Grades

• Definitions
• Deans List
• Incomplete Grades
• Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory Grades
• Withdrawal from Courses
• Repeating Courses
• Academic Standing

Definitions

Credits

Credits indicate the quantity of work. The unit of credit is termed an hour. The number of credits carried in each course is indicated after each course title in the curriculum section.  One credit ordinarily represents three hours of work each week, including private study and research as well as scheduled class meetings.

Grades and honor points

Intellectual achievement is more important than grades.  Grades, however, are necessary for advisory purposes, for determination of the quality of academic achievements and for transfer of credit to other institutions.   Grades are designated by letters.  In order to compute averages, numerical values called honor points have been assigned to the grades as follows:

Letter Grade	Interpretation	Honor points for each credit
A	excellent	4
AB		3.5
B	good	3
BC		2.5
C	satisfactory	2
CD		1.5
D	minimum passing	1
F	failure	0
H	honors
S	satisfactory
U	unsatisfactory
AU	audit (not for credit)
W	withdraw without prejudice
I/	grade incomplete
X	in progress
*	no grade reported

Grade point average

The grade point average (GPA) is the ratio of honor points to credits in courses for which the student has received a final grade of A, AB, B, BC, C, CD, D or F.  Coursework graded S/U is not included in determining the GPA.  Also, coursework transferred from other colleges is not counted in determining the GPA.

Dean's List

The faculties of Saint Benedict's and Saint John's have adopted a Dean's list for each college to recognize student academic achievement each semester.  The following criteria are used for inclusion on the Dean's list:

• Students included on the Dean's list must have completed a minimum of 12 credits for which honor points are earned (A, B, C, etc.) during that semester.
• Students included on the Dean's list may have no standing U or I grades for that semester.
• Students included on the Dean's list must have grade point averages greater than or equal to 3.80 for that semester.

Incomplete Grades

The policy of the colleges concerning the temporary grade I/grade includes the following:

• When instructors determine that circumstances warrant, they may allow some delay in the completion of coursework. Such extensions may not extend beyond the close of the following regular fall or spring semester. Earlier limits may be set at the discretion of the instructor.
• The instructor must report on the official grade roster the grade I, followed by the minimum grade that the student will receive if the coursework is not complete by the end of the following semester (e.g., I/F, or I/C or I/B). That grade will be used in the computation of grade point averages until the incomplete is removed.
• If by the end of the following semester the instructor reports a single final grade to the registrar, that grade will replace the I/grade, the incomplete will be removed and averages recomputed accordingly. Otherwise the provisional grade which was assigned along with the I will become a permanent part of the transcript.
• Exceptions to the above may be granted only by the written permission of the appropriate dean of the college. Such exceptions will ordinarily be granted only in cases of medical disability or problems of comparable seriousness as determined in the judgment of the dean.

Degree candidates are cautioned that failure to have all degree requirements satisfied (including removal of incomplete grades in courses needed for graduation) by the dates set by the registrar will necessarily postpone their graduation.

Some further considerations:

• Incompletes are not designed to be a means of avoiding a failing grade. Incompletes are granted for students who, for some serious and verifiable reason (e.g., illness, family crisis or death, a neurological or physical disability, etc.) are not able to complete some required paper, essay, or project in a course in which the student is thus far and as best as can be determined getting a passing grade.
• Excessive absences from classes of the course in question are, by themselves, insufficient reason for seeking and receiving an incomplete grade.
• Failure to complete and meet the requirements of a course is, by itself, insufficient reason for seeking and receiving an incomplete grade.
• Failure to take a required final exam is, by itself, insufficient reason for seeking and receiving an incomplete grade.
• An instructor or professor (or the dean) may for a good reason require an earlier deadline than the end of the following full semester for the completion of outstanding work or requirements.
• If an incomplete is granted by the instructor, it is the responsibility of the student to see the instructor as soon as possible and get a clear understanding (preferably in writing) of what must yet be completed to fulfill the requirements for a grade change from an "incomplete" to a "final grade."

Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory Grades

Students not on academic probation may take a maximum of one course per semester during the sophomore, junior or senior year for which they will receive a grade of satisfactory (S) or unsatisfactory (U).   This is in addition to those courses offered only on an S/U basis.  The grade of S will be recorded for work meriting letter grades of A, AB, B, BC, C.   No credit toward graduation is granted for a course receiving a grade of U.

The courses selected for S/U grading may not include offerings in the student's declared major; required supportive courses for that major; or courses announced for A-F grading only.  However, a student who is undecided about or changes a major field may be allowed one course with an S grade toward completion of that major.  Courses required for a minor may be taken S/U with permission of the department chair.  Changes in S/U status are allowed with the instructor's consent before completion of the course.  Whether the course is S/U or graded, all students must fulfill the same assignments and course responsibilities.

Withdrawal from Courses

Students may withdraw from courses before the final 16 class days of the semester by completing a "drop" form and filing it with the registrar's Office.  All courses dropped after the first four class days require the instructor's signature.

No transcript entry will be recorded for full-semester courses which are officially dropped before the end of the first three cycles of the semester.  Courses officially withdrawn from after this date, and before the final 16 class days of the semester, will be recorded on the student's transcript with the grade of W.  Withdrawal from a course is not possible during the final 16 class days of the semester.  Students who discontinue attending class during this time may be subject to a failing grade at the end of the semester.

For courses scheduled for less than a full semester, withdrawal during the first third of the course will result in no record entry; during the second third, a W entry; during the final third, a failure.

Repeating Courses

A course which has been failed may be repeated for credit. Courses which have been passed may not be repeated for credit. They may, however, be repeated for additional honor points.  In the latter case, although the original grade is not removed from the transcript, it is the higher grade which is computed in the GPA.  Credit for a course can be earned only once.

Academic Standing

Students are classified as follows:

Earned credits are credits which have been completed and for which a passing grade has been assigned.

Mo Laube
Data/Web Coordinator
Office of the Registrar
College of Saint Benedict/Saint John's University
Phone 320-363-3399
Fax 320-363-2714
mlaube@csbsju.edu