• Policies on Grading
• Incomplete Grades
• Auditing a Course
• Withdrawals
• Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory Grading Option
• Grade Appeals
• Repeating a Course

Undergraduate Advising Handbook Advising

Policies on Grading

St. John Fisher College operates on a semester basis with final examinations held at the end of each semester. The following grades may be awarded at the end of the term:

Final grades are available at the end of each semester in Fish-R-Net. Mid-semester grades are available for freshmen only.

Incomplete Grades

An Incomplete grade is assigned by the instructor when circumstances beyond the student’s control have made it impossible for the student to finish the required work within the usual time frame. The instructor, after consultation with the student, submits a Request for Incomplete Grade Form to the Registrar’s Office before the end of the semester. This form indicates that the student and instructor agree on the work to be completed within an additional 6 week time frame.

Any extension beyond the 6 week Incomplete period must be approved beforehand through an appeal to the Committee on Academic Standing, which must include a written justification with a definite plan for completion of the work with a reasonable deadline and the written support of the instructor. The Committee on Academic Standing will decide if a further time extension is justified.

If no grade has been submitted at the end of the initial 6-week extension, and no appeal has been submitted, the Incomplete grade becomes an “F” or a “U” and cannot be changed at a later date.

Grades of Audit (AU) or Withdrawal (W)
** Instructors do not assign the grade of AU or W ** These grades are assigned by the Registrar’s Office only after the student has completed the appropriate paperwork

Auditing a Course

Any student may choose to audit a course with the permission of the instructor. The student must officially register for the course as an audit by the published deadline in the Academic Calendar on a form available in the Registrar’s Office. Although the student does not earn credit, the course appears on the student’s transcript with the grade of “AU.”

Withdrawals

A grade of “W” is assigned administratively when a student withdraws from a course on Fish-R-Net within the appropriate timeframe as published in the Academic Calendar. An instructor may not withdraw a student from his/her course. The Withdrawal grade does not affect the grade point average.

When a student withdraws online on or before the last day for “withdrawal without academic record,” the course does not appear on the transcript.

The last day on which a grade of “W” may be assigned to a course is indicated in the published Academic Calendar. Withdrawal from courses after this date will result in final grades of “F.”

A student may not withdraw from all classes on Fish-R-Net. Since withdrawal from all classes constitutes a withdrawal from the Institution, the student must complete the Withdrawal From College Form which requires the student signature and reviews by several offices. This form is available from and processed by the Registrar’s Office.

Students are responsible for all drop-add activity on Fish-R-Net. Whenever a course is dropped or added, students are well advised to check their updated course schedules on Fish-R-Net. After a semester has ended, all appeals for late grades of “W” must be directed to the Committee on Academic Standing. If approved, these changes will be subject to the Course Change Late Fee.

Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory (S/U) Grading Option

Students have the option to choose to take a maximum of four regular-graded courses on an S/U basis. Students must declare their intention to be graded on an S/U basis for individual courses and must designate a minimum acceptable grade on the Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory Form in the Registrar’s Office during the time frame published in the Academic Calendar, usually the third full-week of classes in any given semester.

What you need to know about the S/U option:

• Courses in the major department and non departmental courses specifically required for the major may not be taken S/U.
• Courses in the College’s Honors Program may not be taken S/U.
• Credit is earned only by the grade of “S” which is assigned for work equivalent to a “C” or higher but is below the minimum acceptable grade designated by the student; work below a grade of “C” will be assigned a grade of “U” and carries no college credit. The Registrar’s Office assigns the appropriate S/U grade based on the final grade submitted by the instructor and the minimum acceptable letter grade designated by the student.
• Transfer students should be cognizant of the need to have earned at least 60 credits of graded course work (not including S/U grades) in order to be eligible to be considered for Latin Honors at graduation.
• Freshmen may not enroll in a course on a S/U basis.

Grade Appeals

Appeals relating to academic policy, grade deadlines or to a student’s academic status are considered by the Committee on Academic Standing, a standing committee of the Faculty Assembly. This Committee meets monthly and considers written appeals only. Questions should be directed to either the Office of Academic Affairs or the Registrar’s Office.

Appeals related to a final grade must be made within one year from the end of the term in which the grade was received. Appeals submitted after one year will not be considered

Students wishing to make appeals or to bring forward complaints or concerns about instructional maters including final grades should first discuss the issue with the instructor. If the issue in not satisfactorily resolved at that point, the student should then meet with the department chair. If further discussions are necessary, students should contact the appropriate school Dean.

Repeating a Course

• A course may be repeated as many times as desired, unless a program restricts the number of repeats (ex: Nursing courses).
• When a course is repeated, the original grade is not removed from the student’s record, but the most recent grade is calculated in the GPA.
• When a student repeats a course in which any passing grade has been earned, additional credits are not earned for the course.
• The S/U option is not available for the repeat of a failed course.
• Repeated courses may not be used to achieve the full-time status required for TAP funds. Additional questions regarding full-time status need to be directed to the Financial Aid Office.
• All of the 199C courses, regardless of their departmental designations, are repeats of each other. A student may not receive credit for more than one 199C course.
• A student may not repeat a course at Fisher for which transfer credit was already awarded. The student must first petition the Academic Standing Committee to do so.