automatically converted to a failing grade for the course. The official deadline for removing any incomplete grade may be extended only by the academic Dean.

Deadlines for removal of incomplete grades are stated in the Academic Calendar and online at the Registrar's website. Incomplete grades not removed by the appropriate deadline are automatically converted to a failing grade for the course. The official deadline for removing any incomplete grade may be extended only by the academic dean.

Students enrolled in a graduate program have 60 days from the last day of class to resolve the “I” status for coursework. Extensions are granted by the director of the appropriate graduate program.

If a candidate for graduation has completed the work for an incomplete grade within the required time, the recorded graduation date will be the semester in which the “I” was received. If the student asks for an extension, he/she will have a graduation date recorded as the next possible graduation date.

W

This symbol indicates that a student has withdrawn from a course subsequent to the last day for dropping courses with no grade but before the end of the twelfth week of the semester or 80% of a summer term.

S

Indicates satisfactory work in non-credit bearing courses and activities. Undergraduate students only.

U

Indicates unsatisfactory work in non-credit bearing courses and activities. Undergraduate students only.

AUD

Granted by the instructor to indicate satisfactory participation in a course that a student has audited. This symbol does not imply satisfactory performance on examinations or other work, and it may not be converted to a letter grade.

 

Auditing Courses

A student who wishes to audit a course may do so with the approval of the course instructor. Students who audit courses generally are exempt from assignments and examinations; however, requirements vary depending on the course. Under no circumstances may a student make a course change from credit to audit after the last day to add a course as listed in the Academic Calendar section. A grade of AUD is recorded on the transcript if minimum attendance standards are met. No credit is given. Please see “Part-time Students”, in the Financial Information section of this catalog for costs to audit courses.

Audit permission forms are available in the registrar’s office. Students registering for credit are given priority for all courses.

 

Pass/Fail Grading

A student will be assigned a course grade on a pass/fail basis if:

1. The course is listed in the catalog as a course in which all students are graded on a pass/fail basis, e.g., an internship; or
2. The student elects the pass/fail grading option described below. In either case, if the teacher judges that the student has passed the course, the teacher will record a pass for the course (PF/P) that will be included in the student’s transcript. The student then receives full credit for the course, although a course with the grade of PF/P will not be counted at all in computing the student’s G.P.A. If the teacher judges that the student has failed the course, the teacher will record a failure (PF/F) for the course; in this case, the course will be counted, with zero grade points, in the computation of the G.P.A.

In order to encourage greater student representation and experimentation in course selections, the pass/fail grading option is offered for undergraduate students as follows:

1. A student may elect one course in the spring semester of the junior year and in the fall and spring semesters of the senior year for which he or she will receive a grade on his or her transcript of either PF/P (pass) or PF/F (fail). An exception to this rule may occur for students involved with internships, i.e., no student may take more than 15 hours of courses graded pass/fail and not more than 12 hours so graded during a semester.
2. The course selected may not serve to fulfill the requirements of a student’s major or minor or the requirements of the core curriculum.
3. If a student wishes to take a class pass/fail he/she must complete a pass/fail form and submit it to the registrar’s office on or before the pass/fail deadline. The pass/fail forms are located in the Office of the Registrar or online at www.lemoyne.edu/registrar.
4. The student receives grades for all work done, including a final examination. If the grade is D or above, the teacher will record the passing grade of PF/P; otherwise, the teacher will record the failing grade of PF/F.
5. The student must carry at least four courses with at least 12 credit hours to be eligible for this option.
6. If there are spaces available, a student’s desire to make use of the pass/fail option shall not be a criterion in determining his or her eligibility for the course or section.
7. The pass/fail grading option is a matter of the student’s choice; no student is required to take advantage of it.
8. At no time in the future will the grade of pass/fail be converted to a letter grade.

Grade Points

Candidates for a degree must complete the number of semester hours required, and their work must also reach a standard of excellence measured in terms of grade points.

The total grade points for each course are calculated by multiplying the credit hours for that course by the grade points assigned to the grade earned in the course:

A	4.00	C	2.00
A-	3.67	C-	1.67
B+	3.33	D	1.00
B	3.00	F	0.00
B-	2.67	WF	0.00
C+	2.33	PF/F	0.00

Grade Point Average

The semester grade-point ratio is calculated by dividing the total grade points for all courses by the total credit hours for all courses. (Since the grades of W, PF/HP and PF/P carry no specified number of grade points, the credit hours for such a course do not enter into the computation of the G.P.A.)

Students with permission to transfer courses taken at other institutions are reminded that the College accepts only the credit from such courses. The grades earned in those courses do not affect the students’ grade points and G.P.A.

 

Grievance Procedures for Grades

For cases in which a student feels he or she has been given an unjustifiably low grade, the following grievance procedure for grades has been established:

1. Within 30 days following the date of issuance of the grade (the date on which grades are due at the registrar’s office or, in the case of incomplete, the date on which the “I” is removed), the student shall inform the professor of his or her dissatisfaction and arrange a meeting to discuss the grade in question. At this meeting, the professor will provide the student with his or her final examination paper if it is relevant to the question.
2. If the grade decision is not satisfactorily resolved at this meeting, the student may seek the intervention of the professor’s department chair. The chair shall discuss the grievance with both the student and the professor (either individually or together) and shall make a recommendation to the student and the professor as to the disposition of the grade. If the department chair is the professor, the senior member of the department other than the the course instructor shall hear the appeal.
3. If the problem has not been resolved in steps one or two above, the student may appeal to the appropriate dean. In this case, the student and the professor shall submit in writing their positions in the matter. The appropriate dean may also request a written
   recommendation from the department chair. (These documents are not intended to preclude meetings between the academic dean and the student, the professor and/or the department chair.) The appropriate dean shall then forward written recommendation to the student, the professor and the department chair. Within 15 days, the professor shall give written notice to the student of the final disposition of the grade with copies to the appropriate dean and the department chair.
4. The student may appeal the decision of step three (above) to the academic vice president.

Grade Reports

Grades are posted to students’ WebAdvisor account. If a student needs a printed grade report he or she must submit the appropriate form to the registrar’s office. The form can be found on the Web at www.lemoyne.edu/registrar or in the registrar’s office. It is the responsibility of the student to inform the registrar’s office of a change in name or address.

Transcripts

A transcript for work completed at Le Moyne College may be obtained by writing to: Registrar, Le Moyne College, 1419 Salt Springs Road, Syracuse, N.Y. 13214-1301. A cost is associated with the request of an official transcript. In compliance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974, telephone requests for transcripts will not be granted nor will grades be given over the telephone. The registrar’s office does not release transcripts of students with an outstanding financial obligation to the College. See the Registrar's Website for more information.