IV. ACADEMIC POLICIES 2

Students earn degrees by completing the prescribed number and kinds of credits for the relevant degree. Credits are earned only if all the requirements for the course are completed and an acceptable grade is received. A student earns no credit for a course in which he/she obtains an unacceptable grade.

The academic performance of students is primarily determined by the level of achievement in courses and programs. For some courses or programs, however, students are also evaluated in the related non- academic areas of professional suitability, lifestyle and clinical proficiency (see also policy #2:437:2:6 for more details).

The authority to determine grades rests with the teacher of the course. Quality points (on a 4.00 scale) are given to each letter grade (A-F) for use in computing a student’s grade-point average (GPA). The GPA is the average number of quality points earned per credit hour in all courses which are assigned grades A-F. The grading system follows:

Grades shall be given as symbols with quality points per symbol as outlined below:

Unacceptable grade level for any academic credit.

A minimum GPA of 2.00 (C) is required in all credits, and in credits earned at Andrews University that are used to meet undergraduate degree requirements. A minimum GPA of 2.25 is required in all transfer credits, and in all credits earned at Andrews University that are counted for an undergraduate major. No course with a grade below C- may count toward a major or minor. Individual schools or departments may have higher minimum GPA requirements.

A minimum GPA of 3.00 (B) is required in courses that apply to a graduate degree. No course with a grade of D or F (or U) may count towards a graduate degree. Some departments or schools may require a higher satisfactory grade in certain courses.

Additional grades may appear on a student’s academic record as defined below.

A grade of AU is given for an audited course if the student has met the obligations of the audit agreement.

It is possible to audit any class except private music lessons and independent study courses, provided (1) there is room in the class, (2) the student has an adequate background, and (3) permission to attend is granted by the instructor. The term audit refers to registration for attendance only, and all auditors, including Honors Auditors (HN), are expected to attend class appointments as agreed upon with the instructor who grants the auditing privileges. Auditors are expected to attend at least 80 percent of the class periods. Those who fail to do so are assigned a notation of UA (Unsatisfactory Audit); Honors auditors a UH (Unsatisfactory Honors.)

A student may change from credit to audit registration and vice versa for any course within the published time limits. To make this change the student must present the Registrar’s Office with a Change of Registration form with the required signatures including that of the instructor (see policy #2:425:4).

A DG may be given in courses for which the requirements are not likely to be completed within one semester. It may be given for tours, field/clinical experiences, internships, project and independent study courses, courses including research requirements, and courses where mastery level learning is required.

The Registrar’s Office records a DG only for courses previously approved for such a grade by the relevant school courses/curricula or programs committee.

An instructor may stipulate a time limit for changing the DG to be changed to a grade. An instructor may change the DG to a DN, (DN B- Deferred and Not Completeable) signifying that the course has not been completed and no longer can be completed due to the elapsed time.

A DG may remain on a student’s transcript at graduation if the course does not count toward the degree.

An Incomplete (I) indicates that the student’s work is incomplete because of illness or unavoidable circumstances and not because of negligence or inferior performance.

An I may be given when the instructor and the student agree to terms stated in an Incomplete Contract and signed by both. In exceptional cases, the signature of the student may not be required. The I is given to a student and a contract signed only when the major portion of the work for the course has been completed. The contract states the work to be completed, a plan with timelines for completion of the work, and the grade the student will receive if the work is not completed by the agreed-upon time. The signed Incomplete Contract, along with the semester grade sheet, is filed with the Registrar’s Office by the faculty member at the appropriate time.

Ordinarily an I is removed during the following semester. However, an I contracted in the spring semester may be extended to the autumn semester. Any request for an extension of time beyond the contracted time shall be made in writing before the end of the contracted date and approved by the dean of the college/school in which the course is offered. The number of Incompletes on a student’s record affects the student’s class and workload.

Restrictions on undergraduate students: a student with eight (8) credits of Incompletes may not register for more than twelve (12) credits of new courses. The load of an undergraduate student with twelve (12) or more credits of Incompletes, will be limited by the dean of the college/school in which he/she is enrolled. All Incompletes must be removed before graduation.

Assigned only for designated remedial courses.

The standard grades for lecture and lecture/laboratory courses are A-F. Certain designated courses, such as individual study/readings, independent research, research projects, workshops, seminars, field/clinical experiences, and practica may be graded with either an S/U or A-F pattern as the school/college determines. Completed theses/dissertations (except for undergraduate theses) are always graded on an S/U basis. Grading patterns may not be mixed within a given course for any grading period. For an undergraduate student an S means that a C (2.00) or higher was earned; for a graduate student, a B (3.00) or higher. The letter grade U signifies unsatisfactory performance. Credit is earned only for S grades. No quality points are assigned S/U courses and an S/U notation does not affect the grade point average.

Withdrawal is recorded when a student withdraws within the date limitations indicated by the Academic Calendar. The designation of W is also given in cases where a student who has previously registered for theses or project credit and obtained a Deferred Grade subsequently decides not to complete the work for the thesis or project and instead selects another option for completing the degree. In other circumstances the institution may initiate withdrawal.

Several factors are used to compute the final grade in a particular course. These include such items as scores in oral or written examinations, quizzes, practical and written projects, papers, reports, laboratory practica, skill demonstration, clinical performance, and class attendance/participation. The teacher selects the grading components for a given course according to the nature of that course and to reflect assessment of the intended outcomes of the course.

Faculty members may not use a single grading element or grading event during a course to determine the final grade of a student even where the objectives for the course are narrow and focused. A faculty member’s syllabus must clearly state how the final grade of a student will be computed (see also policy #2:437:3:3, #1.). Faculty must be able to explain and document the grading system and the calculations used to arrive at a final grade.

Written work such as papers, reports, projects, theses, or dissertations may be graded by letter grades or by Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory (S/U). Performance on written work for courses using a letter grade method will form part of the final resulting grade. Wherein the S/U grading system is used and a student obtains the U (unsatisfactory) grade designation, the student shall not receive credit for that course. Where the course is needed to fulfill degree requirements, the student shall not graduate until the S (satisfactory performance) grade has been received.

Clinicals, laboratory work, practica, and skill demonstrations may be graded by letter grades or by Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory (S/U). The instructor’s course outline will inform students what grading system is to be used when these forms of learning are evaluated:

1. Clinicals
2. Laboratory work
3. Practica
4. Skill demonstration

Regular attendance at all classes, laboratories, and other academic appointments is required of each student. Faculty members are expected to keep regular attendance records and use attendance as a basis for determining the final course grade.  Additionally, attendance records are used to determine satisfactory academic progress as it relates to federal financial aid and international student visa status. 

Online students are expected to meet the same policies and procedures as those attending face-to-face courses. Participation, however, is defined differently for asynchronous interactive online courses than face-to-face and synchronous courses. Attendance in asynchronous interactive online courses is defined by the instructor as outlined in the syllabus, and may include academic engagement such as online discussion, quizzes, assignments, tutorials, etc. Logging in does not count as attendance [cf: 34 CFR 668.22(c)(3), 34 CFR 668.22(l) and 34 CFR § 600.2]. Failure to engage as assigned may be deemed an absence for that week. 

The instructor’s course syllabus alerts students to the attendance requirement within the understanding listed as follows:

Regular attendance at classes and laboratories is required. In the case of an absence (illness or accident), students are expected to notify the instructor promptly.  For absences due to university-sponsored activities the program director will provide verification of the event and roster of student names to the college dean which should be submitted on the first week of the semester or immediately after the roster is finalized. Students are responsible for notifying their instructors of the anticipated absences.  

After absences due to illness for the equivalent of more than one week, students should provide verification of illness from a non-immediate family licensed health care provider to their college dean’s office. See the Student Handbook for policy and procedure for longer medical leaves (including those related to mental health).

Course requirements must be fulfilled regardless of attendance. Whenever the number of absences exceeds 20 percent (10% for graduate courses) of the total course appointments, the grade of “F” may be recorded. Students who have not attended a course prior to the close of registration, will not be allowed to add the course.

Instructors are not obligated to accept work missed under circumstances such as late registration, suspension, early departures, or late returns from holidays or vacations.

Non-attendance does not suffice to indicate that the student has dropped the course. The student is counted as a member of the class and is charged tuition until the appropriate form is filed in the Registrar’s Office.

Three (3) tardinesses are the equivalent of one absence.

Professional programs may require such things as appropriate personality traits, acceptable lifestyle, satisfactory clinical aptitudes and other published special requirements and competencies. For programs where these requirements are stipulated, evaluations are made of students in terms of these requirements (see also policy #2:437:7:2 regarding a failure to achieve in these areas).

Grade penalties or a failing grade result from academic dishonesty or plagiarism (see policies #2:444 and #2:445).

The authority to determine grades rests with the faculty member(s) teaching the course or substitute instructor(s) assigned by the relevant department chair in consultation with the dean where the regular instructor is unavailable.

The department chair and dean of the school have general oversight responsibility through counsel with each faculty member to ensure that a carefully crafted grading policy including assessment of specific learning outcomes is used and that students are fully informed of the policy and its application.

Only when a grade complaint is lodged or a grading grievance petition is filed by a student will the department chair and dean become involved with decisions on grading.

In order to avoid a charge of carelessness, arbitrariness or capriciousness, the faculty member should assign grades in a professionally responsible way by taking into account the criteria of his/her department and the following safeguards:

1. Describe the grading method in the published course outline given to each student enrolled for the course on the first day of class.
2. Use a written key that clearly indicates how points will be assigned to mark examinations, tests, etc…. The written key constitutes evidence that grades are assigned on the basis of certain criteria, not capriciously or through favoritism. A copy of such a key should be kept in the course file for at least a calendar year after the test or examination.
3. Ensure that graded material returned to students such as tests and other written assignments shows the assignment of points according to the key (or where appropriate, adherence to published guidelines).
4. Keep a record of any changes to course requirements and special accommodations or provisions for exceptional students.
5. Inform students in the course outline what review and remediation opportunities are provided for all the students during a given term.
6. Consistently apply officially published grading policies on Incompletes, Deferred Grades, and retaking of examinations/courses.
7. Place the instructor’s grade record on file.

The instructor’s record of grades for a given course should indicate how the final grade for every student was computed.

The instructor is expected, when requested, to provide appropriate feedback to students on their progress in the class. It is usually appropriate for the instructor to warn a student whose progress suggests he or she may fail the course.

Grade changes are made for “I” and DG symbols at the Registrar’s Office. These are to be changed in the appropriate grade book, initialed and dated by the instructor of record (or relevant dean if the instructor has left the employment of the university).

To protect the integrity of the grading system, alterations to the official grade record occur only where instructor error is discovered. Grades are not changed because additional work has been completed since the grade was assigned. Errors are reported on the official grade change form provided by the Registrar’s Office and must be signed by the instructor and the dean. On this form, which becomes the basis for a corresponding correction in the record, a written statement of explanation must be provided.

Grade changes require authorization in writing by the faculty member who is the instructor of record. Only in the case of the faculty member’s departure from the university or the death of a faculty member may grade changes be effected without the specific signature of the faculty member on the official grade form or appropriate official change of grade form. In such an event, the dean of the relevant school signs for the instructor.

Any change of grade must normally be made within the semester following the term for which the grade was assigned for any class taken on campus. In no case should grades be revised after two (2) semesters. Graduate grade changes may not be made after one semester without the permission of the dean/program coordinator following the term in which the course was offered except as allowed by a specific policy. In the case of classes offered on an extension campus, the grade change must occur within two semesters following the term in which the course was taken. Resulting changes in the grade point average subsequent to the issuing of the diploma shall not result in withdrawal of the diploma.

Grades for a given course are recorded through the online reporting system. Deadlines for reporting grades are announced by the Registrar’s Office.

Course instructors must protect the privacy of their students relative to their grades. They may not display or rank student grades in public during or at the end of a term by the use of ID numbers, social security numbers, or names, except as a student may authorize the instructor in writing to display his/her grades under a number system. Tests, examinations, or other graded material containing the names of students involved must not be left in a public place for student collection except by written permission of the student. Without un-coerced written student permission, any of the above practices constitute violations of the privacy rights of individuals as contained in policy #2:151.

Andrews University issues grades to students as well as to parents, sponsors, and others identified by the student at registration and who are thus entitled to such according to policy #2:151:2:3:1, 2, 4 and 5.

Because of the contractual nature of the university’s arrangements with students and parents, faculty are obligated to ensure that grades are filed on time at the Registrar’s Office according to the published deadlines.

Students who dispute the grade received for a course are to be encouraged, by any faculty member or administrator who is approached, to seek a resolution through the following procedural steps. Succeeding steps should be taken only as failure is experienced in the previous step:

A student reporting dissatisfaction over a grade received in a course should be counseled to first seek a resolution in person with the instructor. Should such a meeting not succeed, the student may seek a resolution through the instructor’s immediate supervisor, the department chair or, in the absence of the chair, the dean of the school. The supervisor may arrange a joint discussion between the student and the instructor. When such attempts at resolution of the grade problem fail, the student may file a written grade complaint with the relevant instructor’s immediate supervisor.

A student may request an investigation of a grade through a written grade complaint to the supervisor of the instructor which explains the reasons for the student’s belief that the grade was assigned as a result of: carelessness, arbitrariness, or capriciousness.

If the chair is also the instructor in question, the chair should direct the grade complaint to the next highest officer for processing. The written grade complaint must be filed within the semester (not counting the summer terms) after the grade was given and/or a grade report card had been issued. Complaints filed after a full semester has elapsed since a grade was given and/or a report card issued, or a written grade complaint that does not detail the evidence called for above, shall not be investigated.

A department chair or the instructor’s immediate supervisor can recommend or make a grade adjustment only if his/her findings reveal clear evidence of carelessness, arbitrariness, or capriciousness on the part of the instructor. The department chair or the instructor’s immediate supervisor is to render a written report on his/her findings within a week (if school is in session; if not, within the first week after school reconvenes). If the student does not receive a report or remains dissatisfied, he/she may file a written grade grievance with the dean of the relevant school.

A student may file a written grade grievance with a dean of a relevant school to resolve a grade problem. The grade grievance must be filed within three weeks of receiving a response to the original filing of the written grade complaint. The written grade grievance shall provide evidence for the claim that the grade was assigned as a result of arbitrariness, capriciousness, or carelessness. Should the dean be the instructor in question, the dean shall direct the grade grievance to the provost. A written grade grievance that does not detail the evidence called for above, or that is filed more than three weeks after the response to the original filing of the complaint, will not be investigated.

Providing the student has met the conditions for filing a grade grievance, the relevant dean or his/her immediate supervisor as noted shall appoint a Grade Review Committee of three (3) faculty members with authority to investigate the matter further and to recommend a resolution.

The dean’s or his/her supervisor’s shall issue a written verdict in response to a specific Grade Review Committee within one week after having received the written recommendations of the Committee that shall be final and binding on both student and faculty member. The verdict may necessitate a grade change.

Grades considered to represent an unsatisfactory level of achievement by a student in a given class are defined as failing grades.

A student may be dismissed from a particular program during a given semester because of failing grades. Where a student fails to meet the published professional and lifestyle requirements for some programs referred to in policy #2:437:2:6 he/she may be refused a degree even when all the other academic requirements have been satisfactorily completed (see also policy #2:437:7:3 below).

Students should be informed verbally or in writing (via the relevant bulletin or departmental handbook) about the consequences of achieving failing grades for a given degree program. Advisors, department chairs and deans are responsible to ensure such communication. Where applicable, a course syllabus should contain a warning that dismissal from the program may follow the receipt of a failing grade in the course in question.

Advisors are responsible to warn, verbally and in writing, the student who is failing a program. A student shall be considered for dismissal from a program for poor achievement only on the basis of ample written evidence of repeated warnings filed by the advisor in the student’s file.

Instructors, advisors, department chairs and deans are responsible to avoid charges of negligence, misrepresentation and contract liability by:

1. Consistent application of specific and established criteria;
2. Early identification of students at academic risk;
3. Careful retention of advising records; and by
4. Reminders to students of their obligation to study the university bulletins and relevant publications.

Where the requirements for a particular professional degree as published in the Bulletin include personality, lifestyle, clinical aptitude and other special traits, a student may be deemed fail in that program if he/she does not measure up to those requirements. Such a student may be denied a degree and may be dismissed from the program if the dismissal decision is well-documented by the faculty advisor and reviewed by the departmental faculty in session noting the process and criteria used. The decision to dismiss must be filed with the minutes of the meeting (see also policy #2:437:5).

Students who are dismissed on the basis of failing performance have a right to appeal and to due process through consultation with the vice president of academic administration.

In order to avoid liability for contract breach, misrepresentation, unfairness, capriciousness, negligence, or favoritism, faculty must adhere to the Bulletin and schedule deadlines for completing admission, course, program, and degree deadlines including theses/dissertation defenses.