Grading Policy
Judson's Grading System
| Grade | Interpretation | Grade Point |
|---|---|---|
| A | Excellent | 4.00 |
| A- | 3.67 | |
| B+ | 3.33 | |
| B | Good | 3.00 |
| B- | 2.67 | |
| C+ | 2.33 | |
| C | Satisfactory | 2.00 |
| C- | 1.67 | |
| D+ | 1.33 | |
| D | Low Passing | 1.00 |
| D- | 0.67 | |
| F | Failure | 0.00 |
| W | Withdrawal 1 | |
| WP | Withdrawal Passing 1 | |
| WF | Withdrawal Failing | 0.00 |
| I | Incomplete 1 | |
| P | Pass 1 | |
| AU | Audit 1 | |
| AUR | Audit - RISE Program 1 | |
| NC | No Credit 1 | |
| NR | Grade not Received 11 | |
| IP | Class in Progress 1 | |
| AWF | Administrative Withdrawal Failing | 0.00 |
| CEU | Continuing Education Units 1 |
- 1
Not calculated in the grade point average.
Note: many programs at Judson University will not contain (+) or (-) signs, and may have different percentage criteria for each letter grade; students should consult the syllabi for their courses to ensure they understand individual course policies.
Transcript Columns Interpretation
Earn - total semester hours earned that apply toward graduation requirements
Pass - total hours passed, including hours that apply toward graduation requirements along with courses passed that are not applicable to degree requirements
Quality - total Judson hours passed and/or attempted that receive grade points (includes F, WF, and AWF)
Points - total number of grade points earned by all quality hours
Grade Point Average (GPA) - a measure of a student's performance
- the quality of a student's semester coursework is indicated by a session GPA
- the quality of work through one or more semesters is indicated by a cumulative GPA which includes all Judson courses
- a summary GPA includes all transfer work as well as Judson work
Term - current Judson University term
Cum - cumulative Judson University sessions
A semester GPA is calculated by:
- Multiplying the number of grade points equivalent to the letter grade by the number of semester hours for that course, then
- Adding the semester hours of all courses with grades from A through F, WF and AWF,
- Adding the grade points received in all courses during the semester, and
- Dividing the total number of grade points by the total number of semester hours.
Refer to the example below to calculate the semester GPA. ESS101 is excluded because the grade is W and BST221 is excluded because the grade is P. Divide the 37 grade points by 15 semester hours for a semester GPA of 2.46.The cumulative GPA is determined by the same process using all A through F, WF, and AWF grades received in all courses taken at Judson University. In the example, MAT081 is excluded because the course is below 100 level. After excluding MAT081, 12 semester hours and 28 grade points remain. To calculate the cumulative GPA, divide the 28 grade points by 12 semester hours for a cumulative GPA of 2.33.
| Course | Grade | Grade Points | X | Semester Hours | Grade Point |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ENG110 | AWF | 0.00 | X | 3 | 0 |
| PSY101 | A | 4.00 | X | 3 | 12 |
| MAT081 | B | 3.00 | X | 3 | 9 |
| BIO151 | B | 3.00 | X | 4 | 12 |
| ESS111 | W | N/A | X | * | NA |
| LMM300 | C | 2.00 | X | 2 | 4 |
| BST220 | P | N/A | X | * | NA |
A grade of "P" in a course at the 100 level and above would be included in a credit hour count of completed courses but not in GPA calculations.
Repeating a Course
Students may repeat a course in which they received a grade lower than C. The attempt with the highest grade will be used to compute the cumulative GPA and apply to semester hours earned for graduation. The course with the lower grade will no longer calculate in the cumulative GPA, but will not be removed from the student's record.
Grade Progress
All courses within the Division of Professional Studies and online courses across all programs utilize eLearn, a learning management system (LMS), for tracking course progress. Students may log into their eLearn course site to view grades at any point during the course.
Mid-Semester Grades
Mid-semester, or mid-term grades are only awarded to students in traditional 16-week courses. Faculty are required to submit mid-semester grades for all students in such courses by the deadline posted in the academic calendar. Students may view mid-semester grades through the MyJudson portal.
Semester Final Examinations
The final exam period spans the last four days of the traditional semester, and applies only to students in traditional 16-week courses. The Final Examination Schedule is posted on MyJudson and emailed to faculty and students prior to the final exam period each semester.
- Every class meets during its scheduled examination time and attendance is required, whether or not a final examination is given.
- A faculty member may require or excuse a graduate from an exam.
- Traditional students are required to take final exams as scheduled.
- A student who has more than three final exams during one day of the exam period may petition the Registrar for a make-up exam on a different day.
- Students should not schedule early plane, train or bus departures. Students sharing rides must delay departure from the campus until all riders have completed final exams.
Faculty are required to submit final grades for all students in such courses by the deadline posted in the academic calendar. Students may view their final grades through the MyJudson portal.
Pass/No Credit Option (P/NC)
To encourage students to diversify their enrollments, the University has established a pass/no credit elective option which can be exercised according to the following guidelines:
- To receive a "P" grade, students must have performed at "C" (2.00) level or above.
- Students may exercise this option for a limited number of elective credits applied toward the bachelor's degree only, according to their classification at entrance to Judson:
- Freshman - 12 credits
- Sophomore - 9 credits
- Junior - 6 credits
- Senior - 6 credits
- No more than one P/NC course may be taken per term.
- This option cannot be used for required courses in the major or minor (except those taught only P/NC).
- This option cannot be used for general education requirements.
- For students transferring to Judson, "Pass" credits will not be accepted for major, minor or general education requirements. It is not applicable to CLEP and AP exam scores.
- The Pass/No Credit approval form must be on file in the Registrar's Office by the end of the first week of classes of the semester the student wishes to exercise the P/NC option.
Grade of Incomplete
Incomplete grades are to be issued only for extenuating circumstances. Below are the guidelines for instructors to use if considering an Incomplete for a student:
Approved Incomplete must meet three criteria:
- The student must have completed at least 70-75% of the course work.
- There must be an unusual problem that kept the student from completing the course.
- The student may not be a graduating senior.
Valid Reasons:
- Long-term health problems (or hospitalization), as verified with specific written explanation by the student’s attending physician
- Family or personal emergency (death of immediate family member or emotional trauma), as verified by the Vice President for Student Development
- Extreme circumstances that are beyond the planning and control of the student (Examples: field placement was canceled; internship ended after last day of term, research data did not arrive on time)
Invalid Reasons:
- Student did not make good use of time and needs more time to complete the coursework
- Student had a heavy work schedule that prevented completion of the coursework
- Student did not contact the instructor (in the case of an online course, independent or individualized study, directed research or readings course)
Instructors need to advise their students accordingly. All Incompletes must be requested before the end of the course, with enough time left for the students to actually complete the coursework if the instructor rejects their requests. If students wait until the end of the course to voice their requests, they run the risk of the instructor rejecting the request and it is then too late for them to finish their work. The instructor would then be forced to issue an F (or whatever grade the student had earned at that point). In the case of last-minute situations, please contact the VP of Academic Affairs as soon as possible.
On the Incomplete Request Form in MyJudson, the instructor must specify the exact date the incomplete work is due to the instructor and the date the grade will be submitted to the Registrar’s Office. The maximum allowable time in which to finish an Incomplete is by the end of the sixth week after the course’s original end date.
The day after the designated due date, the Registrar’s Office will issue a grade of F if a grade has not been submitted. The Registrar’s Office will, at any time, issue a list of pending Incompletes to any instructors who request it, but will not notify instructors of impending F grade changes. It is the instructor’s responsibility to keep track of his/her Incomplete due dates and to notify the Registrar’s Office of the assigned grade when the work is completed, by filling out a Grade Change Request in MyJudson.
Grade Grievance
Any student has the right to appeal a questioned grade to the course instructor in writing, if the student believes the instructor has miscalculated the grade, or has not given reasonable and timely assessment of the student's course assignments. The appeal process must conclude within six weeks of the start of the appeal. Grade changes submitted after the six-week deadline will not be processed.
A procedure has been established for resolving those occasions when a student actively disagrees with the grade received in a course.
- No later than two weeks after the student's receipt of the grade report listing the questioned grade, the student must confer with the instructor. If a grade inaccuracy is determined, the instructor will submit a Grade Change Request through MyJudson. Grade changes must be submitted within four weeks of the start of the appeal. Students may submit their appeal to the instructor using this template.
- If agreement cannot be reached, the student may appeal to the Department/Division/Program Chair in writing. If the Chair can mediate an agreement between the student and instructor, a Grade Change Request may be submitted by either the instructor or the Chair. If no agreement can be reached, or if the instructor is also the Chair, the next step is applicable.
- The student may appeal the decision to the VP of Academic Affairs in writing if enrolled in a traditional program or to the Chair of the Division if enrolled in a Professional Studies program. The VP/DPS Chair shall investigate and render a decision. A decision by this individual, either to change the grade or leave it as it is, will be considered final.
Grade Changes
In order to maintain ethical practices and consistency campus-wide, grade changes are only allowed under extreme circumstances. Below are the guidelines for instructors to use if considering a grade change for a student.
Valid Reasons
- Instructor-initiated: Instructor miscalculates the grade or previously submitted an Incomplete grade.
- Student-initiated: Student follows the published Grade Grievance (Appeal) Process (shown above) during which time the determination is made that the student’s grade should be changed.
Invalid Reasons
- Student asks the instructor to change the grade.
- Undocumented learning disability, medical condition, psychological condition, family crisis, etc., that student failed to report to the professor in a timely manner.
- Student turns in work late after final grades are submitted (or retakes final).
- Student misunderstanding.
- Instructor leniency.
- Student submits extra credit work after final grades are issued.