Grades
Grades
Final grades can be viewed on self-service at the end of each semester and at the conclusion of work in the Summer and January Intersessions. Mid-term grades are issued to all undergraduate students to indicate their standing in courses up to that time and to assist faculty and advisors in providing students the necessary guidance they might require. These mid-semester grades are not recorded on the permanent academic record.
Contested Grades
If a student believes that their final grade in a course is not consistent with the grading criteria designated by the course instructor, the student should first discuss the matter with the course instructor. If the student and the instructor cannot resolve the matter in this discussion, the student may discuss the matter with the department chair. Copies of all graded tests, quizzes, and other assignments will be needed.
In the event that the student is not satisfied with the outcome of the discussions with the course instructor and the chair, the student may make a written request to the chair for a formal consideration of the problem. This request must be submitted within three weeks after the beginning of the semester immediately following the regular Fall or Spring semester. Included in the request will be an outline of the student’s specific complaints. The chair shall make a detailed investigation and shall notify the student and course instructor of their findings. The student may appeal the findings of the chair to the Dean of the school in which the course was offered. The Dean of the school will respond to the student in writing and will preserve the documentation of the process. When the department chair is the course instructor, the student may appeal to the Dean of the school in which the course was taught who will investigate the matter and notify the student and the department chair of their findings.
Students should be aware that only the course instructor may change a grade.
Grade Changes
All course grades (except “I” grades) are intended to be final and permanent. It is expected that course instructors will determine and report final grades as accurately and precisely as the nature of the evaluation of student achievement and the grading system will permit. It is considered the instructor’s direct and personal responsibility to insure that grades are fair and reported correctly.
Notwithstanding all precautions, faculty members can make errors. When this occurs, the errors should be corrected so that students are not unfairly penalized. If a course instructor decides to request a grade correction, the appropriate forms must be completed and sent to the Dean of the school in which the course was taught. A copy of the change of grade form will be sent to the Dean of the school where the student is registered. Except in the case of contested grades, all requests for correcting grades must be submitted by last day of the fourth week of the semester of the following Fall or Spring semester. Only the course instructor can submit a grade change request. The Dean of the school where the course is taught may disapprove of the request, indicating in writing the reason why.
Grading
The grades used to indicate the quality of the student’s performance in every course are as follows: A means excellent, B means good, C means satisfactory, D means poor but passing, F means failing. For the purpose of computing grade point averages, the corresponding numerical equivalents for letter grades will be used:
| Grade | Quality Points |
|---|---|
| A | 4.0 |
| A- | 3.67 |
| B+ | 3.33 |
| B | 3.0 |
| B- | 2.67 |
| C+ | 2.33 |
| C | 2.0 |
| C- | 1.67 |
| D+ | 1.33 |
| D | 1.0 |
| P | 0.0 |
| F | 0.0 |
W Withdrawal. Indicates withdrawal from a course in which the student is regularly enrolled. The student is required to have the withdrawal notification form signed by the instructor of the course and the dean of the student's school. The deadline for withdrawal from a course will be the end of the twelfth week of the semester. In “W” courses, neither quality hours nor quality points are assigned.
AW Administrative Withdrawal. Indicates a student has never attended a course in which the student was officially enrolled. Neither quality hours nor quality points are assigned.
UW Unofficial Withdrawal. Indicates a student has stopped attending a course in which the student was officially enrolled. Quality hours and quality points are equivalent to an F grade.
P Passing. No quality points assigned.
NC No Credit.
P/F Pass/Fail. In Pass/Fail courses, neither grade influences the grade point average. Credit is awarded for a P grade; no credit for F.
Quality points and quality hours are assigned for every credit attempted at Manhattan except those taken on a Pass/Fail basis, and those for which designations of a W or an I have been assigned. The scholarship index is determined by dividing the total number of quality points earned by the total number of quality hours.
For all students, the cumulative scholarship index is computed at the end of each semester; for those who attend the summer or winter sessions it is also computed at the end of each session.
GPA Calculation
Computing the Grade Point Index (GPA)
The following is the method by which a student’s GPA is calculated:
1. Multiply the quality points equal to the grade by the number of credits for which the grade was earned
A=4.00 quality points x 3 credits = 12.00 points
2. Add the total quality points earned in a semester
3. Divide by the total number of credits for a semester
The total quality points, divided by the total credits equals the GPA for the semester. To compute a cumulative grade point average, include all MC courses taken to date and divide by the total number of credits for which grades other than W, P, NC, AUD, have been earned or given.
