Grading

Grade Reports

Midterm and final grade reports follow the normal grading system. A copy of the midterm and final grade reports will be available on campus for all students in their advisor’s office and on RAIL. First semester freshmen and high school seniors’ grades are mailed to the students’ permanent address.

Grade Point Average

A student’s grade point average is computed on all work that a student has attempted for university credit (including Shepherd University credits and transfer credits). Courses with a grade of W, courses taken on a pass/fail or audit basis, and Academic Foundations courses are not considered courses attempted for university credit in the computation of a student’s grade point average.

Quality points are based on the point value per semester hour multiplied by the number of hours of coursework attempted. A student taking a three-hour course and receiving a grade of C would earn 6 quality points. (C = 2 quality points times 3 hours.)

To compute a grade point average, divide the total quality points accumulated by the total credit hours attempted for which university credit is given toward graduation (e.g., 220 quality points accumulated divided by 88 credit hours attempted for university credit = (220/88) = 2.50 GPA.

GPAs are truncated at 2 digits, and are not rounded up or down.

Grading System

Summary of Grading System

^*Not used in computation of grade point average.

⁺Declaration of a change in a course from credit status to audit status must be processed within the first 15 class days (M-F) of a fall or spring academic session or within the first three days of a summer session. Any later change must be appealed to the Admissions and Credits Committee. (See section, Auditing Courses in Academic Policies .)

Students may choose to take elective courses on a pass/fail basis instead of the regular grading system, in accordance with the following:

1. Electives shall be defined as courses not directly required for a degree. Thus, required electives within the major field of concentration would be excluded from the pass/fail option. In the event of change in major fields, the course previously taken on a pass/fail option if applicable to the new major field shall be substituted by approved courses. Required Core Curriculum courses also will be excluded from the pass/fail option. The ultimate responsibility for correct scheduling rests with the student.
2. A passing grade in the pass/fail option will be equivalent to the normal passing range of A through D in the conventional system.
3. All students are eligible for the pass/fail option with the exception of those currently on academic probation.
4. Students will be limited to 24 hours of pass/fail options within a degree program, with not more than one course (maximum of four semester hours) being taken on a pass/fail basis during a single semester or summer session.
5. In the Office of the Registrar, a student must make a declaration for the pass/fail option by the tenth class day of the semester. This decision will be final.

Incomplete Grades

A grade of incomplete may be given to a student who has satisfactorily completed most of the requirements for a course, but because of illness or other extenuating circumstances has not completed all of the requirements. All incomplete grades must be accompanied by a form provided by the Office of the Registrar and completed by the instructor and, if possible, signed by the student.

Students receiving an incomplete must confer with the instructor, prior to the end of the semester, to determine the exact deficiencies that are to be made up within the next semester. These requirements will be listed on the incomplete form. This form will become the basis for the completion of the course. If the student is not available to meet with the professor prior to the end of the semester for which the incomplete grade is sought, the student must consult with the instructor early in the following semester to determine the requirements and the timetable for completing the work for the course.

Students must submit work required to complete the course to the instructor at least 10 days prior to the date that final grades are due for the following regular semester. (For example, fall semester incomplete work would be due prior to the end of the following spring semester.)

When the work has been evaluated, the instructor must return all copies of the incomplete grade form to the Office of the Registrar with the new grade, no later than the date that final grades are due for the current semester. Grade changes must be made prior to the first day of registration for a regular semester, a summer term, or such change will not be posted to the student’s transcript during the first three weeks of a semester or the first week of a summer term.

If the incomplete is not made up in accordance with this time schedule, the grade automatically becomes an I/F. When an incomplete grade is changed, the student’s semester grade point average is recomputed. However, the Office of the Registrar will not revise the original academic standing (probation, suspension, etc.) posted at the end of the semester in which the incomplete course was attempted. Any exceptions to these procedures must be submitted to the Admissions and Credits Committee.

Repeating Courses

A student may not repeat a course or courses for credit where the original grade was a C or better. The only exception is a course listed in the Catalog course description as repeatable; or for no more than 8 credits of C in upper-division coursework (300- and 400-level coursework) earned Fall 2018 or later, when approved by the student’s advisor, department chair, and college dean (see below).

Repeat Course Forgiveness

For coursework earned Fall 2018 or later:

A student who earns a D or F grade in any course (or upper-division C, as described above) in any course earned Fall 2018 or later may repeat the course prior to receiving a baccalaureate degree. In order to qualify for this academic forgiveness provision, the course(s) must be repeated at Shepherd University. In such a case, the student’s grade point average shall be based on the subsequent grade or grades, not the original grade of D or F. The original grade shall not be deleted from the student’s record, and will be removed only from the calculation of the GPA.

For coursework earned at Shepherd University (or approved in advance for transfer) Fall 2018 or later, there is a strict limit of 21 credits forgiven by repeat.  Only the forgiven credits are included in the 21-credit count. This 21-credit limit will include any upper-division grades of C forgiven as described in the previous section.  Repeat course forgiveness assigned on work earned prior to Fall 2018 (including repeats posted to pre-admission transfer work) is disregarded for this limit.

Once a grade has been removed from the GPA calculation via repeat-course forgiveness, it may not be altered further.

For coursework earned prior to Fall 2018:

A student who earns a D or F grade in any course earned prior to Fall 2018, and completed no later than the semester or summer term that the 60th semester hour is attempted may repeat the course prior to receiving a baccalaureate degree. In order to qualify for this academic forgiveness provision, the course(s) must be repeated at Shepherd University. In such a case, the student’s grade point average shall be based on the subsequent grade or grades, not the original grade of D or F. The original grade shall not be deleted from the student’s record, and will be removed only from the calculation of the GPA.

Once a grade has been removed from the GPA calculation via repeat-course forgiveness, it may not be altered further.

Appealing a Grade

The grade appeal policy and the procedures to follow in order to appeal a grade may be obtained from the Shepherd University Student Handbook.