System of Grading

The marks used at Graceland University to indicate grades and the grade points for each semester hour of credit are as follows:

A: 4 grade points. Thorough mastery of subject, and disposition and ability to apply it to complex and unfamiliar situations.
B: 3 grade points. Demonstrated competence in subject matter mastery and clearly above-average ability to handle familiar to somewhat complex problems in the field.
C: 2 grade points. Effective learning and the development of the skill necessary to handle the familiar and less complex problems in the field.
D: 1 grade point. Limited ability to see relationships and to make applications except as specifically directed. Lowest passing grade for admission to the next dependent course.
F: No grade points. Course must be repeated for admission to dependent course(s).
P: Pass, C or better.
I: Incomplete, no grade points. Minimum course requirements unfinished for reasons acceptable to the instructor. Incomplete grades must be initiated by the student. An "Incomplete Grade Contract", signed by the student and the instructor, is required before an Incomplete can be recorded. Grade given at the discretion of the instructor at completion of the work.; In-Progress, no grade points.
NR: Not Recorded, no grade points.
W: Withdrawn from the course at a specified date.

Changing a Course Grade

University policy allows a grade to be changed by the instructor if the instructor has a legitimate reason to change the grade. Reasons for changing a course grade include, but are not limited to, an error in determining the letter grade, an error in recording the letter grade, and evidence of violation of academic integrity. Instructors may not change a grade after it has been submitted to the Registrar by allowing the student to do additional work after the session has ended, unless the grade submitted was an incomplete.

Graduate Student Incomplete Grade Policy

A written request for a grade of incomplete ("I") is initiated by the student at least two weeks prior to the course end date. Faculty may assign a grade of "I" in cases when students are unable to complete the work for a course due to reasons beyond their control, or in cases when the faculty deems an "I" the most appropriate grade to give. The grade of "I" should not be abused and should be used only in cases where the incomplete is unavoidable and legitimate. Students may be required to provide formal documentation to support an incomplete grade request.

An electronic "Incomplete Grade Contract" that includes the reason for the incomplete, work that must be completed to earn a final course grade and the required completion date is generated when an "I" is submitted as a course grade. The completion date must be no later thant the last day of the next scheduled term. For example, an Incomplete Grade Contract for a course in the A session of a 16 week trimester will have a completion date of the last day of the B session in that same 16 week trimester, and a contract for a course scheduled during the Spring trimester will have a completion date of the last day of the Summer trimester. The "I" is a temporary grade and will be automatically converted to an "F" if the course has not been completed by the end of the next scheduled term. Extensions beyond one scheduled term are not allowed for graduate courses.

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