Grading

Grades and points

Except in cases of clerical error, no instructor may change a grade that he or she has submitted to Student Academic Services. A student may not do additional work after the quarter ends in order to improve the final grade. Grade changes may be made no more than one quarter after the grade was issued. See Academic Appeals for details about the process for appealing a course grade.

The quality of a student’s performance in a course is recognized by a letter mark or grade, which is counted in points. Grade points (or quality points) are the numerical equivalent of letter grades and are assigned for each credit earned according to the scale below. 

For example, a student receiving a grade of A (worth 4.0 points) in a 5-credit course would earn 20 grade points. These points express the quality of a student’s performance in terms of numbers for the purpose of determining scholastic achievement and individual and graduation honors.

Grade point average

A student’s grade point average (GPA) is determined by dividing the total number of grade points earned during a given period by the number of credits for which the student was enrolled and for which he or she received a regular grade during the same period.

For example, if a student earns 45 grade points during a quarter in which he or she is enrolled for 15 credits, his or her GPA for the quarter will be 3.0.

Use of I, N, HW, and W grades

The “I” grade (incomplete) indicates that the student did not complete the work assigned for a course because of absence from school during the quarter due to illness or an acceptable emergency. The student must initiate the request (PDF) for the “I” grade prior to the final examination or last class session. Unless the student is incapacitated, this request should be made in writing. Documentation verifying the illness or acceptable emergency (e.g., a note from a medical doctor) may be required by the instructor.

A student must be making satisfactory progress in the course at the time of the request for an “I” grade. The instructor is under no obligation to grant the request for an “I” grade. However, if the instructor chooses to issue an “I” grade, the instructor and student must formulate a plan for the student’s completion of the course requirements. The student may not attend a future class in which he or she is not registered as a means of working toward completion of an “I” grade.

A timeline for course completion will be determined by the instructor, and may be shorter than one year. However, in all cases the student must submit final coursework to the instructor within one calendar year or the “I” becomes an “E.” A student who has an "I" grade that has not yet been converted to a final, regular grade may not enroll in a course with the same subject code and course number.

The student must initiate the removal of  the "I" grade once coursework has been completed. A student cannot carry more than 20 credits of incomplete grades without prior approval from the university registrar.

The “N” grade is used only in specified courses in which a final grade is dependent upon additional work. The “N” grade indicates that work is satisfactory to date, but carries with it no credit or final grade until all work is completed. Work must be completed within one calendar year or the “N” becomes permanent.

A student’s degree will be awarded effective the quarter in which all final grades have been assigned, regardless of when a student may have initially registered for a course in which the student received an “I” or “N” grade.

The “HW” grade is assigned in rare cases by University administration after thorough review and substantiation of a student’s circumstances.  Examples of situations leading to a hardship withdrawal include incapacitating illness or injury, or death of a family member.

Withdrawal from a course with official approval during weeks two through seven of the quarter will result in a “W” appearing on the transcript.

Audit

With instructor permission, most regular, on-campus SPU undergraduate courses may be audited. Students pay regular tuition to audit a course. Students do not receive credit for an audited course.

Students must register to audit a course in person in Student Academic Services in Demaray Hall 151 before 4:30 p.m. on the fifth day of the quarter, as published in the University Academic Calendar.

For more information regarding auditing a course, including limitations on class participation, refer to the Registration section of this catalog.

Pass/no credit

• Some courses allow the option of a grade of P/NC (Pass/No Credit) rather than a regular letter grade, and some courses provide only the P/NC grade mode.
• The P grade, in either case mentioned above, must be equivalent to a grade of at least C (2.0).
• If a course carries the P/NC option, students may register for that option by completing a P/NC form no later than 4:30 p.m. on the tenth day of the quarter.  
• The total number of credits toward the degree for which students may elect the P/NC option is based on the student's class standing at entrance to SPU, as specified in the schedule below. Limitations on transfer credits apply as well.
• Freshman – 30 credits
• Sophomore – 20 credits
• Junior – 15 credits
• Senior – 5 credits
• Normally, students may opt to take no more than one P/NC course per quarter. However, a student may enroll in two courses graded P/NC if this is the only grade mode available for each course and at least one of the courses is required for the student's program of study or for extra-curricular responsibilities (such as a position in the residence halls).
• No courses in a major or minor may be graded Pass, with the exception of Performance Practicum in the Theatre major and Practicum courses in the Nursing major.
• No courses graded Pass may be used toward University Scholars or General Education Requirements, except UCOL 1000.
• For those students who transfer to SPU, no Pass credits will be accepted for major, minor, General Education, or Honors Program requirements, unless the grading system at the transfer institution is such that only P/NC grades were awarded, and the P grade equates to a grade of at least C (2.0).
• Courses in which a student earns a Pass or No Credit grade do not count in a student’s grade-point average calculation.
• However, college-level credits (numbered 1000–4999) earned with a pass grade do count toward elective credits in a bachelor’s degree.

Equivalent courses

Courses noted as being “equivalent” may be substituted for each other. A student may not receive duplicate credit for two courses considered equivalent to each other. If a student takes an SPU course equivalent to a course previously completed at SPU, the rules outlined below in the section regarding “Repeating Courses” will be employed.

If a student takes an SPU course equivalent to a course previously transferred from another school, credit for the transfer course will be rescinded and the SPU credits and course grade will apply. Courses taken at another institution cannot replace an equivalent SPU course for which credit has been received.

Repeating courses

A “repeatable course” is designed to allow students to enroll in the course multiple times for credit, up to a designated credit limit or number of repetitions. The course description for such a course indicates that the course is repeatable for credit. Within stated limits, credits and grades for these repeatable courses will count toward graduation requirements and the SPU GPA. 

Most courses are “non-repeatable” for credit, meaning a student may earn credit and grade points for the course only once. However, a student may enroll in a previously completed “non-repeatable” SPU course (or a course noted as its “equivalent”) for the purpose of earning a higher grade. With the exception of UCOR, UFDN, and WRI courses, a course may be repeated only once. 

Students who believe they have unusual circumstances may petition to repeat a course other than a UCOR, UFDN, or WRI course more than once by submitting a registration petition (PDF), accompanied by a statement from the course instructor, to Student Academic Services. 

The highest grade earned at SPU in a repeated course (or an equivalent SPU course) will apply to both the GPA for graduation and for honors at graduation. The original and repeated course will still appear on the transcript. Note that for students on academic probation, the quarterly SPU GPA that determines a student’s academic standing will take into account the entire SPU GPA from that quarter, including grades being excluded from the cumulative SPU grade point average.

Only courses taken at SPU will be used to change final course grades. Courses taken at another institution cannot replace an equivalent SPU course for which credit has been received. However, a student who has completed a course at SPU with a passing but insufficient grade may be able to transfer a course to SPU with zero credit in order to prove competence in the course content. See Zero Credit Transfer Policy for more information.