Ohio Administrative Code, Chapter 3359-20, Section 3359-20-05.1 - Grading system, discipline, academic probation and dismissal | Ohio Administrative Code

(A) Faculty grade records.

(1) The faculty member is expected to maintain a careful and orderly record of each student's academic performance in each class. A record of all grades earned for each course must be retained for a period of five years and shall be uploaded to a central location where they may be accessed by relevant and authorized parties.

(2) The faculty member's grade records must be legible, understandable, and complete, as they are the ultimate information in case of questions concerning a student's or a former student's academic performance.

(B) Reporting grades.

(1) By the end of the fifth week of classes in normal academic semesters (pro-rated for summer sessions), faculty members teaching one hundred-level and two hundred-level classes will assign satisfactory or unsatisfactory performance indicators to all students. Such indicators will be assigned in the system used by the university registrar, and will be based on the faculty members' overall assessment of the students' classroom performance to-date. The system will in turn notify students of any unsatisfactory indicators and direct them to seek the advice of their faculty and/or academic adviser in order to improve their classroom performance.

(2) At the time for reporting final grades, the university registrar provides each faculty member with appropriate instructions for the reporting of grades.

(C) Grading system.

(1) Grades, as listed in the following chart, are used to indicate academic performance. Overall scholastic averages are computed on a quality point ratio basis, wherein the sum of the quality points earned is divided by the sum of the credits attempted. The quality point value per credit for each letter grade is shown in the following table:

Grade	Quality Points	Key
A	4.0
A-	3.7
B+	3.3
B	3.0
B-	2.7
C+	2.3
C	2.0
C-	1.7
D+	1.3	undergraduate/law courses
0.0	graduate courses
D	1.0	undergraduate/law courses
0.0	graduate courses
D-	0.7	undergraduate/law courses
0.0	graduate courses
F	0.0

Symbol	Quality Points	Key
I	0.0	incomplete
IP	0.0	in progress
AUC	0.0	audit
CR	0.0	credit
NC	0.0	no credit
WD	0.0	withdrawn
NGR	0.0	no grade reported
INV	0.0	invalid grade reported
PI	0.0	Permanent incomplete

(2) Incomplete "I" means that the student has done passing work in the course, but some part of the work is, for good and acceptable reason, not complete at the end of the term. Failure to complete the work by the end of the following semester (not summer session, except in engineering) converts the incomplete "I" to an "F." When the work is satisfactorily completed within the allotted time, the incomplete "I" is converted to whatever grade the student has earned.

It is the responsibility of the student to make up the incomplete work. The faculty member should submit the new grade to the university registrar's office on a change of grade form, which is available from each dean's office. If the instructor wishes to extend the "I" grade beyond the following term for which the student is registered, the instructor should submit an incomplete extension form, which is available from each collegiate dean's office, before the end of the semester.

(3) In progress "IP" means that the student has not completed the scheduled course work during the semester because the nature of the course does not permit completion within a single semester, such as work toward a thesis. An "IP" grade should be assigned only in graduate courses.

(4) Credit "CR" means that a student has shown college level competence by satisfactorily pursuing a regular university course under the credit/noncredit registration option. An undergraduate student who has completed at least fifty percent of the work toward a degree, or a postbaccalaureate student, may register for selected courses on a credit/noncredit basis. The student should consult his/her academic adviser for details.

Noncredit "NC" is assigned if the work pursued under this option is unsatisfactory. The student may secure information about this option from an adviser or from the university's "Undergraduate Bulletin."

(5) Permanent incomplete "PI" means that the student's instructor and the instructor's dean may for special reasons authorize the change of an "I" to a "PI."

(6) No grade reported "NGR" indicates that at the time grades were processed for the current issue of the record, no grade had been reported by the instructor.

(7) Invalid "INV" indicates the grade reported by the instructor of the course was improperly noted and thus unacceptable for proper processing.

(D) Dropping courses - applicable to undergraduate and graduate students.

(1) It is the responsibility of the student to determine the impact of dropping from courses on matters such as financial aid (including scholarships and grants), eligibility for on-campus employment and housing, athletic participation, and insurance eligibility.

(2) Students may drop a course through the second week (fourteenth calendar day) of a semester or proportionally equivalent dates during summer session, intersession, and other course terms. No record of the course will appear on the student's transcript. For purposes of this policy, the course term for a course that meets during a semester but begins after the beginning of a semester and/ or ends before the end of a semester begins when its class meetings begin and ends when its class meetings end.

(3) Dropping a course shall not reduce or prevent a penalty accruing to a student for misconduct as defined in the code of student conduct.

(4) Degree-granting colleges may supplement this policy with more stringent requirements.

(5) This policy shall take effect at the beginning of the fall 2011 semester for all newly enrolled undergraduate students. In addition, this policy shall take effect at the beginning of the fall 2013 semester for all currently and previously enrolled undergraduate students who have not graduated prior to the start of the fall 2013 semester.

(E) Withdrawing from courses - applicable to undergraduate and graduate students.

(1) It is the responsibility of the student to determine the impact of withdrawing from courses on matters such as financial aid (including scholarships and grants), eligibility for on-campus employment and housing, athletic participation, and insurance eligibility.

(2) After the fourteen-day drop period, and subject to the limitations below, students may withdraw from a course through the seventh week (forty-ninth calendar day) of a semester or proportionally equivalent dates during summer session, intersession, or other course terms. A course withdrawal will be indicated on the student's official academic record by a grade of "WD."

(3) This policy shall take effect for all students at the beginning of the fall semester of 2011.

(F) Withdrawing from courses - applicable to undergraduate students only.

(1) Undergraduate students may not withdraw from the same course more than twice. If a student attempts to withdraw from a course after having withdrawn from it twice before, he or she will continue to be enrolled in the course and will receive a grade at the end of the semester.

(2) Full-time undergraduate students who need to withdraw from all courses for documented extraordinary, non-academic reasons (e.g., medical treatment or convalescence, military service) must obtain the permission of the dean of their college. For purposes of this paragraph:

(a) Students are considered full-time if they were enrolled as full-time students at the beginning of the term; and

(b) Courses for which the student has completed all requirements are excluded.

(3) Undergraduate students who withdraw from two courses either before they have earned thirty credits, or after they have earned thirty credits but before they have earned sixty credits, are not permitted to register for additional courses until they have consulted with their academic adviser. The purpose of this consultation is to discuss the reasons for the course withdrawals and to promote satisfactory academic progress by helping students develop strategies to complete their courses successfully.

(4) Except as otherwise provided in this paragraph, undergraduate students may not withdraw from more than four courses before they have earned sixty credits. Students who attempt to withdraw from more than four courses will continue to be enrolled in those courses and will receive grades at the end of the semester.

(5) Undergraduate students who need to withdraw from all courses for documented extraordinary, non-academic reasons (e.g. medical treatment or convalescence, military service) may, after consulting with their adviser, submit a written petition to the dean of their college requesting that these courses not be counted toward the four-course withdrawal limit. The dean may grant this permission if, in the dean's judgment, it is consistent with the best academic interests of the student and the best interests of the university.

(6) After the withdrawal deadline, undergraduate students may submit a written petition to the dean of their degree-granting college requesting partial withdrawal, after the deadline, for documented extraordinary, non-academic reasons (e.g. medical treatment or convalescence, military service). If the student is not yet admitted to a degree-granting college, the withdrawal request must be submitted to the dean of the student's intended degree-granting college or, if the student has not declared a major, from the deans of the degree-granting colleges offering the courses. The dean may grant this permission if the dean finds that the withdrawal is necessitated by circumstances beyond the student's control and is consistent with the best academic interests of the student and the best interests of the university.

(7) Undergraduate students who have reached the four-course withdrawal limit as noted above may, after consultation with their adviser, submit a written petition to the dean of their college seeking permission to withdraw from one or more additional courses. The dean may grant this permission if the dean finds that the withdrawal is necessitated by circumstances beyond the student's control and is consistent with the best academic interests of the student and the best interests of the university.

(8) Withdrawing from a course shall not reduce or prevent a penalty accruing to a student for misconduct as defined in the student code of conduct.

(9) Degree-granting colleges may supplement this policy with more stringent requirements.

(10) This policy shall take effect at the beginning of the fall 2011 semester for all newly enrolled undergraduate students. In addition, this policy shall take effect at the beginning of the fall 2013 semester for all currently and previously enrolled undergraduate students who have not graduated prior to the start of the fall 2013 semester.

(G) Changing grades.

(1) A faculty member who, because of an error, wishes to change a final grade already awarded to a student must submit a written request on the change of grade form for that change to his/her dean. Grade changes must be initiated by the end of the fifth week of the spring semester for fall semester courses, and by the end of the fifth week of the fall semester for spring or summer semester courses. The change of grade must be completed by the end of the semester in which it was initiated. Grade changes for grades earned during the semester in which a student graduates must be completed before the degree is posted to the student's permanent record. The dean notifies the faculty member and the university registrar of the decision.

(2) A student who wishes to appeal a final grade must initiate the procedure by the end of the fifth week of the spring semester for grades received during the preceding fall semester, and by the fifth week of the fall semester for grades received during the preceding spring or summer semesters. For grades earned during the semester in which a student graduates, grade appeals must be initiated and completed before the degree is posted to the student's permanent record. Students must first review the matter with the instructor. If the matter is not resolved, or if the instructor is not available, the student must submit a written appeal to the department chair or school director.

(3) Re-examination for the purpose of raising a grade is not permitted.

(H) Retroactive withdrawal.

(1) A retroactive withdrawal may be granted only when a student has experienced unforeseen, documented extenuating medical or legal circumstances that he/ she could not have reasonably expected.

(2) The student must submit all retroactive withdrawal requests within one calendar year of resuming coursework at the university of Akron.

(3) The student must initiate the withdrawal request by providing written documentation of the circumstances, a current university of Akron transcript, current contact information, and a cover letter of explanation addressed to the dean of the college in which he/she is enrolled.

(4) Upon receipt of required materials from the student, the dean of the student's college will discuss the request with the instructor(s) of record, relevant chair(s), and other deans (if the student is requesting retroactive withdrawal from courses in other colleges). Based on these discussions, a coordinated joint response regarding the request will be formulated by the dean. If approval of the request is recommended by the dean, the university registrar will initiate the retroactive withdrawal. The dean will notify the student of the action taken. If the student is not yet admitted to a degree-granting college, the withdrawal request must be submitted to the dean of the student's intended degree-granting college or, if the student has not declared a major, from the deans of the degree-granting colleges offering the courses.

(5) Requests that have been denied can be appealed to the office of the provost.

(6) This process addresses academic changes to a student's record only. Once the academic record changes have been made, the student has the right to submit an appeal for tuition and/or fee changes.

(I) Course credit by examination.

(1) Qualified students may obtain credit for subjects not taken in a course by passing special examinations. The grade obtained is recorded on the student's permanent record and counts as work attempted whenever quality ratio calculations are made.

(2) Any student desiring to take special examinations for credit, before beginning to study for the examination and before asking the course instructor for direction, must first receive permission from both the student's dean and the dean under whose jurisdiction the course is listed. After permission is granted, the student prepares for the special examination without faculty assistance. Faculty members may describe only the objectives of the course and the work to be covered. The examination must be comprehensive and demand more from the student than is expected on a regular final examination in the course. The faculty member will file copies of the examination and the student's answers with the faculty member's dean.

(3) Credit by examination is not allowed during a student's last semester before graduation.

(J) Exemption from required courses.

Qualified students may be exempted from courses by examination, testing, or other means approved by the college faculty in which the course is offered.

(K) Faculty tutoring.

If a faculty member tutors a student in a credit course, the student's examination and other performance in the course must be planned and evaluated by another faculty member or by an approved faculty member from another university.

(L) Approbation, probation, and dismissal.

(1) An undergraduate student who earns twelve or more letter-graded credit hours during a semester and earns a quality point average of 3.50 or better is listed on the dean's list of the student's college.

(2) An undergraduate student who earns twelve or more letter-graded credit hours during a semester and earns a quality point average of 4.00 is listed on the president's list of the university.

(3) An undergraduate student who earns at least six but fewer than twelve letter-graded credit hours during a semester and earns a quality point average of 3.50 or better is listed on the part-time dean's list of the student's college.

(4) An undergraduate student who earns at least six but fewer than twelve letter-graded credit hours during a semester and earns a quality point average of 4.00 is listed on the part-time president's list of the university.

(5) An undergraduate student whose cumulative grade point average falls below 2.0 is placed on academic probation and is subject to such academic action, including but not limited to mandatory repeat for change of grade, credit hour restriction, and student success programming, as may be imposed by the dean of the student's degree-granting college, or by the dean's designee.

An undergraduate student whose cumulative grade point average falls below 2.0 for consecutive semesters (excluding summer semesters) will be evaluated at the end of each of the second and third consecutive semesters for dismissal from the university by the dean of the student's degree-granting college, or by the dean's designee. The dean may retain an undergraduate student for the third or fourth consective semester if the term grade point average has improved significantly but the cumulative grade point average remains below 2.0. An undergraduate student whose cumulative grade point average falls below 2.0 for each of four consecutive semesters will be dismissed from the university.

An undergraduate student not yet enrolled in a degree-granting college will be evaluated for dismissal, according to the criteria above, by the head of the division of student success, or by the head's designee.

(6) Probation is a warning to the student whose academic record is unsatisfactory and who is in danger of being dismissed from the university. A student may, however, be dismissed without having previously been placed on probation.

(7) Students dismissed from the university are not eligible to register for any credit courses. They may, however, register for noncredit work. To be eligible for readmission, the student must have either:

(a) Completed at a regionally accredited college or university, with a grade point average of 2.5 or higher, at least eighteen credit hours that will transfer to the university of Akron and apply toward a degree, or;

(b) Satisfied both of the following:

(i) Wait a minimum of two calendar years from the date of dismissal, and;

(ii) Submit a written statement describing the causes of poor academic performance and steps taken toward improvement since dismissal.

(8) Students readmitted under paragraph (M)(5) of this rule will be evaluated for dismissal immediately following the first semester after readmission, with the option to retain for one additional semester if the term grade point average has improved significantly, but the cumulative grade point average remains below 2.0.

(9) Students dismissed from the university for reasons other than failure to meet academic standards are readmitted by action of the president only.

(M) Auditing courses.

A student choosing to audit a course must elect to do so at the time of registration. The student pays the enrollment fee and may be expected to do the work prescribed for students taking the course for credit, except that of taking the examination. Any faculty member may initiate withdrawal for a student not meeting these expectations.

(N) Scheduling field trips.

The university encourages faculty members to arrange worthwhile field trips which they believe will add substantially to the course they teach. Before scheduling a field trip which is not listed in the university "Undergraduate Bulletin" as an integral part of the course, faculty members should receive approval from their dean. The request for approval should state the name and number of the course, the number of students and faculty members making the trip, the nature of the trip, the destination and the time required for the trip. If students will miss other classes, they must consult their instructors so that work missed because of an approved trip can be made up. Faculty members should contact the purchasing department about insurance coverage.

(O) Dealing with academic misconduct.

(1) The university reserves the right to discipline any student found responsible of academic misconduct in accordance with the code of student conduct. The student's faculty member shall refer the matter to the office of student conduct and community standards or a designated representative of that office to investigate the alleged misconduct and determine the outcome.

(2) A faculty member who has evidence that a student has cheated in any term papers, theses, examinations or daily work shall report the student to the department chair who in turn shall report the matter to the student's dean. Faculty members should be familiar with the student disciplinary procedures in order to protect the rights of students who have been alleged of academic dishonesty or other misconduct.

(3) All tests and examinations shall be proctored except in colleges of the university with honors systems which have been approved by the faculty senate.

(4) Members of the faculty of the school of law should consult with their dean as to procedures under the honor system of that school. Faculty members should become familiar with the student disciplinary procedures and the school of law honor system.

Ohio Administrative CodeTitle 3359 - University of AkronChapter 3359-20 - Mission, Goals and Faculty PoliciesSection 3359-20-05.1 - Grading system, discipline, academic probation and dismissal

Ohio Administrative Code
Title 3359 - University of Akron
Chapter 3359-20 - Mission, Goals and Faculty Policies
Section 3359-20-05.1 - Grading system, discipline, academic probation and dismissal