In issuing final grades, course instructors adhere to the established grading systems at the undergraduate and graduate levels.

Reason for Policy

To establish the grading systems at both undergraduate and graduate levels at Ramapo College.

To Whom Does The Policy Apply

Ramapo College faculty, adjuncts, managers and unclassified staff who teach, and students.

Related Documents

Procedure; College Catalog, Policy and Procedure 300-E

Contacts

Office of the Provost – 201-684-7532

Procedure

GRADING SYSTEMS

Undergraduate Grading System

Course work is evaluated using the following grading scale:

Grades beginning with E or X have been excluded from a student’s GPA as part of the College’s Fresh Start program.

AU; Audit

Given for completion of a course (except for exams and required papers), if requested at the time of registration. No credit is given for this course. This option may not be changed after the end of schedule adjustments. If a student who has selected Audit fails to attend the class, the instructor may give an Administrative Withdrawal for that class.

E; Fresh Start – Excluded

Grades beginning with E have been excluded from student’s GPA as part of the College’s Fresh Start program. These courses do not count toward fulfilling degree requirements

FN; Fail – Non-attendance

Students who stop attending class without an official withdrawal will receive a grade of “FN.”  As indicated in the Grading Scale Chart, this grade will be calculated into the GPA in the same manner as a grade of “F.”

Federal Regulations (34 CFR 668.22 and commonly referred to as the Return of Title IV Funds requirements) require institutions of higher education to return Title IV aid when a student stops attending within the first 60% of the semester or term.  In recording a grade of “FN”, faculty will be asked to include the last date of attendance by the student.

I; Incomplete

Given in extenuating circumstances (for instance, reasons of illness or other emergency) when approved by the instructor and when requested by a student who has satisfactorily completed at least two-thirds of course requirements prior to the end of a term on an Incomplete Request form. The default deadline for completion of course work is posted on the Academic Calendar for each semester (typically February 26 for fall semester incompletes and October 15 for spring and summer incompletes, or the next business day); however, the instructor may set an earlier deadline at the time the Incomplete grade is requested. When the work is completed prior to the completion deadline, the instructor completes a ‘Grade Adjustment Request’ form; the new assigned grade replaces the I. If work is not satisfactorily completed by the completion deadline, the grade is changed to F. A student may not graduate with an I grade outstanding. No additional work can be accepted or considered after the end of the semester without the Incomplete grade.

P; Pass

This option may be initiated by the instructor or student. Instructors will specify that a course is being offered only for P/F grades in the course description; in some cases, the student may then petition for A to F grading by the date posted on the Academic Calendar.  In the event that a course is being offered with A to F grading, students must select the P/F option by the date posted on the Academic Calendar, and that grading option cannot be changed thereafter. The P/F option may be selected by the student for a total of four credits in any semester (fall, winter, spring, or summer) and for a total of no more than four out of each 12 credits earned for a grade.

This option is available only for free-elective courses; courses fulfilling any requirement, including (but not limited to) general education, school core, major and/or minor requirements, are not eligible to be taken for P/F.

Please refer to the grading table (above) for information regarding how P and F grades impact a student’s credits earned and GPA.

R; Repeated Grade

An R grade is given (together with the previously earned grade – e.g., RD, RF) when a course  taken in an earlier term is successfully repeated and a student receives approval to use a Repeat Course option. The credits attempted for the course taken in an earlier term are excluded when the repeated course is successfully completed. It is not reversible at a later date. For more information, see Policy and Procedure 300-E: Retaking & Repeating  Courses.

T; Temporary Grade

A grade of T (Temporary) may be issued in rare circumstances when a faculty member has not submitted grades. This will be changed to the appropriate grade once grades are received. Transcripts will not be sent until T grades are resolved.

W; Withdrawn

Given in exceptional circumstances for withdrawal from a course. Withdrawal deadlines for each semester are posted on the semester’s Academic Calendar.

Cessation of class attendance or notification to the instructor is NOT considered an official withdrawal. Unless students officially withdraw from a course through the Registrar’s Office, they are still registered for the course and will receive a grade of “F” or “FN” even though classes were not attended.

X; Fresh Start

Grades beginning with X have been excluded from student’s GPA as part of the College’s Fresh Start program. These courses do count toward fulfilling degree requirements.

Y; Grade

A grade of Y is assigned only for non-degree credit  courses  that are required as prerequisites for other courses or by the School or academic program. Non-degree credit courses include courses for which students do not earn any credits that count toward graduation such as basic skills/developmental-level courses, Career Pathways modules, Running Crew I & II, etc.  A Y grade indicates the instructor’s determination that the student’s performance was unsatisfactory, which means the student must retake the course. Y grades cannot be changed.

Z; Temporary Grade

A grade of Z is issued when a student is involved in an alleged violation of the College’s Academic Integrity Policy, which must be adjudicated before a final grade can be assigned for the course. This will be changed to the appropriate grade once a finding and sanction are arrived at by following the procedure associated with the Academic Integrity Policy. Transcripts will not be sent until Z grades are resolved. For more information, see Policy and Procedure 300-B: Academic Integrity.

General Information on Grading

A term grade point average and a cumulative grade point average are calculated for each student after the end of each term. These averages are computed by dividing the total quality points by the total quality hours earned. Only courses taken at Ramapo are counted in these calculations.

Credit hours are based on a semester calendar.

The AU, I, P, R, and W grade options are available only by student request and require the submission of appropriate forms to the Office of the Registrar. The Academic Calendar on the web each term indicates the dates for students to take advantage of these grade options.

Graduate Grading System

Course work is evaluated using the following grading scale unless otherwise communicated in writing to students enrolled in specific graduate programs (e.g., MSN, DNP):

FN; Fail – Non-attendance

Students who stop attending class without an official withdrawal will receive a grade of “FN”.  As indicated in the Grading Scale Chart, this grade will be calculated into the GPA in the same manner as a grade of “F”.

Federal Regulations (34 CFR 668.22 and commonly referred to as the Return of Title IV Funds requirements) require institutions of higher education to return Title IV aid when a student stops attending within the first 60% of the semester or term.  In recording a grade of “FN”, faculty must include the last date of attendance by the student.

Students should also refer to the ‘Leave of Absence’, ‘Medical Leave of Absence’, and ‘Withdrawal from Ramapo College’ policies in the College Catalog.

I; Incomplete (no credit awarded)

Given extenuating circumstances (for instance, reasons of illness or other emergency) when approved by the instructor and when requested by a student who has satisfactorily completed at least two-thirds of course requirements prior to the end of a term. The default deadline for completion of course work is posted on the Academic Calendar for each semester (typically February 26 for Fall semester incompletes and October 15 for Spring and summer incompletes, or the next business day); however, the instructor may set an earlier deadline at the time the Incomplete grade is requested. When the work is completed prior to the completion deadline, the instructor completes a ‘Grade Adjustment Request’ form; the new assigned grade replaces the I. If work is not satisfactorily completed by the completion deadline, the grade is changed to F. A student may not graduate with an I grade outstanding. No additional work can be accepted or considered after the end of the semester without the Incomplete grade.

IP; In-Progress*

This grade is assigned in Thesis courses such as Thesis Research, when course requirements are not completed at the end of the term.  In-Progress (IP) grades must be resolved within two (2) additional semesters (spring/fall) after the initial term when the IP was issued. IP grades not resolved after three (3) consecutive semesters (including the initial term) will be converted to a “U” or an “F” grade, depending on the individual program’s standards. Students must register for a Thesis Continuation course (0 credits, 2 billing hours). Thesis continuation is not graded.

• If the student’s Thesis remains unfinished at the end of the third (3^rd) semester under IP status (i.e., the initial term when the IP was issued plus two additional terms), the student must consult with both the Thesis Advisor and the Program Director. This consultation must take place no later than the day that grades are due for that semester. At that consultation, one of the following actions will be taken: The student is dismissed from the respective program with a final grade of “U” or “F” (depending on the individual program’s standards) for the Thesis course. The student has a right to appeal the decision, as indicated below. If a student does not appeal the decision within 5 business days of this consultation, the Program Director will process the dismissal.
• The student appeals in writing to the Program Director within 5 business days of the consultation for an extension of one additional semester (for a total of three semesters beyond the initial semester) to complete the original Thesis. At the end of this extension, if granted, the student will receive a final grade of “U” or “F” (depending on the individual program’s standards) and will be permanently dismissed from the program if the Thesis is still not completed.
• The student appeals in writing to the Program Director within 5 business days of the consultation for permission to enroll in a new Thesis course. If the appeal is granted, the student accepts a “U” or an “F” (depending on the individual program’s standards) for the original Thesis course and is permitted one semester only to complete the second Thesis course. If the student fails to complete the Thesis under two distinct Thesis courses, the student will be dismissed from the respective program.

In both cases of appeal, an unfavorable decision by a Program Director is final; a favorable decision must receive final approval from the dean. The Program Director will monitor a student’s progress and will ensure that the student does not exceed the time limits described above.

P; Pass

This option is available in elective and Thesis courses, which instructors have specified as being offered only for P/F grades in the course description. Please refer to the grading table (above) for information regarding how P and F grades impact a student’s credits earned and GPA.

R; Repeated Grade
Repeat course grading is not applicable to graduate level courses.

U (no credit awarded)

A “U” grade may be assigned to a Thesis course when an In-Progress (IP) grade is not resolved within two (2) semesters (spring/fall) after the initial term when the IP was issued (see “IP – In Progress” section above).  A “U” grade is NOT factored into the student’s cumulative GPA.

W; Withdrawn (no credit awarded)

Given in exceptional circumstances for withdrawal from a course. The withdrawal form should be submitted to the Registrar’s Office by the withdrawal deadline posted on the semester’s Academic Calendar.

Cessation of class attendance or notification to the instructor is NOT considered an official withdrawal. Unless students officially withdraw from a course through the Registrar’s Office, they are still registered for the course and will receive a grade of “F” or “FN” even though classes were not attended.