Grades

Grade-Point Average

A grade-point average (GPA) is calculated as a ratio of the number of quality points earned to the number of credit hours attempted. The computation of the GPA is based only on courses taken at Piedmont University and does not include transfer grades. Three types of GPA are calculated: semester, cumulative, and honors. The semester GPA is based on the student’s record for a given semester. The cumulative GPA is based on the student’s record to date. For students who reentered the University under the Forgiveness Policy, courses taken at Piedmont University prior to reentry are not included in the computation of the cumulative GPA.

Incomplete

If a student experiences an extenuating circumstance at the end of classes for a course(s) that prevents the student from completing the final assignment, exam, or project, the student may request a grade of incomplete (I) in the course with the approval of the course instructor and the dean of the appropriate college. The student must provide supporting evidence of the extenuating circumstance and must have earned a passing grade in completed course work to be eligible for a grade of incomplete. Incomplete grades are not appropriate in cases of excessive absences or missed deadlines throughout the semester; instead, withdrawal or medical withdrawal may be appropriate. Incomplete grades are not appropriate if the faculty member is uncertain if the student attended the course; wherein a grade of F should be assigned.

Failure to remove the incomplete grade within twenty business days (excepting university holidays) following the last day of classes for the course(s) will result in a grade of “F.” The Vice President for Academic Affairs must approve extensions beyond the 20-business day completion period. The faculty member, with the dean’s approval, may submit a request for an extension. Assignment of Incomplete Grade forms are available in the Registrar’s Office.

In Progress

Assigning an In-Progress grade “IP” is at the discretion of an instructor with the approval by the Dean of the college. Failure to remove the “IP” by the end of the next term will result in an “F.”

A grade of “IP” (in progress) may be used in a limited number of courses approved by the Dean of each college for a candidate who initiates coursework which cannot be completed during the semester because of specific circumstances, such as failure to pass the predictor exam, unavoidable delay in completing required practicum hours, or other situation specific to course progression.

The procedures for using the IP grade are as follows:

• The candidate and instructor meet and decide to initiate a request for an “IP” grade.
• The candidate fully completes the candidate section of the IP grade form and submits the form to the course instructor.
• The instructor signs the IP grade form and forwards it to the Dean the college no later than the last day of classes for that term.
• The Dean makes the final determination if the request is granted and will forward approved requests to the Registrar and instructor. Requests not approved by the Dean will be returned to the instructor who will notify the candidate and then assign an appropriate grade.

Grade Changes

Grades reported to the Registrar and recorded shall not be changed except under the following specified circumstances:

1. A written statement by the instructor that the grade recorded was a factual error;
2. Change of grade of “I,” as previously outlined;
3. Recommendation by the dean of the college in which the student is enrolled and/or the Vice-President for Academic Affairs.
4. Students who have earned at least 90 total credit hours prior to the start of the semester and receive a grade of “F” or “D” in a required major course that is not scheduled to be offered again prior to the student’s planned graduation date shall have the option to appeal to the dean of the college to take a comprehensive exam for the course. The dean—after consulting with the faculty member teaching the course—will determine whether offering this comprehensive exam would be appropriate based on:
   
   • the extent to which the student demonstrated a reasonable level of engagement in the course
   
   • the extent to which the student demonstrated a good faith effort to successfully complete the coursework
   
   A passing grade on the comprehensive exam will result in a grade of C in the course. If the dean of the college determines that there is not sufficient time to prepare the exam and grade it prior to graduation, the student will not be permitted to participate in the graduation ceremony. If the student does not pass the comprehensive exam or the dean determines that the student’s actions throughout the semester do not justify the opportunity to take a comprehensive exam, the grade of “F” or “D” will remain. Students who earn a grade of “F” or “D” as a result of a violation of the Piedmont University academic integrity policy are not eligible to appeal to take a comprehensive exam to try to earn a passing grade in the course. 
   
    

Grade Appeals

Students who wish to dispute a final grade and are prepared to present evidence to support a grade appeal must initiate the procedure by speaking first with the instructor who assigned the grade in question. If there are no errors in the computation of the grade or other substantial evidence to support an appeal, the student is encouraged to accept the grade assigned. A disagreement about the subjective evaluation of the student’s performance by the instructor is not grounds for an appeal. It is assumed that the instructor, as the subject matter expert, is the one most qualified to evaluate all work submitted. Therefore, for an appeal to be considered, the student must demonstrate an objective discrepancy between the way in which the student was evaluated, and the grading policies and procedures outlined in the course syllabus. In cases where there are substantial grounds for a review of the grade and a resolution cannot be reached between the student and the instructor, the student has the following recourse:

1. Within two weeks of the beginning of the term following the one for which the grade was posted, the student must submit to the appropriate department chair a letter of appeal with evidence supporting the need for an external review of the grade in question. A form, which describes the supporting material required, is available from the Registrar's Office. The department chair will review the student’s material and consult with the instructor before deciding if the assigned grade should stand. The department chair must provide a written response to the student with a copy to the college dean.
2. If the student can show evidence that relevant information was not taken into consideration or that the department chair’s decision lacks due process, the student may submit documentation to the appropriate academic dean (in the college where the course was taught) who will determine if new information or insufficient consideration of the student’s case merits further review of the assigned grade. The dean’s decision to proceed or not to proceed will be final in all cases.
3. If the dean determines that further review is warranted, the dean will review the material and consult with the student and the instructor. The dean may exercise discretion to consult other faculty or students who can provide relevant information. The dean’s decision will be final.
4. The entire appeal process must be completed within four weeks of the date the grade was appealed.
5. When the dean or department chair is the teacher of record, the dean will substitute for the department chair and the vice president for academic affairs will substitute for the dean.

Repeating Courses

A student who earns a grade below a “C” in a Piedmont University course may repeat that course up to three (3) times to meet graduation/degree requirements in accordance with the following restrictions:

• Grade forgiveness may be applied only once per course.
• All course grades remain on the student’s transcript.
• Credit hours earned for the course count only once toward total hours earned for graduation.

Grades and credit earned from courses repeated at other institutions cannot be calculated in the student’s GPA at Piedmont University.

A student who earns a grade lower than a “C” as a result of a violation of the Academic Integrity Policy may repeat the course; however, the grade resulting from the violation is not eligible for grade forgiveness.

Grade Forgiveness

Grade forgiveness removes a grade lower than a “C” from the grade-point average (GPA) calculation when the course is repeated and a grade of “C” or above is earned. However, all course grades remain on the student’s transcript. Grade forgiveness is allowed only once per course. 

A course grade lower than a “C” that results from a violation of the Academic Integrity Policy is not eligible for grade forgiveness. 

Grade forgiveness does not apply to a grade of ‘C’ or higher.

Academic Standing

Good Standing signifies that the student is eligible to return to the University and is on neither academic nor conduct probation. To be in good standing academically, a student must maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0.

Academic Warning is assigned to a student who holds a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or better but has earned a term GPA of less than 2.0. A second consecutive semester with a term GPA of less than 2.0 will place the student on probation. A student who is placed on probation after being placed on an Academic Warning will be required to complete an Academic Success Plan prior to attending the following semester. Students who do not complete the criteria listed in the Academic Success Plan or who do not earn a term GPA of 2.3 or better in the subsequent semester may be subject to Academic Exclusion.

Academic Probation is assigned to a student who fails to maintain a cumulative 2.0 GPA. Students placed on Academic Probation will be required to complete an Academic Success Plan prior to attending the following semester and any semester they continue on probation.

Academic Exclusion denotes a failure to maintain a cumulative 2.0 GPA for two consecutive semesters. However, a student will remain on probation after the second semester if he or she either completes the criteria listed in the Academic Success Plan or completes 6 credit hours or more and earns a term GPA of 2.3 or better. A student who is academically excluded must sit out for at least one semester at which time he or she may appeal to the dean of the appropriate college for Conditional Readmission.

The Committee on Academic Standards reserves the right to exclude students prior to or at the end of the first year if, in the opinion of the committee, their progress is not satisfactory.

Academic Success Plans are completed with the student and the Academic Dean and/or the Director of Student Support Services prior to the start of the semester. Academic Success Plans are personalized, comprehensive plans to support a student’s success. Academic Success Plans include the use of campus resources and establish expectations of behavior in and outside the classroom. Academic Success Plans often include expectations about attendance, study habits, tutoring and overall academic performance.

Academic dismissal results in involuntary separation of the student from the University for an extended time period for academic reasons based upon the recommendation of the appropriate dean. Students may appeal the decision to the Vice President for Academic Affairs. A student so dismissed may petition for readmission after a reasonable period of time, usually a year. Specific colleges may have different requirements. Students should consult the specific college for requirements. The second academic dismissal is permanent.

Readmission After Dismissal

Students who have been dismissed from the University for any reason may petition for re-admission after one year. A completed Application for Readmission (www.piedmont.edu/ registrar) and a written letter requesting readmission must be submitted to the appropriate dean at least two weeks prior to the date of registration for the semester in which the student wishes to enroll. Requests received after the deadline will be considered for the following semester. A determination will be made to approve or deny readmission on a conditional basis and the student will be notified of the decision in writing.

Non-Academic Dismissal

Students who are found to be in violation of University regulations, in violation of local and/ or state laws, or for circumstances deemed to be in the best interest of the University, may be removed from a residence hall and/or dismissed from the University. The appropriate forms must be signed and filed with the Registrar before refunds (if applicable) can be made or transcripts forwarded.

Students may appeal the decision of the Vice President for Academic Affairs to the President, if warranted. Grades of “W” or “WF” may be assigned. Grades of “W” after the last date to withdraw without academic penalty require the approval of the Vice President for Academic Affairs and will be approved only in cases of acceptable extenuating circumstances.

See also Involuntary Withdrawal Policy.

Transient Permission

Piedmont University students who wish to take courses at other institutions may do so only with the written permission of the Registrar. To request permission for transient status, students must be currently enrolled Piedmont University students in good standing and should obtain a letter of Transient Permission from the Registrar’s Office. Classes with a grade below “C” will not be accepted for credit. Students are reminded of the graduation requirement that all senior work (the last 30 hours) must be course work completed at Piedmont University. Transient permission will not be granted for more than two consecutive semesters.

Transient Permission Policy

• The letter of transient permission form must be completed with all required signatures prior to a student’s enrollment at the host institution.
• Permission will be considered only for accredited institutions and only for currently enrolled students.
• Undergraduates must be in good standing with a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or better.
• Undergraduate students in their first semester at Piedmont University and therefore have no current GPA must obtain permission from the dean of their college.
• A student must earn a grade of “C” or better to receive transfer credit for courses taken as a transient student. Courses transferred will not be calculated into a student’s Piedmont University GPA.
• Students may be asked to submit a copy of course descriptions from host school in order to evaluate transfer hours and/or credits.
• It is the student’s responsibility to have transcripts from the host school mailed back to Piedmont University after course work is completed.
• Students who wish to continue their study elsewhere for a second semester must seek and receive approval in advance. Transient permission will not be granted for more than two consecutive semesters. Students who attend other institutions without transient permission must apply for readmission to Piedmont University.
• Please note that all transfer and transient course work is considered for Graduation Honors at the time of Graduation at Piedmont University.
• Exceptions to this policy are reviewable by the respective dean and the Vice President of Academic Affairs.