Part 1. Purpose Statement
The purpose of this procedure is to establish fair and consistent procedures for grading students’ coursework for students attending credit classes at ɫɫ.
Part 2. Scope/Applicability
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Part 3. Definitions:
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Part 4. Procedures:
Subpart A. Final Grade Submission
Faculty will be given, at minimum, two business days following the last day of each semester to submit grades. Final grade reporting is completed in Minnesota State eServices.
Exception to Grade Deadline
The following circumstances allow the temporary or permanent assignment of grades prior to course completion:
- Student or college-initiated withdrawal. After the drop period ends and prior to the withdrawal deadline (80% point of the term or course), a student may withdraw from a class. A final grade of W will be assigned. ɫɫ administration may also assign a grade of W.
- Last date of attendance reporting. Faculty are required to report students’ non-attendance as soon as they are reasonably certain the student has not or will no longer attend. Grades of FN are assigned for students who have never attended and FW for students who attended at least one day. Students may contact the Registration Office to change their FW grades to W through the end of the withdrawal period. The last date of attendance as reported by faculty will not change with the grade change.
Exceptions to Faculty Submitting Grades
Certain circumstances may permit the registrar, a college administrator, or a designee to report final grades:
- When faculty grade entry results in error or omission and the documentation in the registrar’s possession reflects a final grade.
- When approving a student’s appeal for a late course withdrawal.
- In the absence of the instructor of record, a designee may be assigned to submit and/or report final grades.
Grade Changes
Faculty may submit grade changes when a student’s initial grade has changed. Grade changes are accepted in the following methods: report in Minnesota State eServices, in writing with the instructor’s dated signature or via email from the instructor’s official college email address. Grade changes will be accepted for up to two semesters (not including summer). Exceptions must be approved by the Vice President of Student and Academic Affairs.
Subpart B: Grading Options
Students can elect any valid grading option through published add/drop dates.
A-F Grading Option
The default grading option for all courses is A-F unless otherwise specified.
Pass/Fail Grading Option
Some courses may be graded on a “Pass/Fail” basis. All required coursework must be completed to receive a grade of “P”. A student may take more than one course per term on the “Pass/Fail” system. Internships, health clinicals and Farm Business Management courses may be graded “Pass/Fail”. A Pass grade is equivalent to earning a minimum of a letter grade of D, except where program requirements necessitate a higher grade. The “P” will not be used to calculate GPA but the credits will count toward graduation. A fail grade is equivalent to an “F” and will be used in the GPA calculation.
Audit Grading Option
Courses approved for audit will be assigned an AU grade upon completion. The tuition and fees for auditing a course is the same as taking the course for credit. Once this grading method is selected, it cannot be changed after the published add/drop dates.
Incomplete Grade Option
An instructor may assign a grade of “I” (Incomplete) to a student who fails to complete a course due to circumstances beyond their control when the work can be made up without retaking the course.
The instructor and student will agree upon the work to be completed and the deadline by which it must be done not to exceed the end of the following semester, not including summer. The Incomplete Coursework Form must be signed by the instructor and the student, and submitted to the Academic Dean’s Office for approval. A copy must be must be submitted to the Registration Office to enter the “I” grade in the student’s record. Once work is completed, faculty will submit a Grade Change Request using one of the following methods: report in Minnesota State eServices, in writing with the instructor’s dated signature or via email from the instructor’s official college email address.
If the assigned work has not been completed by the end of the following semester (not including summer), the Incomplete will change to the grade the student earned at the time the request was made. If the instructor who assigned the Incomplete is no longer employed at ɫɫ, the student should contact the appropriate academic dean, who may then arrange for resolving the grade.
Subpart C: Repeated Courses
Courses in Which a Grade of C- or Lower is Earned
When a course in which a grade of C- or lower was earned is repeated, the repeated grade is used in determining grade point average. The transcript will mark both the first and second course to indicate the repeat. The first course will be marked with parenthesis around the credits indicating it no longer applies to the GPA. The second occurrence will be marked with an “R”. Repeating a course will not remove the previous attempt from the student’s transcript.
Courses in Which a Grade of C or Above is Earned
Students may choose to repeat a class to meet academic requirements, to improve their GPA, or to refresh their knowledge of the subject material. If a grade of C or above was earned in the initial course, both the initial and repeated course grades will be calculated into the GPA totals. Repeating a course will not remove the previous attempt from the student’s transcript.
Date of Last Review: 10/29/2020