Comprehensive final examinations or assessments are required in every course by the end of the semester. If a comprehensive exam is given, a student who does not take the examination at the scheduled time will receive a failing grade in that course unless excused by the instructor. If the student is excused, an Incomplete (I) will be recorded.
GRADES
Graduation is dependent upon quality as well as upon quantity of work done. Letter grades are used. They are interpreted in the table below with the quality points for each hour of credit shown at the right.
Grades Hours Attempted Quality Points Per Credit Hour Per Credit Hour
A 1 4
B+ 1 3.33 B 1 3 B- 1 2.67 C 1 2 F 1 0 PZ- Pass in Pass/Fail Option
(Credit Hours Earned) 0 0 FX- Failure or Academic Dishonesty 1 0 P- Passing 0 0 I- Incomplete 1 0 IN- 0 0 W- Withdrew 0 0 WP- Withdrew Passing 0 0 WF- Withdrew Failing 1 0 @F- Administrative Failure 1 0 @W- Administrative Withdrawal 0 0
The inclusion of letter grades “A-,” “B+,” and “B-” within each course’s grading scale is at the discretion of the instructor or program. The complete grading scale to be used is announced at the beginning of each course.
An Incomplete may be assigned only when a small amount of coursework (e.g., tests, project, research paper, or final exam) is not submitted by the end of the course. An Incomplete is appropriate only in situations where there are mitigating life circumstances of a serious nature that prevent completion of course requirements. When semester grades are submitted, the faculty member assigns an “I” in place of the grade for the student needing an Incomplete. Within 24 hours of submission, Registrar Services will send the faculty member an e-mail notification that the “Incomplete Contract” is available through WebbConnect under the “Manage Classes” folder. The faculty member completes the online contract and submits it electronically through WebbConnect. WebbConnect automatically sends the contract to the student via the student’s Gardner-Webb email address. The student must “accept” the contract in order to confirm the Incomplete. If the student “denies” the contract, the faculty member will be notified, and either a revised contract will need to be submitted or a final grade assigned for the course. The final date for completion of the coursework and conversion of the Incomplete designation to a grade can be no more than 90 days after the last day of the term in which the “I” was submitted. If the 90-day period expires without conversion of the Incomplete, notification is sent to the faculty member by email requesting the final grade. If no grade is submitted at that time, the Incomplete is converted
to a final grade of “F.” Once the “F” is recorded, the student, the advisor, and the faculty member are notified by e-mail. An IN is assigned in the following cases: (1) individuals in a practicum or internship who are prevented by circumstances beyond their control from completing their practicum or internship by scheduled deadlines; (2) students in courses with a multi-semester component (e.g., ENED 691) which are not completed by grading deadlines.
A “W” will be assigned when a student withdraws from a course during the first 40% of the term. After the first 40% of the term, a “WF” or “WP” is assigned by the instructor based upon the instructor’s assessment of the student’s work at the date of withdrawal.
The “@W” represents an administrative withdrawal from a course. It is assigned to any student on an official class roll who has never attended a class session.
The “@F” represents an administrative failure of a course. It can be assigned by either the instructor or the Registrar to any student who exceeds the permissible number of absences in a course. This grade is treated the same as the regular “F;” it counts against the student’s grade point average and is repeatable only under the provisions outlined below. Even when an “@W” or “@F” has already been assigned by the Registrar, an instructor may assign a regular “F” at the end of the term as he/she deems appropriate.
Once a grade has been submitted to the Registrar, it cannot be changed except in the event of a clerical error or an error in calculation, or as a result of the appeal process described below.
A student who has a question about a grade should consult the instructor as soon as possible. A student who believes a grade to be inaccurate or unfair may address the matter following the process described below under “Academic Grievance and Appeal Procedures.”
Under no circumstances will a grade be changed after having been reported to the Registrar without the approval of the Associate Provost for Professional and Graduate Studies. Grades will not be recorded if the student’s account is in arrears unless satisfactory arrangements have been made with the Student Accounts Office.
@F GRADE
Any admitted student receiving a grade of “@F” in a graduate course will be suspended from the program in which the grade was received. The student may reapply to that program after one year. Dual-degree-seeking students who receive an “@F” in a course that applies to both programs will be suspended from both programs. The program graduate faculty makes the decision on whether to readmit, and, if readmitted, the stipulations that will apply. If readmitted, the student
must repeat at Gardner-Webb the course in which he or she received the “@F,” making at least a “B.” The course must be repeated the first time it is offered at the student’s site or online after the student’s return. Only the higher grade will be counted in calculating the Gardner-Webb grade point average, although the lower grade will remain on the official transcript. In graduate business programs, both the failing grade and the grade earned by repeating the course will appear on the transcript, and both will be used to calculate the student’s grade point average.
F GRADE
Any admitted student receiving a grade of “F” in a graduate course will be suspended from the program in which the grade was received. The student may reapply to that program after one year. Dual-degree-seeking students who receive an “F” in a course that applies to both programs will be suspended from both programs. The program graduate faculty makes the decision on whether to readmit, and, if readmitted, the stipulations that will apply. If readmitted, the student must repeat at Gardner-Webb the course in which he or she received the “F,” making at least a “B.” The course must be repeated the first time it is offered at the student’s site or online after the student’s return. Only the higher grade will be counted in calculating the Gardner-Webb grade point average, although the lower grade will remain on the official transcript. No more than one “F” may be repeated. In graduate business programs, both the failing grade and the grade earned by repeating the course will appear on the transcript, and both will be used to calculate the student’s grade point average.
C GRADE
A student who receives nine hours of “C” grades will be suspended from the program in which the grades were received. The student may reapply to that program after one year. The program graduate faculty makes the decision on whether to readmit and, if readmitted, the stipulations that will apply. If the student earns only a total of nine credit hours of “C” in different graduate programs, the program faculty may stipulate not to suspend the student and to allow continued work, on probation status, until the 3.0 is reached.
GRADE POINT AVERAGE
A graduate student’s general academic performance is indicated by a current-term grade point average (GPA) and a cumulative GPA. The current term and the cumulative GPAs are determined by dividing earned quality points by attempted credit hours. Both values are calculated based only on work completed at Gardner-Webb in the student’s current degree or certificate program of enrollment. In addition, a total institutional GPA is calculated and represents combined academic work at Gardner-Webb as of the last term of attendance. The cumulative GPA in the student’s current
degree or certificate program determines the student’s eligibility for graduation.