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Registration and Academic Records
Incomplete Grades
The grade of I may be given by an instructor only when the reason for not completing the required work
is beyond the student’s control (hospitalization, death in the immediate family, etc.). The assignment
of an incomplete grade must be approved by the office of the vice president for academic affairs. It
is the responsibility of the student to consult with the instructor to determine a plan for completing
the required work for the course. This work must be satisfactorily completed and the I grade replaced
by a passing grade within four weeks after the beginning of the next regular semester (fall and spring
semesters). If this is not done, the I grade will be changed to an F grade. If this failing grade results in a
GPA which is below the academic standards of the university, the academic warnings and penalties will
apply, even though a new semester has already begun. Requests for an extension must be made to the
office of the vice president for academic affairs within the first three weeks of the semester. Incompletes
are never granted to allow a student further time to improve a grade after the semester has ended. The
way to improve an undesirable grade is to repeat the course at Saint Mary’s University.
Change of Grade
If an instructor discovers an error in a student’s final grade, an amended grade report is filed in the
registrar’s office. The change of grade must be filed within one semester of the date of the original grade
submission. Changes of grades cannot be made on the basis of work done after the end of the semester.
The way to improve an undesirable grade is to repeat the course at Saint Mary’s University. In most
cases, only the instructor concerned may change a grade. Grades may be lowered after the end of the
semester in cases of cheating or plagiarism.
Any grade change that results in a change of a student’s placement on an academic penalty, dean’s list,
or honors at graduation will be referred to the office of the vice president for academic affairs.
If a student believes that an incorrect grade has been given, the student should consult with the
instructor. If the instructor refuses to change the grade, the student may consult the appropriate
dean. If the dean elects to intervene, he/she will attempt to mediate the matter with the student and
the instructor. If the matter is not resolved through the intervention of the dean, the student may
appeal to the office of the vice president for academic affairs, who may request a recommendation
from the academic standing committee. The student’s appeal must be based on grounds other than
his/her disagreement with the instructor’s evaluation of his/her work, and must be made by the
end of the semester following the submission of the disputed grade. The recommendation of the
academic standing committee is not binding on the office of the vice president for academic affairs.
If the academic standing committee recommends that the grade be changed and the instructor is still
unwilling to change the grade, the office of the vice president for academic affairs may assign a grade
of P (pass) or W (withdrawal). The office of the vice president for academic affairs may not change the
grade in a manner other than as specified above.
Grade Points and Achievement Levels
In order to evaluate the overall quality of course work, a system of grade points is used. The number of
grade points earned in a given course is the number of credits for that course multiplied by the grade
point corresponding to the grade earned in that course, as follows:
Grade Grade Pts. Achievement Level
A 4.000 Excellent
AB 3.500
B 3.000 Very Good
BC 2.500
C 2.000 Satisfactory
CD 1.500
D 1.000 Minimal Pass
F 0.000 Failure
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