Grades & Academic Standing

8/2/2019 Grades & Academic Standing

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GRADESEvery instructor is required to assign a grade for each

student enrolled in a course. The grades you earn are meantto be a reflection of your learning, although it might not

always feel that way. Below are the different types of grades

you may see on your transcript at UC Davis.

TYPES OF GRADESThe following grades are used to report the quality of your

work at UC Davis:

A ExcellentB GoodC FairD Barely passingF Not passingP Pass (grade C or better)NP No Pass (grade D+ or worse)S Satisfactory (grade C or better)U

Unsatisfactory (grade D+ or worse)

I IncompleteIP In progress

L etterG radingThe basic grades you can earn for most classes are A, B, C,

D, and F, and you can earn a plus (+) or minus () on each

grade as well. Each letter represents how well (or not so

well) you did in a particular class, with an A+ grade being

the highest you can earn and an F grade being the lowest you

can earn. It is important to know that F grades areconsidered not passing, and must be repeated for a better

grade if the class is required for your major or another

requirement. Also, if you earned an F grade, you do not get

any units for the class until you repeat itthat means that

you would not get the units toward Minimum Progress (MP)

for the quarter in which you took the class.

P ass/N oP assG radingSome courses are automatically graded on a Pass/No Pass

(P/NP) basis and cannot be taken for a letter grade, while

other courses can be changed from letter grading to the P/NP

option. The main benefit to this grading option is that

courses can still be applied toward graduation if passed, but

do not affect your Grade Point Average (GPA) for better or

worse.

Here are some important points to know about classes that

you elect P/NP grading for:

You cannot elect to take classes required for yourmajor as P/NP without prior approval from your

college or major department NP grades must be repeated for a better grade if the

class is required for your major or another requirement

If you earned an NP grade, you do not get any unitsfor the class until you repeat itthat means that you

would not get the units toward Minimum Progress

(MP) for the quarter in which you took the class

S atisfactory/U nsatisfactoryG radingSatisfactory/Unsatisfactory (S/U) grading is rarely used, but

if you come across it, S/U grading is the same as Pass/No

Pass (P/NP) grading.

IncompleteG radingAn Incomplete (I) grade means you have done well enough

in the class but for a good reason cannot finish all the course

requirements by the end of finals. If something major comes

up that will prevent you from finishing a class, make sure

you talk to your instructor as soon as possible before finals.Make sure you know what must be done in order to receive

your final grade; better yet, get it in writing! It is important

to do the work for an I grade as soon as possible because if

an incomplete grade is not cleared within three quarters the I

grade automatically becomes an F grade!

If you graduate before clearing an I grade and the deadline toreplace the grade NOT passed, the I grade will stay on your

transcript unless you clear it before the deadline (which

would be after your graduation).

If you got an I grade, you do not get any units for the class

until you clear itthat means that you would not get the

units toward Minimum Progress (MP) for the quarter in

which you took the class.

If you took a class and received an I grade, you will have to

work out completing your course requirements with the

instructor by your deadline to replace the grade. In order to

replace your I grade, you would have to fill out a GradeChange Petition available from the Registrars Office in 12

Mrak Hall or at your colleges Deans Office. Give the form

to the instructor and he or she will turn it into the Office ofthe University Registrar. It typically takes 3-4 weeks for a

grade change to be reflected on your transcript.

InP rogressG radingYou usually only see In Progress (IP) grades in classes that

span more than one quarter, like some Engineering Design

classes, or in study abroad classes before your final grade is

available. Once you final grade is available, it will replace

the IP grade on your transcript. IP grades do count towardMinimum Progress (MP).

GRADEPOINTAVERAGEOne way to measure how well you are doing academically is

by using your Grade Point Average (GPA), which is a

reflection of the grades that you have received at UC Davis.

There are two types of GPAs: quarter GPA and cumulative

GPA. Your quarter GPA, some times called a term GPA, is a

snapshot of how you did in a particular quarter or summer

session. Your cumulative GPA reflects all of the classes that

you have ever taken for a letter grade at UC Davis.


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Whether you want to calculate your quarter or cumulative

GPA, grade points (GP) are assigned to each letter grade as

follows:

A+ = 4.00 A = 4.00 A- = 3.70B+ = 3.30 B = 3.00 B- = 2.70C+ = 2.30 C = 2.00 C- = 1.70D+ = 1.30 D = 1.00 D- = 0.70F = 0.00

If you are wondering why you dont earn more than 4 grade

points for an A+ grade, it is because UC Davis grades are on

a 4.0 scale, so the total GPA can never be more than 4.0.

Keep in mind that I, IP, P/NP, and S/U grades as well as

Workload classes carry no grade points and

the amount of units from those classes are not

included in the GPA calculation. Incomplete (I)

grades and the units associated with the class

are not included in the GPA calculation at the

end of the quarter, but are counted as F grades

in determining if you have a minimum 2.0 GPA

required for graduation if you have not cleared

the I grade by the time you graduate.

GPA is calculated at UC Davis by taking the totalGP and

dividing it by the units you have taken:

GPA = TotalGP

Units taken

To get the totalGP, you need to multiply each GP by the

number of units your earned for the class, and then add it all

up:

TotalGP = (GP x units) + (GP x units) + (GP x units)

So, if you earned a B- in a 4-unit class and a C+ in a 5-unit

class, the totalGP would be 22.30:

TotalGP = (2.70 GP x 4 units) + (2.3 GP x 5 units) = 22.30

To calculate the GPA for those classes, you would divide the

totalGP by the total number of units taken for those classes,

and you quarter GPA for those classes would be 2.47:

GPA = Total GP = 22.30 = 22.30 = 2.47Units taken (4 + 5) 9

If you did the math and are wondering why you cant roundup to a 2.48 GPA, its because a GPA only goes to the

hundredths place and you do not get to round, so a quotient

of 2.4777778 is a 2.47 GPA.

To calculate a quarter GPA, you would only use the grades

from the units taken that quarter and the corresponding grade

points, like the example above. For a cumulative GPA, you

would take into account the grade points and units for all of

the letter grades you have earned at UC Davis.

If this sounds a little complicated thats because it can be,

but knowing how to calculate your GPA comes in handy.

REPEATINGCLASSESYou are allowed to retake a class if you earned a D+ orlower or a NP grade; however, you can only repeat up to 16

units to have the new grade calculated into your Grade Point

Average (GPA). What this means is that in up to 16 units,

you may retake a course and your new grade will completelyreplace your old grade, for better or worse, in your GPA

calculation. Both grades still appear on your transcript with

special notes indicating you repeated the class. If you are

considering repeating a course, keep in mind the following:

You only gets units toward graduation for a class once,so repeating a 4-unit class only gives you 4 units

toward graduation, not 8 units. Classes for which you

earned an F or NP grade do not give you any unitstoward graduation until you repeat them.

You can only retake a course once. To repeat a coursemore than once you must petition your Deans Office

before enrolling in the course for a third time.

Your 16-unit repeat allotment is used best if you retakefour different 4-unit courses totaling 16 units. Forexample, if you were to retake three 5-unit courses, you

could only repeat three classes instead of four.

If a course is originally a Pass/No Pass graded course,you must retake it for a P/NP grade.

If a course is originally letter graded, but you opted forP/NP grading and received a NP, when you retake the

course you may opt to retake the course P/NP again or

choose to leave it as a letter graded course. However, if

you are retaking a course you received a letter grade

for you must retake the course for a letter grade.

If you retake courses after repeating 16 units worth ofclasses, both grades will count towards your GPA.

With repeating classes, just because you can retake up to 16

units for a new grade, it does not mean youshouldretake

that many course. Either way, it is a good idea to meet with

your Program Specialist or an academic advisor beforerepeating any course.

FINALGRADESYour final grades refer to the official

grade you earned in each class at the

end of each quarter or summer session.

You can check your final grades online

using SISWeb, like an online report card.

Final grades are typically available 1-2 weeks

after the last day of finals.

TRANSCRIPTSA transcript is a record of your academic work. There are

two kinds of transcripts that you will hear about: official and

unofficial.

Official transcripts are printed and verified by the University

Registrar to be your most up-to-date academic record. But


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what makes them official, you ask? Official transcripts are

sealed by the Registrar and are marked with the official

University sealif you break the seal, the transcript is no

longer considered official. You may

need an official transcript when

applying to graduate or professional

schools, or for certain scholarships.

If you need an official transcript,

you can get request it from the

Office of the University Registrarfor a small fee per transcript. The

form to request an official transcript

is available in 12 Mrak Hall or online at

http://registrar.ucdavis.edu/PDFFiles/D044OrderingOfficial

UCDTranscripts.pdf. Make sure to order them at least two

weeks before they are needed or you will have to pay extra

for a rush job.

Unofficial transcripts are what you have access to on

SISWeb. They are considered unofficial because they are not

verified by the Registrar and do not contain the University

seal, but unofficial transcripts can still be an up-to-date

record of your academic history. You may need to use yourunofficial transcript for things like a good student discount

on car insurance or certain scholarships. It is a good idea to

check your unofficial transcript on SISWeb every quarter to

make sure everything is correct.

ACADEMICSTANDINGAs a student, there are three different levels of academic

standing based on your academic performance: Good

Standing, Academic Probation, and Subject to Academic

Disqualification. Minimum Progress (MP) standards can

also place you in academic difficulty.

Your academic standing is based on two general standards:

qualitative standards and quantitative standards. Qualitative

standards refer to your Grade Point Average (GPA). This

can be either your overall, or cumulative, GPA or your GPAfrom one particular quarter. Quantitative standards refer to

the units you have attempted and passed, which is the MP

requirement. Quantitative standards are usually only

measured after spring quarter.

GOODSTANDINGGood standing is an academic standing for students with

above a quarter or cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA)

of 2.0 or higher and/or those who have taken and passed at

least 39 units each academic year.

Remember, academic standing is based on both qualitative

(GPA) and quantitative (units) measures, so it is possible to

be in good standing for one and not be in good standing for

the other. For example, if your cumulative GPA was 2.67

but you had only completed 37 units for the academic year,

you would be good standing for qualitative reasons but not

in good standing for quantitative reasons.

ACADEMICPROBATIONAcademic Probation (AP) is a designation for students not in

good standing based on GPA and number of units taken and

passed for the academic year. Based on GPA, you will beplaced on AP if you earn a quarter GPA less than 2.00 but

greater than 1.50, or if you have a cumulative GPA less than

2.00 but greater than 1.50. Based on units, you will be

placed on AP if you completed more than or equal to 36

units but less than 39 units for the academic year.

If you find yourself on AP, schedule a meeting with your

TRiO Program Specialist as soon as possible.

SUBJECT TO ACADEMIC

DISQUALIFICATIONSubject to Academic Disqualification (SD) is the most

serious level of academic standing. You will be SD if you

earn a quarter GPA less than 1.50, have a cumulative GPA

less than 1.50, if you have more than 16 units with

Incomplete grades, or if you have been on AP for twoconsecutive quarters. You will also become SD if you took

and passed less than 36 units for the academic year.

If you are SD at the end of two back-to-back quarters, you

can be dismissed from UC Davis. The quickest way to get

dismissed is to not seek help and the resources available to

you. Being proactive and keeping in touch with your TRiO

Program Specialist will help you on the road to good

academic standing,

If you are SD, expect to get an email from your college

about it.It is very important that you reply to this email

and schedule a meeting with someone in your colleges

Deans Office. Also, schedule a meeting with your

TRiO Program Specialist as soon as possible. If possible,

schedule the meeting with your TRiO Program Specialist

before your meeting with your college to help prepare for

the meeting with your college.

MINIMUMPROGRESSThe Minimum Progress (MP) requirement says you have to

take and pass an average of 13 units each quarter, for a total

of 39 units for the academic year. Units toward MP will be

calculated at the end of spring quarter for that academic

year. Also, summer units count toward the following

academic year. For example, if you take eight units inSummer 2006, those units will count toward your MP

calculation for the 2006-2007 academic yearnotthe 2005-

2006 academic year.

When your MP units are calculated, there are three

possibilities:

1. You took and passed an average of 13 or more unitsper quarter and have 39 or more units total for the

academic year Congratulations, you have met the

MP requirement and you are in good standing!


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2. You took and passed an average of less than 13units but greater than or equal to 12 units per

quarter and have a more than or equal to 36 but less

than 39 total units for the academic year You did

not meet the MP requirement and will be placed on

Academic Probation (AP).

3. You took and passed an average of less than 12units per quarter and have less than 36 total units

for the academic year You did not meet the MP

requirement and will be Subject to AcademicDismissal (SD).

For students who do not meet MP as of the end of spring, a

Degree Progress Average (DPA) will be calculated at the

end of the following fall quarter. Only taking into account

full-time quarters, the DPA is the total number of units

passed at UC Davis divided by the total number of full-time

quarters completed at UC Davis:

DPA = Total UC Davis full-time units

Total UC Davis full-time quarters

At the end of the following fall quarter, if your DPA is 13 ormore units, you will have satisfied MP. If your DPA is less

than 13 units, you will be SD. If you are SD at the end of

two back-to-back quarters for failing to meet MP standards,

you can be dismissed from UC Davis.

For more information about MP, you can refer to the

General Catalogor to the online site:

http://registrar.ucdavis.edu/UCDWebCatalog/academicinfo/

dismiss.html.

DISMISSALDismissal means that you have been kicked out You can

be dismissed for not meeting qualitative and/or quantitative

standards, meaning that earning a poor GPA or not taking

and passing enough units for the Minimum Progress (MP)

requirement can get you booted from UC Davis. Being

dismissed is based on the decision of your colleges Dean.Keep in mind that dismissal is from the entire UC system not

just your college or the UC Davis campus!

If you are ever dismissed, make sure you discuss your

readmission options with your Deans Office. Generally, if

you seek help early and often with your Deans Office, and

other campus resources like the TRiO Scholars Program,

you can avoid dismissal and improve your academic status.

If despite your efforts, you are dismissed, there is an appeal

process that you can use to make your case for why youshould stay at UC Davis. The next section deals with the

appeal process.

APPEALPROCESSIf you have been dismissed, you can file an appeal with your

colleges Dean. An appeal is a written statement

from you explaining your situation, what has

added to your academic difficulty, and

what steps you are taking to get back in good standing.

Along with a letter, your appeal should also include any

supporting documentation like doctors notes or letters of

support. If approved, you get one more chance to improve

your academic status the next quarter you are enrolled. If

you find yourself in this situation, contact your TRiO

Program Specialist as soon as possible, and keep in mind

that a successful appeal still counts as your first dismissal,

and a second dismissal is final, so it is very important that

you improve your academic standing the following quarter.

Documents

Grades & Academic Standing