Grading

Attendance Policy

Students are expected to attend all classes for which they are registered and are responsible for absences resulting from late enrollment. Student attendance is defined as not only being physically present but being fully engaged with the material covered in each class. Attendance in online courses is defined as regular and substantive participation in the learning activities prescribed by the course instructor. For courses that have face-to-face meetings and online components, both attendance at face-to-face meetings and regular and substantive participation in online activities prescribed by the instructor are required.

Faculty will record student attendance for all classes.

Student Academic Concerns and Grievances - Non-Grade Appeal

Policy Statement

Under specific circumstances, undergraduate and graduate students may use the process below to pursue an academic program concern or grievance that is not a grade complaint or one of the other exclusions noted below.

Purpose of Policy

This policy is designed to make the University community aware students of the circumstances and processes in which students may pursue an academic program concern or grievance that is not a grade complaint or one of the other exclusions noted below.

Exception(s)

Acts of sex discrimination, sexual harassment and/or sexual misconduct (including sexual assault) will not proceed under the Student Grievance Policy. Please refer to Saint Elizabeth University's Title IX Policy and contact the University's Title IX Coordinator to file a report.
Grievances regarding Code of Conduct violations may be handled through judicial affairs procedures that include an appeal process through the Dean of Student Affairs, whose decision is final.
Acts of violence and physical assault will not proceed under the Student Grievance Policy. Please refer to Saint Elizabeth University’s Code of Conduct to file a report.
Grievances regarding final course grades, or grades on coursework shall not proceed under the Student Grievance Procedure. Please refer to Academic Review Board: Grievances and Grade Appeals.
Matters over which the University has no authority to act (e.g. municipal speeding tickets, arrests, etc.)

The Policy

Undergraduate and Graduate students may pursue an academic program concern or grievance that is not a grade complaint or one of the other exclusions noted below.

For all Academic Program Concerns and Grievances included in this policy, students should attempt first to resolve issues with the individual faculty or staff member, followed by the relevant department Chair or Program Director. The details of the resolution process are outlined below.

Grounds for Academic Program Concerns and Grievances (non grade-related) include, but are not limited to, the following:

Any grievance or complaint alleging any academic policy, procedure, or practice that would disrupt completion of a course, academic program, or timely eligibility for graduation.
Any grievance or complaint regarding the university administration, faculty, staff, or administrative procedures, policies, or actions except grade-related grievances or Title IX complaints

Resolution Process for Academic (non-grade related) Concerns and Grievances

Phase 1: As an initial step, students who wish to grieve an academic concern other than a grade-related complaint should attempt to resolve the matter informally with the faculty member, Department Chair, or Program Director who is the object of the complaint whenever possible. Attempts to resolve the matter should occur as soon as possible after the alleged incident. If the student is unable to reach the faculty member, Department Chair, or Program Director within a two-week period, the student should notify the department’s Program Coordinator or Administrative Assistant to facilitate scheduling a meeting. No legal counsel for any of the parties will attend the meetings.

Phase 2: If the parties are unable to resolve the dispute informally, the student should arrange a meeting with the faculty member’s supervisor (the Chair or Program Director). The student must outline in writing the reasons why they feel that the decision or action in question was unfair or inequitable, noting evidence to support their argument. If the complaint is with a Program Director, the student should arrange to meet with the Department Chair. No legal counsel for any of the parties will attend the meeting. The Chair or Program Director will conduct a review of the process, meet with appropriate parties, and prepare a written statement detailing the findings and the decision, and provide copies to all parties involved.

Phase 3: If the student is dissatisfied with the outcome of the department chair or program director’s decision, the student should arrange to meet with the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences or the Dean of the College of Professional Studies. No legal counsel for any of the parties will attend the meeting. The student must outline in writing the reasons why they feel that the decision or action in question was unfair or inequitable, noting evidence to support their argument. The appropriate Dean will conduct a review of the process, meet with appropriate parties, and prepare a written statement detailing the findings and the decision, and provide copies to all parties involved.

Phase 4: Should the matter remain unresolved, the student may file an appeal with the Provost within 7 working days of that meeting. The Provost will review all documents deemed necessary and schedule a meeting with all parties in a timely fashion, typically within 30 working days of the receipt of the written appeal. The student may attend the meeting and present her/his case directly if she/he chooses to do so. No legal counsel for any party will attend the meeting.

The Provost will then communicate his/her decision, along with its rationale, in writing to the student in a timely manner, typically within 30 working days of the meeting. If the student's appeal is denied, there will be no further avenue of appeal available to the student. All documentation of the appeal process will be kept in file in the office of the VPAA.

SEU Grade Appeal Process

Academic Life Committee

When a student believes there is a discrepancy between a grade earned and the grade received in a course, the student is encouraged to seek an acceptable resolution through discussion with the course instructor within fourteen (14) calendar days of the posting of the final course grade.

The student should carefully review the course syllabus and the grading policy for the course. It is the student's responsibility to check the Registrar's Office publication of the academic calendar (https://www.steu.edu/academics/registrar/academic-calendars.html) and electronic posting of course grades via Self-service.

Any change of grade is to be submitted by the course instructor (Change of Grade Form) and to the program/department Chair for signatures before submitting to the Registrar's Office. A copy of the signed form will also be sent to the student's advisor for retention in the student's academic folder.

If the matter remains unresolved, a student may initiate a formal Grade Appeal Process.

Please read the following procedures for a formal Grade Appeal Process thoroughly. It is the student's responsibility to understand the process and timeline involved.

A. Initiating the Grade Appeal Process (calendar days will follow the Academic calendar of the institution):

1.The student must formalize the action by completing a Grade Appeal Form and submit it to the Program/department Chair no later than seven (7) calendar days after the first day of classes of the semester after the one in which the grade was received. The Grade Appeal Form may be found on the Registrar's Office website.

2.The Program/department Chair will arrange a meeting with both parties involved within seven (7) calendar days. If a satisfactory resolution is not achieved at this level, the student may request a review of the Grade Appeal by the Academic Dean of the respective School. (Note: This step in the process will be bypassed should the course instructor be the program/department Chair.)

3.The Academic Dean will arrange a meeting with both parties involved within seven (7) calendar days. The Grade Appeal Form, Grade Appeal Tracking Form, and supporting documentation from both parties will be reviewed and a decision rendered. If a satisfactory resolution is not achieved, the student has the right to request a review by the Academic Review Board (ARB).

B. Initiating an Academic Review Board (ARB) Grade Appeal

4. The ARB provides a means for resolving serious academic grade disputes that cannot be resolved at the Departmental or Academic Dean level. ARB considerations include misapplication or arbitrary application of the professor's grading policy or other unusual circumstances. Upon receipt of the Dean's decision, the student has seven (7) calendar days to submit in writing his/her request of an ARB Grade Appeal review.

5. Once petitioned, the Dean will notify the Chair of the Academic Life Committee (ALC) who will provide written notification to both parties within seven (7) calendar days that a Grade Appeal has been received. All supporting documentation will be delivered to the Chair of the ALC.

C. Academic Review Board Grade Appeal Process

6. Upon formal notification that an ARB Grade Appeal has been received, the Chair of the ALC must initiate the following ARB steps and deliver a written decision from the ARB within thirty (30) calendar days to the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs (VPAA).

a. The Chair of the ALC will appoint ALC members who will serve on the ARB. A list of potential faculty members and student(s) will be provided to each party who will have the opportunity to accept or reject a reviewer based on perceived conflict of interest. The Chair of the ALC will make the final appointments to the ARB and appoint a committee Chair. The ARB committee will consist of a minimum of three (3) to four (4) members: two faculty members and either one (1) or two (2) student members. All efforts will be made to appoint peer student representation (i.e. undergraduate or graduate).

b. The Chair of the ALC will consult / coordinate with all parties to determine hearing date(s). Members of the ARB will convene prior to the hearing to review all documentation submitted, establish procedures for review, and a timeline for rendering a decision.

c. The ARB will convene separate hearings for both parties. All hearing meetings are closed and confidential. Counsel for parties or the University will not attend the hearings. The ARB will listen to statements from each party involved in the grade appeal, ask questions, review appropriate documents, deliberate, and prepare an ARB Grade Appeal Decision memo which will be submitted to the Chair of the ALC.

d. The Chair of the ALC will forward the ARB Grade Appeal Decision memo to the Provost/VPAA along with all documents and the required Grade Appeal Form and Grading Appeal Tracking Form.

D. Final Decision of Grade Appeal

7.Upon receipt of the ARB Grade Appeal Decision memo and supporting documents, the Provost/VPAA will have fourteen (14) calendar days to review the ARB decision. The Provost/VPAA will render a final decision and the Office of the Provost/VPAA will notify the student involved of his/her final decision in writing. Only the Provost/ VPAA may change a grade. All records of the hearing and related files will be turned over to the Provost/VPAA's office and confidentially maintained.

Final Assessment of Learning

Undergraduate:

A final exam or other assessment of learning is included at the end of each semester in each course for which credit is given.
The final exam schedule for traditional undergraduate students is arranged by the Registrar's Office.
If a student has a conflict in her/his exam schedule, she/he should contact the Director of Student Services who will work with the faculty involved to resolve the issue.
Exams cannot be given in advance so that student may leave the University before the close of the semester.
Students may not miss a final exam without prior approval from the Dean of the School which houses the affected course. If an emergency arises that prevents the student from taking the final exam, the Dean's office should be contacted as soon as possible. The student must then take the final exam within one month after the close of the semester.
In the event of snow, exams will be given on the scheduled snow dates.

Graduate:

If circumstances prevent a student from taking the final examination in a course or from participating in another form of final assessment, it is the student's responsibility to contact the instructor prior to the scheduled assessment. If a final exam is not given, it is expected that the class will meet during the exam week.

Grade Changes

Once a final course grade has been submitted to the Registrar, a faculty member can change it only in the event of a clerical, calculation, evaluative, or administrative error with respect to work completed during the academic term in which the student was enrolled in the course. Grade changes should occur no later than four weeks after the start of the following semester. The Change of Grade Form requires the signatures of the Instructor, the Program Chair, and the appropriate Dean.

Except when a grade of "I" or "DE" is awarded in accordance with the policies governing those grades, student grades may not be changed for work submitted after the conclusion of the academic term in which it was assigned.

A final grade may be changed to "I" only with the signatures of the Program Chairperson and the appropriate Dean.

Students may appeal their grades only on the basis of work completed and submitted during the academic term in which it was assigned.

Student inquiries regarding grades must be made as soon as possible after the grade is received. Grade appeals must be made within 30 days of the end of the semester. For more information on grade appeals, see Academic Review Board procedures.

Grading Policies

Undergraduate:

Academic standing and eligibility for graduation are dependent upon both quality and quantity of work. The grade point average is a numerical index of the ratio of the number of quality points earned to the number of credits received.
A minimum grade of "C" is required for all courses in the major, for academic skills courses, for successful completion of, ENG111, ENG115, and for courses listed as a prerequisites for other courses.
A minimum grade of "D" is acceptable for courses meeting other general education requirements and any related requirements for a major.
no replacement policy.

Graduate:

Academic standing and eligibility for graduation are dependent upon both quality and quantity of work. The grade point average is a numerical index of the ratio of the number of quality points earned to the number of credits received.
no replacement policy.
A graduate student is expected to achieve grades of A or B to remain in satisfactory academic standing.
Three C+/C grades or one grade of "F" in course work will be grounds for dismissal.
The student is responsible for reporting to the Registrar's Office any error on their academic record within 30 days after the grades have been posted via Self-Service. The University will not be liable for unreported errors on student records.

Grading Scale

Undergraduate:

GRADE QUALITY POINTS

A 4.00

A- 3.67

B+ 3.33

B 3.00

B- 2.67

C+ 2.33

C 2.00

C- 1.67

D 1.00

F 0.00

FI - Failure due to Incomplete 0.00

I - Incomplete 0.00

P – Pass * 0.00

DE – Deferred * 0.00

W - Withdrawn 0.00

AU - Audit 0.00

PE – Permanent Excuse * 0.00

TE – Temporary Excuse * 0.00

NC – No Credit?* 0.00

* Pass, grade of 3.0 or higher — used only in the Dietetic Internship Program and for the Portfolio.
* Deferred — The "DE" (Deferred) grade is used only for courses requiring a project that might extend into a second consecutive term. The "DE" is a temporary grade that implies satisfactory performance. It may appear no more than two consecutive academic terms on the student's transcript. The "DE" grade will be removed when the instructor submits final grade. A final grade is awarded only after the student has completed all course requirements. A "DE" grade on a student's academic record will automatically prevent the student from graduating.
* Permanent excuse due to illness or injury
(Fitness Courses only)
* Temporary excuse due to illness or injury
(Fitness Courses only)
* NC: No Credit – Given in lieu of a grade of F during the first semester only to first-time, non-transfer students matriculated in the traditional undergraduate college.

Graduate:

* Pass, grade of 3.0 or higher. Used only in the Dietetic Internship Program and for the Portfolio.
** Deferred — The "DE" (Deferred) grade is used only for courses requiring a project that might extend into a second consecutive term (e.g., 691 Practicum, 695 Professional Portfolio, 699 Culminating Project). The "DE" is a temporary grade that implies satisfactory performance.
It may appear no more than two consecutive academic terms on the student's transcript. The "DE" grade will be removed when the instructor submits final grade. A final grade is awarded only after the student has completed all course requirements. A "DE" grade on a student's academic record will automatically prevent the student from graduating.

Incomplete Grades

Undergraduate:

The grade of "I" may be granted only if a student petitions the instructor(s) for that grade prior to the end of the academic term in which she/he is enrolled in the affected course. A grade of "Incomplete" may be given if the student's already-completed work is of passing grade quality but remaining coursework is unfinished because of illness or other serious cause, and only if the faculty member and the student agree. An "Incomplete" in any course becomes a failure and is recorded as a grade of "FI" (Failure Resulting from an Incomplete) if course requirements are not completed within four weeks following the end of a semester (fall, spring, or summer) or two weeks following the end of an accelerated session or winter intersession. For first-time freshmen, an incomplete grade becomes an NC during their first semester at SEU if the work for the course is not completed in the appropriate time frame.

The Request for Incomplete Grade Form must be submitted to the appropriate Program Chair prior to the end of the incomplete period. Incomplete Extension Forms showing the signatures of the Student, the Instructor, and the Program Chair are submitted to the Registrar’s Office.

Graduate:

The grade of "I" may be granted only if a student petitions the instructor for that grade prior to the end of the academic term in which she/he is enrolled in the affected course. A grade of "Incomplete" may be given if the student's already completed work is of passing grade quality but remaining coursework is unfinished because of illness or other serious cause, and only if the faculty member and the student agree. An "Incomplete" in any course becomes a failure and is recorded as a grade of "FI" (Failure Resulting from an Incomplete) if course requirements are not completed within four weeks following the end of a semester (fall, spring, or summer) or two weeks following the end of an accelerated session or winter intersession.

Requests for extensions must be submitted to the instructor of the course and the Director of the Graduate Program prior to the end of the incomplete period. Requests for an Incomplete Extension form can be obtained in the Registrar's Office. The student is responsible for making satisfactory arrangements with the instructor for the completion of the course requirements. The student earning an incomplete grade is expected to complete the course requirements as soon as possible.

Under no circumstances will any student carrying more than one Incomplete grade be permitted to begin additional course work

Mid-Term Advisory Grades for Undergraduates

First-time, full-time students matriculated in the traditional undergraduate program and students on probation are given advisory grades at the mid-point of the fall semester as a way to monitor their performance in their courses. These are not considered official grades and do not become a part of student transcripts.

Pass/Fail for Undergraduates

Full-time students with senior or junior standing may take one course each semester on a pass/fail basis. Sophomores may take one course a year as pass/fail.

Matriculated part-time students with sophomore standing (31-63 credits) may take one course as pass/fail throughout the duration of their sophomore standing. Part-time students with junior standing (64-95 credits) may take two courses as pass/fail throughout the duration of their junior standing, with no more than one pass/fail course per semester. Part-time students with senior standing (96 or more credits) may take two courses as pass/fail throughout the duration of their senior standing, with no more than one pass/fail course per semester.

To register for a course on a pass/fail basis, students must have no grade below "C" in the preceding year (the last two major semesters excluding summer sessions). Courses used to fulfill general education requirements, courses being taken to fulfill minor requirements, and courses required for the major may not be taken on a pass/fail basis.

Students may register for one course on a pass/fail grade basis in the Registrar's Office on the dates specified in the academic calendar. Once a student has designated a course pass/fail, she/he cannot change that decision. The instructor will not be notified of a student's choosing the pass/fail option. The instructor will assign a letter grade, which will then be translated to a pass/fail grade by the Registrar's Office.