The Grading System
The student’s final grade is determined by the instructor. The system of grading is as follows (quality points are in parenthesis):
| Grade | Quality Point |
|---|---|
| A | Excellent (4.000) |
| B | Good (3.000) |
| C | Satisfactory (2.000) |
| D | Failure (1.000) |
| F | Failure (0.000) |
| I | Incomplete1 |
| IE | Incomplete Extension1 |
| W | Withdrawal1 |
| P | Pass1 |
| AUD | Audit1 |
| IP | In Progress1 |
- 1
These grades are not calculated in academic GPA.
Academic grades for all students are available upon completion of each course through MyBenU upon instructor submission of each course’s grades and approved posting by the Office of the Registrar. The final grade is recorded on the permanent record.
Final grades for courses are as follows: “P,” "A," "B," "C," (lowest passing grade), “D,” and "F" (failure). GPAs are calculated on an A = 4.000 system and are based on all graduate coursework at Benedictine University.
Incompletes
An Incomplete (“I”) is a temporary grade which may be given by arrangement with the student and with approval of the instructor and chair/program director when illness, necessary absence, or other reason beyond control of the student prevents completion of course requirements by the end of the class. The “I” grade automatically lapses to the final earned grade for the full course based only on work completed by the point when the incomplete was issued. Typically the lapsed final earned grade will be an “F”, but in some cases a student may have completed enough of the class work to warrant a passing grade without completing the remaining class work. For fall Incompletes all work must be completed no later than the end of the spring term. For spring and summer Incompletes all work must be completed no later than the end of the fall term. If the remaining work is not completed and submitted to the instructor by the deadline the “I” grade will automatically lapse to the final earned grade. An “I” grade is not calculated in the student’s grade point average and zero hours are credited.
To qualify for the “I” grade, a student must have satisfactory academic standing, be doing at least “C” work in the class up to point that the Incomplete is requested, and submit a written request with a plan for completion, approved by the instructor, stating the reason for the delay in completing the work. Arrangements for the “I” grade must be made prior to the final examination or prior to the final class meeting if there is no final exam. One may not receive an “Incomplete” in a semester in which he or she is already on academic probation. Instructors or departments may restrict work completion to a timeframe prior to the end of following regular semester.
International students must speak with their advisor to determine the impact of an Incomplete on visa status.
Incomplete Extension
An Incomplete Extension (“IE”) is a temporary grade which may be given by arrangement with the student and with approval of the instructor and chair/program director when an extension of time for a previously approved Incomplete is needed. For Doctoral students enrolled in a course to complete the dissertation, Incomplete Extensions are limited to at most the six-year length of time for program completion. All other graduate students’ and courses’ Incomplete Extensions are limited to at most one additional semester. The “IE” grade is converted to an “F” grade if the work is not completed and submitted to the instructor. An “IE” grade is not calculated in the student’s grade point average and zero hours are credited.
Withdrawal
A grade of “W” is recorded to indicate that a student has withdrawn from a course. This is a non-punitive, permanent grade that maintains an academic transcript record of enrollment in a course. “W” grades cannot be appealed.
In Progress
A grade of "IP" is recorded to indicate that the course is in progress when the term in which the course has been scheduled ends. The "IP" grade will be replaced when the course ends and the permanent grade is posted.
Audit
The Audit (AUD) grade designation indicates that a student has registered for a course and was eligible to attend class sessions. Auditing a course does not necessarily reflect participation, nor does it indicate anything regarding completion of assignments. Auditors are entitled to participate in class activities to the extent the instructor permits.
Audit registration requires the approval of the instructor. A student may not change from credit to audit or audit to credit after the end of the add/drop period. If a course has stated enrollment limits, students taking the course for credit will be enrolled before students auditing the course. Lab courses may not be taken as an audit. An enrollment request with instructor’s and department chair’s approval must be presented to the Office of the Registrar for the record to be changed to an audit (AUD).
When an Audit (AUD) grade designation is posted on the transcript, it cannot be changed to a letter grade. Audited courses are not available for later credit or proficiency by examination.
Quality Point System
Final grades in each course are converted to quality points according to the following schedule: A grade of “A” in a course is converted to four quality points for each credit hour (thus in a 3-credit-hour course, an “A” is worth 12 quality points); a grade of “B” is worth three quality points per credit hour; a grade of “C” is worth two quality points per credit hour; a grade of “D” is worth one quality point per credit hour; other grades receive no quality points. The grade point average or GPA is computed by dividing the total number of quality points earned at Benedictine University, by the total number of credit hours attempted at Benedictine University.