2018-2019 Bulletin 
    
    Mar 28, 2024  
2018-2019 Bulletin [ARCHIVED BULLETIN]

Grading Policies


Grades at CGU

Claremont Graduate University recognizes the responsibilities of both faculty and students to ensure that coursework is evaluated and submitted in a timely manner so that transcripts accurately reflect the historical chronology of student academic achievement at CGU.

Students receive a grade point average (GPA) for all work completed at CGU.  A single GPA is earned and determined from all courses taken at CGU regardless of the student’s program or enrollment status.

CGU uses a 4.0 scale for determining grade point average as follows.

A+ 4.0   C+ 2.3   I N/A
A 4.0   C 2.0   W N/A
A- 3.7   C- 1.7   Y N/A
B+ 3.3            
B 3.0   S N/A   AU N/A
B- 2.7   U 0.0   GP N/A

 Grading notations are explained as follows. 

I Incomplete.  Temporary grade.  At the instructor’s discretion, an Incomplete may be given in any course for which the student has not completed the required work by the end of the semester, but the instructor feels the student can satisfactorily complete within a reasonable time period.  See the section on Incompletes below.
S Satisfactory.  For satisfactory work.  Recommended for reading, research, and independent study courses.  This grade is not factored into the student’s GPA.  For transfer credit purposes, an S grade may be considered equivalent to a B.
U Unsatisfactory.  For unsatisfactory work in any course, whether enrolled for a grade or on an audit basis.  A course for which a U is assigned does not fulfill academic, degree, or residency requirements.  For GPA calculations, the factored point value is 0.
W Withdrawal.  The withdrawal designation indicates a student’s withdrawal from a class after the last date to drop classes in the semester.  W does not factor into GPA calculations.
Y Unreported Evaluation.  This permanent grade replaces the GP designation when an instructor fails to report a grade for student performance in a course.  This grade is also assigned if the instructor fails to report a grade for any course by the semester deadline for submission of grades.  This grade is not factored into the student’s GPA.  A course for which a Y is assigned does not fulfill academic, degree, or residency requirements.
AU Audit.  Successful completion of an audit.
GP Grade Pending.  Temporary grade.  At the instructor’s discretion, a GP may be assigned to allow more time for evaluation of student work.  When no grade is assigned in the term following the semester in which the course was originally taken, the grade becomes a Y (Unreported Evaluation).  This grade is not factored into the student’s GPA.  See the section on Pending and Missing Grades.

A Student Guide to Grades at CGU is available on the registrar’s website.

Incomplete Grades

An instructor may assign an Incomplete (I) grade when a student fails to complete the assigned coursework within the semester that the course is offered, and the instructor determines that the student’s work to date is satisfactory.  The instructor defines outstanding coursework to be submitted for evaluation and the date for issuance of a permanent grade.  Only the instructor of record may evaluate coursework and issue a new grade.  CGU requires that a new grade must be submitted by the instructor no later than the grading deadline for the same semester one year later.  If no new grade is submitted, the Incomplete grade defaults to U (Unsatisfactory).

Instructors may set a shorter period for the submission of outstanding work and may identify a different default grade based upon the student’s work at the end of the original course.  To do so, the instructor must complete an Incomplete Grade and Student Contract for Course Completion form, which is available on the Registrar’s Form Index webpage.  The form, which is filed with the Registrar, documents all of the following items.

  • Deadlines by which the student must submit outstanding work and by which the instructor will report a new grade to the registrar.  A new grade must be submitted by the grading deadline for the same semester one year later. 
  • An alternate grade.  The instructor may, but is not required to, document on the form the grade that the student would have received based upon actual work submitted during the semester the course was held.
  • Details of the outstanding work to be submitted by the student.

If needed, the student may request one extension on the deadline to submit work on an Incomplete grade.  A  Request for Extension of Incomplete (available from the Registrar’s Form Index webpage) must be submitted to the registrar before the Incomplete grade lapses to a permanent grade.  Courses for which a permanent grade (grades other than I and GP) has already been assigned may not be changed back to Incomplete.

If the Incomplete is not replaced by another grade within the specified time, the Incomplete is replaced by the alternate grade identified by the instructor on the Incomplete Grade and Student Contract for Course Completion form.  If no alternate grade is identified, the grade defaults to U (Unsatisfactory).

Prior to Summer 2010, the default for Incomplete grades was PI (Permanent Incomplete).  The PI is a permanent grade.  As with all grade changes, a PI may only be changed by the instructor of record.  A Grade Change/Submission form must be completed by the instructor and submitted to the Registrar after obtaining approval of the dean.  Courses for which a student has received a PI or a U do not count toward a student’s academic, degree, or residency requirements.  These courses may be repeated, requiring subsequent enrollment and the payment of additional tuition.

Pending and Missing Grades

Faculty are required to submit grades for each student enrolled in a course or academic activity within the timeframe established by and published in the Academic Calendar  .  In exceptional circumstances, instructors may issue an I (Incomplete) or GP (Grade Pending) notation.

The GP is used when the student has completed the course work, but the instructor is unable to submit a grade before the semester’s deadline.  A final grade must be submitted before the Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) review is conducted during the following semester or the grade is replaced by a Y (Unreported Evaluation) grade.  The Y designates the failure of the instructor to report a grade.  The student’s GPA is not penalized, but neither can the course be used to fulfill academic, degree, or residency requirements.

Except for unusual and extenuating circumstances, the Y grade is assigned when the instructor fails to report any grade by the semester deadline for grade submission.  This policy does not apply to non-graded courses or courses, such as Continuous Registration or Doctoral Study, for which no grade is required.

Requests to change a Y grade are governed by the policy on Grade Changes

Grade Changes

Changes to grades should be rare, except in the case of replacing an I (Incomplete) or GP (Grade Pending).  Faculty may submit changes to student grades to the Registrar by using the Grade Change/Submission Form.  The approval of the academic dean is required on all requests to change grades, except for changes made to I and GP.

Grade changes from permanent grades (the letter grades and S/U) to temporary grades (I and GP) are not permitted.

All grade changes, except for changes from I and GP, are noted on the transcript with the specific date of the grade change. 

Standards of Academic Honesty

Students at Claremont Graduate University are expected to adhere to the highest standards of academic honesty in the performance of all academic work. Students are subject to disciplinary action for any form of academic dishonesty, including but not limited to cheating, plagiarism, forgery, and the use of materials prepared by another (whether published or not, including commercially prepared materials) without appropriately crediting the source. The University follows procedures that provide the student with safeguards appropriate to the nature of the alleged violation and the potential penalty. Disciplinary sanctions include an official warning, failure of assignments or an entire course, and expulsion from Claremont Graduate University. Procedures and standards are defined in the University’s  Academic Honesty  policy.