Grading Policies

Faculty members are expected to submit periodic and final semester grade reports in a timely fashion. Faculty members should carefully observe the special reporting deadlines for graduating students to allow adequate time for the Office of the Registrar to record grades for certification of students for graduation, as well as the regular reporting deadlines for all other students.

Grades, Grade Points, and GPA Calculation

The grade point average (GPA) is calculated by totaling the number of grade points earned and dividing by the number of credits applied toward the gpa. The resulting grade point average is truncated following the second decimal (e.g., 1.99672=1.99). The University does not round the gpa. This method of calculation is used for all academic purposes such as academic standing, graduation, and scholarship eligibility.

Grade point status can be modified only by work done in residence at Baylor; courses may not be repeated at another institution for transfer credit to Baylor. For certain degree requirements, it is expected, and usually required,that a failed course be repeated. It is frequently advisable and sometimes necessary to repeat a course in which a grade of "D" has been earned. See regulations regarding course repetition in this catalog.

Incomplete Policy

Incompletes should be used when unforeseen circumstances arise that prohibit students from completing assignments and/or exams toward the end of the semester. Incompletes typically occur because of an excused absence from the final examination or permission for extension of time to submit a report or term paper. In most courses, the "I" must be removed by the end of the next semester (summer terms included); if the course is not completed by this time, the "I" will automatically be changed to the grade of "F". However, in some specifically designated courses with an exceptionally heavy reading, research, or project component (e.g., Honors courses), the "I" must be removed within one calendar year from the time at which the "I" was given. If the course is not completed by this time, the "I" will be changed to a grade of "F". An "I" is not included in hours earned. An IP is used for courses in which the specified time for completing an incomplete has expired but for which the instructor has submitted an extension of time request.

Grade Change Policy

Changes to grades may be initiated by the instructor of the class and must be approved by the department chair and the dean of the school in which the class was offered (with notification to the dean of the school through which the student is currently seeking a degree). Changes to grades may only be initiated by an instructor when the original grade resulted from an error or when the original grade was an Incomplete; such changes may only be made within one calendar year of the original date that the grade was due and may not occur once a degree to which the course was applied has been conferred. Beyond changes to grades for those reasons, changes may occur when initiated by the Provost based on the finding of a violation of academic integrity or when a grade is successfully appealed through the appropriate process(es); the one-year time limit does not apply to these changes.