Grades: Policy and Procedure

Grading System

Grades at Saint Peter’s College are assigned on a letter basis, with a "D" as the minimum passing grade in each undergraduate subject. A student’s final term grade in any course is assigned by the instructor on the basis of performance in all work throughout the entire period of the course, including recitations, readings, reports, quizzes, major tests, term papers, and final examinations. Final grades for a term cannot be altered later than six weeks after the start of the next term.

Grades should be interpreted as an index of achievement in a course according to the following scale:

Students will receive a failing grade for a course whenever they have a final term grade below a D, are absent from the final examination without adequate excuse, or fail to complete the necessary course work in order to remove the grade of Incomplete (IC) from their record.

Other symbols used in the official recording of grades include:

Pass/Fail Option

Any School of Professional & Continuing Studies student with more than six earned credits may register for one course per term on a Pass/Fail basis. There is a limit of seven Pass/Fail courses in a Bachelor’s degree program; a limit of three Pass/Fail courses in an Associate’s degree program. Completion of a course under this option results in either a P or F grade. Required courses for the major may not be taken on a pass-fail basis.

Credit will be granted for a passing grade, but  the grade is not included in the GPA. A failing grade will be be computed in the student’s cumulative grade point average.

Cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA)

The grade point average is a weighted average and is computed in the following manner:

1. Multiplying the grade in each course taken at Saint Peter’s College by the number of credits assigned to the course
2. Adding these products and dividing the total by the total number of credits attempted in all courses taken at Saint Peter’s College. This index is also used to determine the student’s rank-in-class. Pass grades, credit by examination grades, and transfer grades are never utilized in computing the cumulative grade point average

Incomplete Grades

If students believe that they have a legitimate reason for requesting time beyond the end of the term to complete course work, they may request a grade of Incomplete (IC) from the instructor. If granted, students have six weeks after the start of the next term to complete the course work. Students who receive an IC for any of the summer sessions will have six weeks after the start of the Fall term to complete the course work. At the end of the six weeks, the grade of IC will automatically change to a 0.0 (F) if  the instructor does not submit another grade.

Repetition of a Course / Replacement of a Grade

Students may repeat any course for which they received a grade of 2.0 or below, including grades of 0.0 or FA. Both courses and grades will remain on the transcript. Only the second grade will be included in the cumulative grade point average and only the second iteration will apply toward degree completion. The appropriate form may be obtained from the Enrollment Services Center. The option is open only to students who have not graduated.

Resolution of Grade Disputes

Students have the right to know the components of their final grade, to be graded fairly, and to understand why they were given a particular grade. The instructor has the right to determine the grading components and the weight given to each. Instructors are responsible for grading students consistently according to the prior announced grading scale.  

A student who believes that an unfair grade has been given can appeal the grade. The first step is to meet with the instructor and discuss the grade. . This may be done until the sixth week of the term after the term in which the grade was issued. After that point, the grade becomes final.

If, after discussing the grade with the instructor, the student still believes that he/she was treated unfairly, the student should file a written (email) appeal with Office of the Dean of the School of Professional and Continuing Studies.

Change of Grade

A change of grade can be initiated only by the instructor of a course or the dean.