GRADING GUIDELINES & GRADING POLICY

TTU GRADING POLICY

Grade reports are not automatically mailed to students. Students can access grades and credits by online tool or submit a request to the Registrar’s Office of TTU.

The TTU system of grading is expressed in letters, which carry grade points used in calculating the cumulative grade–point average.The grading system employed in the evaluation of undergraduate student work is shown below.  The “descriptions” and “explanatory comments” are intended to be sufficiently general to apply across the University.

1.      Computable Grades

Letter Grade

Point Value

Description Explanatory Comments
   A+

4.0

Truly Exceptional Workexceeds the highest
expectations for
the course
   A

4.0

Exceptional Work meets the highest
expectations for
the course
   A-

3.7

Outstanding Superior work in all
areas of the course
   B+

3.3

Very Good Superior work
in most areas
of the course
   B

3.0

Good Solid work
across the board
   B-

2.7

More than Acceptable More than acceptable,
but falls short
of solid work
   C+

2.3

Acceptable:
Meets All Basic Standards
Work meets all
the basic requirements
and standards
for the course
   C

2.0

Acceptable:
Meets Most
Basic Standards
Work meets most of
the basic
requirements and
standards in
several areas
   C-

1.7

Acceptable:
Meets Some
Basic Standards
While acceptable,
work falls short of
meeting basic standards
in several areas
   D

1.0

Minimally
Passing Work
Work just over
the threshold
of acceptability
   F

0.0

Failing Unacceptable
performance
OR disciplinary
action

2.      Uncomputable Grades

I Incomplete

Given with the approval of the student’s dean in extenuating circumstances beyond the control of the student. After consultation with the student’s dean, the Registrar converts an I grade to an “F” if the grade is not otherwise resolved before the beginning of the Final Exam week of the next semester.

 

S

Satisfactory work
(courses with zero credit hours, as well as research courses, departmental seminars, colloquia or directed studies; workshops; field education and skill courses).
 

U

Unsatisfactory work
(courses with zero credit hours, as well as research courses, departmental seminars, colloquia or directed studies; workshops; field education and skill courses).
P Pass
F Fail
W Withdrawal.
Discontinued with permission.
NR Not Reported.
Final grade(s) not reported by the instructor because of extenuating circumstances.  No final grade reported for the course.  It will revert to an “F” if not resolved by the beginning of final week in the next semester for which the student is enrolled.

S/U Option

Each course under this option must be requested during registration. Eligibility must be determined by the student’s dean and certified by the student. The course must be taken outside the major.

An S grade is a grade satisfactory to theinstructorand is normally equivalent to the letter grade of C or higher.

P/F Option (Pass/Fail)

The application of this option is subject to approval from the Board of Executives. The Registrar’s office should announce to the students about this option when they conduct the course registration.

These grades will appear on the student’s record. These grades will not be computed into the student’s GPA.  If a final grade of “F” is issued, it will be computed into the student’s GPA. However, if students get F grade, they must repeat the course.

Withdrawal

Students can only drop the course before the third session of the course. Other exceptional cases must be approved by the Board of Executives upon the proposal of deans. Some cases can be applied including documented mental or physical illness or other problems that stop the students from completing the course after deadline of registration to drop out. Upon approval, grade “W” will be applied and appear on transcript of the student.

Incomplete Grade

The grade of I (incomplete) is given for passable work that could not be completed due to circumstances beyond the student’s control with approval in writing by the dean. After consultation with the student’s dean, the Registrar converts an I grade to an “F” if the grade is not otherwise resolved before the beginning of the Final Exam week of the next semester.

Procedures:

1.      The student must write a petition to the instructor indicating his/her circumstances and request the instructor to apply grade “I” for their registered course.

2.      After getting approval from the dean, the petition will be forwarded to the Registrar’s Office.

3.      The Registrar’s Office will receive the petition and input grade “I” to transcript of the student.

4.      The instructor must use Change Grade Form to change grade “I” to new grade and submit to the Registrar’s Office before the beginning of the Final Exam week of the next semester.

5.      The Registrar’s Office will base on the Change Grade Form to revise the grade for the student.

Repeating Courses

Students are required to repeat any courses with grade “F” and concentration’s courses with grade “C-“ or lower. The concentration’s courses are defined by each school for a specific concentration.

Students can register to repeat any courses with grade less than “C” to make their transcript look better. In any cases, the new grade will be used for GPA calculation but both of them will appear on the student transcript.

GRADE POINT AVERAGE COMPUTATION

Only TTU course grades are included in the calculation of Grade Point Averages (GPA). The value points of the letter grades earned in the course are multiplied by the credit hours per course to determine the quality points per course.  The sum of the quality points divided by the sum of the credit hours attempted in the term determines the term Grade Point Average. The Cumulative Grade Point Average is determined in the same manner except that it is based on the total attempted credit hours and quality points accumulated to date.

Example: The results of a student after the first academic semester as follows

Course Credits Letter Grade Point Value Quality Points
HUM101 3 A- 3.7 11.1
HIS101 3 B+ 3.3 9.9
ECON101 3 B 3.0 9.0
MATH101 3 A- 3.7 11.1
MGT101 3 A 4.0 12.0
ENGxxx 2 B 3.0 6.0
TOTAL 17 58.1

GPA = 58.1/17 = 3.42

EVALUATIONS OF STUDENT WORK

  • Class Attendance and Conduct

o   Classes for the academic year commence on the dates announced in the official AcademicStudents are required to attend class regularly and punctually.

o   At the beginning of the term, each instructor will state in writing the class policies concerning attendance, grading, and allowable number of unexcused absences. At the instructor’s discretion, a failing or reduced grade may be given for excessive unexcused absences. In any case, if a student has total absence sessions account for over 30% (with permission) or 10% (without permission), he/she will receive grade “F for that course.

o   Instructors are expected to hold classes at all regularly scheduled times. Any instructor unable to meet with a class at a scheduled class time will advise the dean and normally provide for a substitute instructor to lead the class and report the problem to the Registrar’s Office. Students may presume a class is dismissed if the instructor has not arrived within 15 minutes of the scheduled start time.

o   All classes are dismissed during designated University holidays.

  • Assessment and Grading

o   Undergraduate courses require a final summative assessment, such as a written examination, term paper or project, take-home test, or oral examination (hereinafter collectively referred to as “final examinations”). Final examinationsnot be weighted for less than 50% of the semester’s work in the determination of the student’s final grade.

o   Final examinations can be scheduled for students only at the time and place stipulated in the official examination schedule. A faculty member who wishes to schedule a final examination at a time other than that stipulated in the official examination schedule must request approval from the Board of Executives.

o   Unexcused absences from a final examination will result in a student receiving a failing grade on that examination. The instructor and the dean will determine whether the cause of such absence was sufficient to permit administration of the examination at a later time.

o   The semester grade in a course is based on the class work of the student for the whole semester and the final examination at the instructor’s discretion.

o   Should an instructor wish to change a grade that was previously submitted, the recommended grade change and the justification must be submitted to the instructor’s dean and the student’s dean for approval.

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