Rules & Procedures - Grades

For each course in which a student is enrolled, for which academic credit is given, the instructor will report to the Registrar a letter grade evaluating the student's performance. The table below indicates the grade-point value for each of the letter grades.

Note:  Grades of CR, DCR, and NCR are explained further below under “AY1920 Spring”

Grade descriptions

Grades in a course are determined by comparing a student's performance with that of classmates and also with the performance of students in that course in previous years. The following definitions are used as a guide. 

• "A" is an honor grade. It is awarded as a mark of outstanding performance and for achievement clearly of a higher order than average. It indicates that the student has demonstrated not only the ability to work successfully, but also the ability to do some creative thinking or problem solving in the field. It will not be given for routine performance of the assigned work in the course.
• "B" and "B+" indicate very good performance, definitely above a satisfactory level, but not as good in analytical thinking and originality as that required for the grade of "A." Thorough competence to do excellent work in the field is required for the grades of "B" and "B+" which will not be given for mere compliance with the minimum essential standards of the course.
• "C" and "C+" are the grades given for satisfactory performance. They indicate compliance with the standards set for successful completion of the course and minimum performance acceptable for graduation from the Institute.
• "D" and "D+" are penalty grades. They are recorded to show that the student's performance has been below a satisfactory level, deficient in quality and/or content, and not of a standard high enough in this field to meet graduation requirements. They may be used to indicate that, in the opinion of the instructor, the student is ill-prepared to proceed with the work either in a continuation course or in one for which the course in question is a prerequisite. They are the lowest passing marks. For more information see Grade Replacement.
• F" is a penalty grade. It indicates failure and entirely unsatisfactory performance. It carries the requirement that to obtain credit, the entire course must be repeated. The grade of "F" stands on the student's record and cannot be removed by subsequent satisfactory work. For more information see Grade Replacement.
• "W" indicates "Withdrawal," and is ignored in computing GPA. It is assigned automatically when the student withdraws properly between the beginning of the second week through the end of the eighth week of a term.  If the penalty levied by an instructor in a case of academic misconduct is failure in the course, the student forfeits the right to withdraw from the course with a grade of "W". For more information see Drop/Add.
• "S" indicates "Satisfactory" performance in a course taken on a Pass/Fail
• basis. The student receives credit, but this grade does not influence GPA.
• "U" indicates "Unsatisfactory" performance in a course taken on a Pass/Fail basis. The student does not receive credit for the course. This grade does not influence the student's GPA.
• "I" indicates "Incomplete." If a student's work in a course is generally of passing grade but some of the requirements have not been met due to circumstances beyond the control of the student, an Incomplete may be given. An Incomplete shall be recorded as an "F" if the work is not completed within the time fixed by the instructor, at the latest by the end of the next term (excluding summer term). Extension of an Incomplete beyond one term requires approval of the Admissions and Standing Committee. (Note: Whenever an "I" is given to a student, the instructor should give the Registrar a memorandum indicating the requirements for obtaining a passing grade in the course and an estimate of the grade on the work completed so far.)
• "N" indicates "No Report" and is used when insufficient information is available to allow a letter grade to be assigned or for a course in which credit is to be carried over in a continuation of the same course, such as graduate thesis credit or a senior seminar.
• "AU" indicates successful "Audit" in a course the student has registered for without receiving credit. If the audit has been 'unsuccessful,' (e.g., if the student did not actually attend class), the instructor may direct that the "AU" not be awarded and the Audit will be removed from the student's record.

AY1920 Spring Grades of CR, DCR, NCR

Any class completed for undergraduate credit during the AY1920 Spring term, at the discretion of the student, may be taken under the credit/no-credit grading option with the following designations:

• CR: Satisfactory. Replaces grades of C or better in the regular grading system. Credit is granted for this course, and it will fulfill college and major requirements. Courses with this grade fulfill prerequisite requirements that include a grade of C or better.
• DCR: Credit is given, but this grade may not be satisfactory for certain requirements. Credit is granted for this course, while noting that the student’s work would have earned them a D or D+ letter grade had that option been chosen.
• NCR: No Credit/Not Satisfactory. Replaces an F in the regular grading system. No credit is granted for this course.

Courses taken under the credit/no-credit grading option will not be included in the calculation of the student’s GPA. There is no limit to the number of courses which can be taken under the credit/no-credit grading option.

If a student selects the credit/no-credit option for a course being taken for grade replacement, and a grade of CR or DCR is earned, the prior penalty grade will not be used in the computation of the student’s GPA, but the prior penalty grade will not be removed from the student’s permanent record. A grade of CR will meet prerequisite requirements. Students can only earn credit for one instance of a repeated course. Grades of CR and DCR will allow the student to earn credit for a course previously failed. Stated limitations associated with Grade Replacement still apply. It is strongly recommended that students discuss repeated courses with their advisors if they are considering the credit/no-credit grading option for a repeated course.

If the penalty levied by an instructor in a case of academic misconduct is failure in the course, the student forfeits the right to take the course under the credit/no-credit grading option.

Students currently on probation or double-probation will retain that status until a later term if they do not take at least 12 hours of graded coursework during the AY1920 Spring term.

For more information also see Grade Point Average (GPA) and Grade Reports.